Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The Value of Jellyfish


You’ve decided to take that long awaited vacation, just to get away from the daily grind. You plan, you book, you go. Your destination is a bungalow along miles of sandy beach with no civilization for miles. At last, you’ve arrived and are taking a solitary walk along pristine coastline. The tide is rolling in, and the temperature is perfect. The sun has become a massive red ball of fire about to sizzle into the watery horizon. The light sound of nearby sea gulls bantering fills your soul, and you think to yourself, "life couldn’t get any better."

And then it does.

Up ahead you notice a translucent glow on the water’s edge and to your excitement you recognize that the glow is coming from a very rare jellyfish. This particular glowing jellyfish has an extremely painful, yet non-lethal sting, and it’s also fascinating because you can see right through its body. It’s a good thing you have been studying zoology on the side lately in order to recognize such a rare species. As you approach the jellyfish you notice a sparkling glint. To your astonishment you realize that the jellyfish has somehow ingested what appears to be a 20 karat diamond worth at least 50 million dollars. It’s a good thing you have been dabbling in geology on the side along, thus allowing you to notice the class and value of the gem.

You know that in order to extract the diamond you will need some tools because of the toughness of the jellyfish’s skin. You are two miles away from your bungalow, and you can’t leave the jellyfish because the tide will carry it away. You make the only choice that makes sense. You decide to grab the jellyfish, endure the painful discomfort and make the long journey home to get the tools you need to claim your treasure. The diamond is so valuable that you willingly bare the pain as you begin your journey. The pain grows. The bungalow seems further away than you remember. Surely the sand has become deeper making it nearly impossible to walk. Pain is now shooting up your arms and spreading to your neck and chest. Now all you can think about is the pain. The synapses in your brain are exploding. You are halfway home, but you are already finding it difficult to remember why you are carrying this stupid, worthless jellyfish. You hold on for a little while longer. The pain becomes too much, and finally in a burst of frustration you fling the stinging beast into the sea and watch it glide away. As the pain subsides you look up. The warm lights of your bungalow greet you through the early evening dusk. It hits you. You’ve just let go of a priceless treasure less than a hundred yards from home. All because you forgot the value of what you were holding in your arms in the midst of your discomfort.

Perhaps this short parable can serve as an awakening. Christians often become very familiar with what to believe, without spending a lifetime learning the value of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Perhaps this is why many students find it so difficult to hang on to their Christian beliefs when faced with seemingly more exciting options. Hanging on to what seems like outdated religion grows cumbersome, depressing, or downright embarrassing. Unless we understand how precious the Grace of God is in our lives, we’ll surely let go of what we think we believe when life gets frustrating and painful. Our goal should be not only to desire the right treasure, but in turn understand why it is valuable.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  - Matthew 6:19-21

Do you agree? Why do you think it's hard to hold on to faith in God sometimes? You may comment below...

- Daniel Giddings, Team Leader - 

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