Although my doctor friends might disagree, I’m pretty sure I have OCD.  I’m the guy who double checks door locks at night.  Then, if Deb asks if I shut the garage door, even though I’m pretty sure I did, I go downstairs and check again just to make sure.  And when I’m in charge of grilling chicken, which rarely happens, I don’t want anyone sick, so I cook it until it tastes like tree bark.  OCD, right?

All of those issues are manageable when I’m in my routine at home or managing my classroom.  The problems come when my issues collide with a completely unfamiliar setting, like let’s say . . .a Costa Rican jungle (insert scary music).

As a graduation gift, we let our son David plan our summer vacation.  He’s an adventurous guy, so his criteria was simple—pure rushes of adrenaline.  Think class IV rapids, jungle hikes, snakes and zip lines.  You’d think with all these adventurous people around me, including the ones who swim with venomous sea snakes, I’d get used to it.

Nope!

Just the idea of the trip got me anxious weeks beforehand.  We’d never been down class IV rapids, and we had no experience with the company taking us.

But ask any of us now, and we’ll all tell you the trip was one of our favorites.

It had everything David wanted, complete with a python sighting and being pretty much under water in our raft.  When that giant wave came, our guide shouted, “Get down!”  And you better believe we did, like soldiers diving in a foxhole.  Then, popping back up, we raised our paddles and shouted in victory.

One afternoon, our guides Arturo and Rasta took us on a waterfall hike.

“Watch out for snakes,” Arturo shouted happily.  His cheerfulness settled my heart.  He seemed totally responsible, but then somehow, he was like a kid playing in a sandbox.

It was a hot day, and the morning rain made the air feel heavy.  Our shirts stuck to our skin as we took careful steps along the muddy trail.

Then we heard it.

Turning the corner, we all stared in awe at a roaring waterfall.

“Can we jump from that?” David asked.

Arturo nodded yes.

Are you kidding me?  I thought, anxiety pulsing through my body.

Before I could gather myself, my three kids were already climbing the rocky side of the waterfall, pulling and straining to get up.

I looked at Arturo and Rasta for some sign of concern on their faces.

They just smiled.

It’s okay, Erin, I told myself, taking my cues from the guides.  And then one by one, my only children. . . my precious offspring. . . jumped.

Splash!

Everyone applauded while the guides laughed with delight.

Seeing their wet heads break the surface, I finally relaxed, letting the Costa Rican sun warm me.  They jumped a few more times with more applause, and then I watched David, Hope and their new friend William climb up to the top again.  But this time, instead of jumping, they disappeared.

They’re just exploring, I thought, turning off the OCD alarms ringing in my head.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes.

At twenty minutes, Arturo asked where my kids went.

“I think they wanted to explore a little more above the waterfall,” I said.

Arturo nodded, and my mind started racing.

Maybe he’s worried they’ll get hurt.

Maybe they’re already hurt.

MAYBE I SHOULD DO SOMETHING!!

I watched him as he looked up toward the waterfall.  He was thinking, but his brow wasn’t furrowed.  There was no fidgeting or nervous pacing.

Still, my OCD issues roared in my head like the waterfall pounding on the rocks.  I had to ask.

“Should I go get them?”

He turned away from the waterfall and looked at me.  Again, there was that smile, his eyes full of confidence like a Costa Rican jaguar’s.

“Let’s just see if they come back,” he said, taking a seat on the rock.

What did he just say?

The word “if” was a little troubling.  But I chalked it up to a translation mishap.

He wasn’t saying they might not come back; he was telling me to let go and relax.  “Pura Vida!” he’d say, which is a favorite Costa Rican saying that means pure life.  Everything Arturo did modeled that.

I watched him pull his hat over his eyes and let the waterfall lull him to sleep.

Clearly, there was no roaring in his head.

The sun was still shining through the trees, Deb was still talking with a friend, and the waterfall was sending a cool mist into the fresh air.

So what was I going to do?

The question came like a whisper to my heart, and the whisper was familiar.  The Spirit of God was using Arturo’s example, teaching me something I’m still processing even as I type these words.

I could panic and take matters into my own hands.

Or I could relax.

I chose pura vida and laid back against a rock like my new Costa Rican friend.

I’m not sure if Arturo believes in God, but I am sure God used him that afternoon.

Since that trip to Costa Rica, my OCD issues still roar for my attention with difficult questions.

Will Hope’s body give out on the track like last year?

Will David be okay going into his first year of college?

Will Deb and I survive having an empty nest?

To all that, I hear a whispered reminder.

Only this reminder isn’t coming from Arturo; it’s coming from the same one who whispered to my heart in the jungle–someone else who liked naps (Matt.8:23-27).  His name is Jesus.

“Let’s just see what happens, Erin,” I hear Him say, and I know, just like Arturo, He’s smiling.  Why?  Because He’s the one writing each chapter and the source of all “Pura Vida.”  Both He and Arturo found peace when people around them panicked, and Jesus offers that peace to us if we trust Him.

Eventually, David, Hope and William came back and told us about their adventure above the waterfall.  I had no reason to worry.  Jesus saw them even when I couldn’t.  He was in control then, and He’s in control right now, so guess what?  Just like Arturo and Jesus, I can take a nap too.

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