Seek Justice, Love Mercy

Huh…  3 months have passed already… Doesn’t it feel like I just left?  What has impacted me the most in my short time here, you might ask?  Honestly, I can’t pick just one thing.  But I will mention one thing that has stuck in my mind, one thing that is constantly simmering on my thinking stove: that of justice.  Each day I am shown not only what blessings I have in my life but also the people around me who have been robbed of such blessings: a family of seven living together in a cardboard and tin shack, a veteran missing his legs and living in his wheelchair on the streets, a man who’s brother was murdered by a gang, a daughter separated from her mother due to immigration and the hope of a better life—these are the people upon whom justice has not served.  And these are the very people God calls us to search out, to lend a hand, and most of all to love.  I think David got it right when he wrote:

“O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that those from earth may strike terror no more.”

Psalm 10: 17-18 (NRSV)

God has given us the mandate to help those who are forgotten, to love those who are shunned, and to embrace those who are deserted.  I challenge not only myself but everyone to pray that every day God will lead us to do just this, to see this fallen world through the loving eyes of our Father and to seek justice in our every action. 

Yoga lesson!

Yesterday we had our big Christmas Party for our tutoring kids, a huge fiesta complete with games, a skit, a yoga lesson, Christmas cookie decorating, a talent show, and a movie :)  In all, 14 of our kids came!  Let me tell you, we had our hands full!  But we also had extra hands to help out too—Jim and Ruth’s son Jonathan and his girlfriend Gina arrived on Sunday and two of our friends, Susanna and Daniela, came to help out too.  I am so grateful for the extra help we had, especially in making 84 snowflake, gingerbread man, and Christmas tree sugar cookies as well as the homemade frosting to go with it!  Even though it was a lot of work, the reward of seeing their joy in just having fun was enough for me—I’d do it all over again if I had to.  Ok, maybe not today or anything… give me a few days to catch my breath and then we can do it again :)

Decorating cookies :)

So, I leave tomorrow.  I leave behind great weather (no seriously, GREAT weather), the Costa Rican laidback and take-it-as-it-comes culture, the Spanish language, fresh fruit and coffee every morning for breakfast, and the train that wakes me up in the wee hours every morning.  But more than that, I leave behind a great group of friends that I’ve made here.  I think that’s the thing I’ll miss most: being unconditionally welcomed into a culture (more than one culture for that matter) in which I so clearly do not belong, being hugged and kissed in greeting by friends and strangers alike, and just in general feeling like I’m “another one of the family.”  It has been a struggle, I’ll admit, to find my place and to figure out where I fit.  But by the grace of God, I’ve successfully wedged myself into this family and into this place :) Let’s just say I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for me!

So today will be filled with bittersweet goodbyes as we all go our separate ways for the holidays.  But I can look forward to tomorrow and to setting foot on familiar soil (hopefully none of that nasty white stuff) and seeing the not-so-tan faces of my friends and family :)  And so I’ll close with God’s blessing to Jacob at Bethel:

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15 (NIV)

Stay tuned!