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| “Mangrove tree inside Snipes Point near Key West,” Florida Memory, Wikimedia Commons |
I had the opportunity to go on a much needed vacation recently with my husband to sunny Key West. Because he had looked forward to this for weeks, he immediately wanted to book some excursions. We settled on a jet ski tour around the island and a boat trip that included snorkeling in the middle of the ocean. After nearly drowning in the ocean when I was 12, I was less than enthused about these choices, but I try to live by Eleanor Roosevelt's advice to "do one thing everyday that scares you."
I was even less enthused the next day when I realized we
had hired a speed demon for a jet ski instructor who used words like
"gnarly" and "rad" far too much. My options were to go between 45 - 50
mph and risked being flayed by the water if I fell off or lose site of
the guide and wander aimlessly off the coast. While I like a bit of
adventure, these are not my idea of good choices.
During one of the rare times he stopped to give us
information about the island, he told us about the mangrove islands off
the coast that we were about to fly past and barely see at breakneck
speeds. He said that mangroves aren't actually saltwater plants. So how
do they live in saltwater? They send a sacrificial leaf down to soak up
all the salt. While this leaf withers and dies, the rest of the plant
remains hearty and healthy.
I was just about to ask another question when he
revved up his engine and rocketed away, and the moment passed. Later, I
thought of this plant and how timely it was to learn this lesson the week
before Easter. Throughout Lent, we give up bad habits or taken on
spiritual practices in the hopes of reconnecting with the very core of
our faith in God, and perhaps to learn something about ourselves.
What is our sacrificial leaf? What have we had to
give up so that we could flourish in our lives and our calling? Isn't
that a bit like taking up our cross, as Jesus bid us to do? Well, in
order to make it to the end of that terrifying jet ski tour, I had to
give up fear. Instead of thinking about the sickening sound my body
would make hitting the water at high speeds, I tried to focus on the
wind in my hair, the color of the water, and the uniqueness of the
moment. I realized would never be in this situation were I in control.
Control can be both good and bad; we can surround ourselves with things
that comfort us, but we may miss a lot of great experiences.
Our God is a great one who defeated death. Jesus
flipped our world on it's end when he showed that the evil power of a
corrupt Roman ruler wouldn't have the last say. Nothing is safe. The
order of things has been upended. C.S. Lewis put it best in his "The
Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" when the children are nervous about
meeting the Christ-like character of the lion, Aslan. Susan says, "Is
he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." Mr.
Beaver replies, "Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't
safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
In
a world where anything can happen, we aren't in really in control, and
we follow a God who can defeat death itself, what does Easter mean? In
this celebration of our risen Lord, I think we should all ask ourselves
what our place is in this world. If we take up our cross, shed our
sacrificial leaf, and lean into God's call, what could we do? What will
we do?
As the great poet Mary Oliver asked, "Tell me, what will you do with your one wild and precious life?"
The article originally appeared on "Next Sunday Resources": http://www.nextsunday.com/a-wild-precious-easter/
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