I love country music. I'm sorry for those of you that disagree, but hear me out (and I promise this entire blog is not about country music). Country music is fun, soothing, catchy, sometimes hopeful and even tear-jerking at times. One of my favorite artists is Carrie Underwood. In the car on the way home tonight her "Wasted" song came on. Here are some of the lyrics if you don't have it memorized, or have never heard the song before:
"For one split second
She almost turned around
But that would be like pouring rain drops
Back into a cloud
So she took another step and said
I see the way out and I'm gonna' take it
I don't wanna' spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I've let all these years go by
Wasted"
This song conveys risk. Whatever she was running from, be it a relationship or a life of partying and drinking, it involved risk. One of the reasons I like Carrie Underwood so much, is because she takes risks. Most of you probably know that she won American Idol a while back and that is how she is so famous. I remember hearing her tell the story of how she ended up at an audition, that she drove an entire day, across a number of states, to stand for a few minutes in front of Randy, Paula and Simon to sing for them. She risked her life of comfort, of what she was used to, for something she knew was better. She risked her life of jadedness, a life that was tired and dull from working on a farm in Oklahoma, for a life full of risk of writing songs and singing and doing what she is obviously so talented at. Ironically, right after this song was over two songs came on back to back about living an easy-life, about the "Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair", and "ain't facin' reality". Both great songs, but that of course is another blog post. Bonus points if you know the songs! :)
Treasure
Something else I love are pirates. But not just any pirates... The Pirates of the Caribbean! Love the movies. Sadly, I still need to see number 4. The first is my favorite. Not because its the original, but because they really are on a hunt for treasure, they were trying to return it of course. Remember all the gold medallions that they are searching for? Love it! Captain Barbossa and Captain Jack Sparrow (love, by the way) are on the hunt to redeem themselves from a curse, to live a life that was far better than, literally, walking zombies. I was reminded of this movie after doing a Bible study last night, crazy right? But yes, the Bible led me straight to Pirates, sort of. We were studying Mark 10: 17-22. (I suggest reading now, if you need a refresher). This man, who we later learn is young, and has many possessions, runs to Jesus and falls at His feet. Desperate much? Potentially. The man asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life. I wonder if he was thinking about all the possessions that he had and trying to figure out how he could take everything with him once he passed this life on earth. I wonder if he was thinking like King Tut, a young Egyptian ruler that was buried in several gold tombs, hoping that he could take all his wealth with him. Poor King Tut to face the reality of working so hard to gain nothing. Jesus, loving him, tells this young man to sell everything, then he will have treasure heaven. I think He was asking the man to be like the man in Matthew 13:44 who risked everything for a lot that contained treasure. I think that Jesus was asking him to literally sell everything, not because Jesus is cruel, but because He knew that there is greater life than storing up many possessions in this life. He is loving and good and caring and I think He was after the man's heart. He was after an everlasting relationship, after His beloved. I think Jesus himself is on a treasure hunt like the Pirates. Searching for his long, lost, gold medallions and returning them to where they belong. We too are on a treasure hunt, searching and hunting for something that will bring us life. Not just life now, in this very moment, but eternal, everlasting, life.
Risk. Joy.
Bringing it home now. I Googled the word 'risk' and learned that Risk is a game about conquering the world. Sounds similar to Monopoly, but I've obviously never played so correct me if I'm wrong. I also got many other definitions of risk. Some involving taking uncertain chances, negative chances, sometimes good chances. I learned about risk in investments and other boring statistics. It got me thinking to the things that we risk when we sit back and do nothing. We risk our lives in a lot of ways. We risk waking up one day and finding our lives wasted. We risk missing out on a treasure hunt that leads to eternity. We risk living a life that is lacking love, joy, patience, even pain. While that last one sounds some what appealing, how many times have you been in a situation that is painful, almost unbearable, but you cling to the hope that you will be redeemed, that the pain will eventually subside? That my friends is risk. Living life like there there is, literally, no tomorrow, despite the pain that it may cause. I must confess that I did not live that way today. I think the greatest thing I risked was a sunburn from sitting in the sun for an hour. I'm not really sure that I'm okay with living life that way. While I did enjoy myself, I think I, maybe even you too, am being called to live a life that is risky, that is uncomfortable. Where would Carrie Underwood be if she took a risk in risking nothing? Probably still farming. Where would the Pirates be if they didn't risk all they had to find their treasure. Probably getting drunk somewhere in the middle of an ocean. Where would the man that found the treasure in Matthew be had he not sold everything for that plot of land? Probably living a life full of regret. Where would we be had Jesus not risked His life for us? It's scary to imagine the possibilities on this one. I think one of the coolest things about risky living is the reward. Oh man, when you take a risk, a small chance and the return is far greater than when you first began! It makes it all worth it! When we risk our lives for the Greatest Kingdom, for our Great King, for our Bridegroom, for the Carpenter that hung on a cross for us, for Jesus, what immeasurable, unspeakable Joy.
**All the pictures by the way, are just some of the people that I treasure. Not just our relationship, but I truly treasure them as people.
