“Not all those who wander are lost.” —J.R.R. Tolkien
The little girl looked up at her big sister and yelled as loud as she could, “GET LOST!!!” Then she stormed towards her, scowled in her face (if looks could kill), snatched the sand castle bucket out of her hands, and marched across the beach making her point loud and clear to all who were watching. The adults laughed, of course, because it’s cute when you’re not the parent who has to deal with it, but the mom was not impressed. She jumped up from her towel to address the behavior and I sat there watching the moment unfold as two little words floated through my mind: “get lost.”
This saying is so often used with negative connotation, isn’t it?
Like when a little sister wants her big sister to leave her stuff alone. Or when a parent is annoyed with their whiny and grumpy children and need a few minutes of sanity before they blow. Or when you’re trying to have a campfire, complete with s’mores, but the mosquitos are hovering so thick you feel like you might lose your mind. These are definitely “get lost” moments.
Or what about the words themselves? In a culture like ours, to “get lost” is seen as such a bummer. It’s a waste of our precious time, a careless mistake, the result of a failed plan, or a downright annoyance to our overbooked and “important” schedules. How many times have you heard someone say, “Sorry, I got lost.” Or, “Sorry I’m late, my GPS steered me wrong.” To “get lost” is unfortunate.
But what if these words could mean something more? What if this saying could be seen as a good thing? What if we thought of “getting lost” as an intentional way to implement more freedom and adventure into our day-to-day lives? In fact, what if we saw “getting lost” as a necessary role in our overall health and well being?
To wander.
To discover.
To explore.
To get lost.
Getting lost in the moment could be seen as a careless waste of time … as daydreamer habits for the lazy … as poor excuses for the under motivated, or it could seen as a mindful approach to embracing the beautiful moments in life that are all too quickly passing us by.
Getting lost on vacation could be seen as an interference to the plan … a robbery of your relaxation … a disturbance to your nice and orderly routine, or it could be seen as an incredible way to experience something new, to indulge in unpredictable laughter and to have a memorable story to share for years to come.
Getting lost in life could be seen as wasted days … wasted weeks … wasted months … and wasted years, or it could be seen as the soul-discovering journey that revealed to you who you truly are, what you truly love and what God has truly called you to do and be.
It’s all in how you see the words.
It’s all in how you use the saying.
And it’s all in how you shape your language.
Don’t let the way other people use words and define sayings hold you back from redefining their meaning for yourself.
“You’ll find some of life’s best moments waiting for you over a campfire, on a river — even in that coffee shop or brewery you didn’t know you’d discover along the way. It’s time to begin the search. Adventure kindles spiritual reflection, personal growth and deeper family connections. We’re called to adventure. We’re made for it. It’s the stirring in our soul when we see a sailboat crossing the Caribbean, or a fly fisherman casting a line in the light of the canyon. It’s the voice that says, ‘Go.’” —Roger W. Thompson
So go ahead, get lost. It’s not a bad thing.
