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Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this…
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
[Mark 8: 31-36, selected]
Jesus calls those who would come after him to deny the self. He is not demanding that we put to death our thoughts and desires and all the things about us that make us unique, or that we renounce the wonder and beauty of creation. He is calling us to deny our self-centeredness and need to be in control, and instead to center our selves in God, who is infinite power and energy and for whom we were created. We find that on our own we have very little power to truly change. We may change our actions at times with self-control and willpower, but consenting to God’s will for us, rather than demanding our own way, causes us to be changed from the inside out. As we empty ourselves of our own strategies for success and comfort, we feel our deep hunger for what is real and life-giving, and God has space to fill us with far greater power, goodness, and satisfaction—the kind that grows, and lasts. 
"When I first took this picture many years ago, I saw the leaf (and myself) as needing to "hang on"...just keep trying, just keep working at the things that were bothering me, or circumstances that were struggles and painful--just keep trusting and trying and hanging on. Now I look at this same photo years later and wonder why that leaf doesn't just "let go"...let go of the struggles to keep things going, let go of the status quo, let go of the need to control or fix the things that make me uncomfortable and afraid. Letting go is such a relief--relief from trying to control my life, relief that there is Someone who loves me and who will care for me as I fall. Amazingly, there is peace in the free--fall into the dependable, trustworthy arms of Jesus. Now I look at the little leaf and whisper "just let go."
(photo and comments by VJ Thurston. Used with permission)
Read Jesus’ words above slowly and listen to them as if Jesus were speaking directly to you.
Ask now for greater awareness of the places in your life where you might need to “let go” as you continue on this journey through Lent.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
13th Day of Lent
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2 comments:
i always think of leaves not as little entities hanging on to a tree but instead as a tree's decoration, its seasonal covering, the evidence of its life.
maybe the story being told in the photo is not of a leaf hanging on trying to survive, or even a leaf needing to let go and free fall. maybe the story being told is one of a tree not yet ready to let go of its decoration / covering / precious possessions and be naked and vulnerable for a season.
i imagine if i were a tree, i wouldn't really enjoy shedding all my glory every year to stand cold and naked all winter. although, paradoxically, that shedding and standing in the cold is what prepares the tree for a new, even great growth in the spring.
thank you, carrie for that perspective on the leaf and the whole tree. I have experienced just what you suggested, that as I lost almost everything that was important to me, and became vulnerable for a season, Jesus prepared me for a greater season of growth than I could have anticipated...it's not fun being vulnerable, but worthwhile in the end.
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