Have you ever found something you could not say no to, besides, drugs, alcohol or other addictions, but rather something positive that was like a miraculous treasure? Sometimes we discover real treasure that we can't ignore and we are willing to give everything to have it in our lives.

Some of us find "treasure" that influences our careers. We are called to be police officers, firefighters, soldiers, teachers, activists, or even beleaguered ministers, not due to the salary that is paid, but due to something we have glimpsed about community needs and our personal call to serve those needs. Some will give everything, even their lives, for this perceived treasure. The fit feels right and we can not say no. There may be moments when that calling is barely a whisper and when drudgery makes us question those careers, but then, we catch a glimpse once more of the treasure that stirred our hearts in the first place. Have you found your treasure, or have you lost it temporarily?

In just a couple of weeks I will move my daughter away to school. When she first announced two years ago that she did not want to go to a standard college, but rather a conservatory school that teaches drama, my spouse and I dismissed the idea out of hand. We thought she was misguided. Of course she would go to college. She had great grades, her options were many, we went to college; of course she would go to college; perhaps my spouse's alma mater. However, our daughter who has never defied our wishes, knew better. She knew if she could make it through competitive grueling auditions and get an offer, she would accept and take a different path, no matter the cost or the odds of success.

I'm reminded that when I was a young teenager, I, too, had been a good girl, obedient to my parents. However, when I mentioned that I wanted to try out for cheerleading and they forbade me to do it, I knew at that very moment that it did matter what they said. I had to do it. I did, and I was active in cheering throughout my junior high and high school years for every sport my school offered. My parents were surprised and not supportive, but I could not say no to it. My very small rural school had no other avenues for girls' sports and athletics flowed through my veins. I loved every minute of rehearsals and when my older sister died, I discovered that I could dance and create movements for hours and hours at a time. It was medicine to me, not simply cheering. My emotions poured through me with my sweat and I think the salt that collected on my skin was my whole body's tears.

At the most difficult times in my life, I have always returned to physical movement of some type, either dance, jogging, yoga, or something that allows my body and the spirit it contains to move and be in the moment at hand. I can't really explain it, I just know that I am meant to move. It heals me and makes me a better person. It is a treasure that I sometimes lose, when I get too busy at the computer or managing life's responsibilities. I am happy that my church now offers yoga on Tuesdays at 5:30, so that my body can participate and cope better with life's challenges. All are welcome.

There's a bible parable about a man who found some buried treasure in a field, then went and sold everything to purchase that field. When I was younger, I thought this was a story, once again, letting us know that we should give up all our possessions to follow God - impossible. I don't see it like that now. Instead, this man found his treasure and was willing to give anything to have it in his life. Supposedly, the Kingdom of God is that treasure; a place where all are welcome, loved, and forgiven. I've glimpsed a piece of that place in holy communities from time to time and its promise keeps me in the field, knowing it is there. We humans can't do it perfectly, sometimes not well at all. Holy communities can hurt one another and mess up. However, we can sometimes see the bigger treasure: people from all walks of life, gay, straight, transgendered, male, female, young, old, black, brown, white, all being welcome, accepted and loved. That's a treasure to give just about anything for.

Blessings on Finding Your Treasure,

Pastor Nancy