A true adventurer knows when the moment has come. That moment to stop, take in the sights and realize the incredible journey they have encountered thus far. It’s at the peak of the highest mountain where they rest for just a minute and look out on the valleys and rivers below, watching the sunset, awestruck by the majesty and beauty before them.
Meet Mary Magdalene. Her adventure with Christ first began with complete and utter transformation. Having battled demons literally for years, Mary’s first encounter recorded in scripture with Christ begins with him healing her completely [Luke 8:1-2].
When you’ve been wrestling with your demons for years and someone releases you from that, you do the only thing you can do: follow them. And Mary was ready for the adventure. She had seen the miracles of Christ, up close and personal, and she was ready for whatever was ahead of her as she wholeheartedly chased after him.
Mary understood something about the adventure of a lifetime that many adventurers miss. An adventure of a lifetime is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Mary was always the first one to stop and soak up the moment instead of letting the gravity of the situation pass her by.
Perhaps the greatest evidence of this was during a visit of Christ and his disciples to the home of Mary and her sister, Martha. Martha was the type of adventurer whose main concern tended to fall on the side of logistics. She was much less interested in the overall plan and more in tune with how everyone was getting from point A to point B:
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” [Luke 10:38-42 NLT]
Adventures without a doubt require a lot of preparing and planning. There are so many practical things to consider along the way. However, each of us can swerve off course as we look at everything that needs to be done. Distraction, as our message a few weeks ago mentioned, can undoubtedly lead us straight to survival mode. Distraction can take our eyes off the path before us and send us plummeting off a cliff of anxiety, fear, and bitterness.
Martha’s concerns were valid. She had a houseful and people had to eat. But, in that moment, she was missing the whole point of the adventure in the first place: Jesus.
Mary, on the other hand, understood that the greatest part of being an adventurer was the awe inspiring scenery along the way, like when Jesus himself plops down on your couch and starts teaching. In that moment, who cares what is for dinner? Who cares about the logistics of the journey? You whip out your iPhone and take some videos in an effort to capture this moment forever. You sit still and soak it all in.
This life is full of distractions. Good things can become ultimate distractions, so a true voyager must be prepared in those moments to do the thing needed most: sit at the feet of the one who invited you along in the first place.
Think about it: What is keeping you from sitting at the feet of Jesus right now? What good things, important and seemingly necessary things, have you turned in to ultimate things that are keeping you from enjoying the scenery and purpose of this adventure?
Pray about it: Lord, make me focused single minded, on you alone. Let not all the distractions and logistics of this life and doing good works in your name keep me from your ultimate goal: me sitting at your feet in deep love and awe filled wonder. Amen.
~Catherine Fitzgerald