And so closes another chapter of this amazing God journey that I get to call my life! Its our last night in Costa Rica…tomorrow we are taking a 9 hour bus ride to our next destination in Nicaragua. I can hardly believe that month 1 of this World Race journey is over already and we are on to month 2!
I've neglected to blog as often as id have liked to this month becuase I have been so enveloped in the moments I've had here its been hard to put into words how great my God is! Seeing as this is my last chance to blog in Costa Rica I figured I would just let it all spill out, this month of growth and unbelievable blessing. If I rant and rave over God's goodness, just embrace it! 😉
The words from my favorite new song by Judah & the Lion sums up exactly what this month has been for me…
"I've tasted and I've seen, the sweatness of our King! Im taken by the warmth of your embrace! I love your love, I love your love, I love your love for me! Oh let your love come fill me up, I love your love for me!"
Love has been the word spoken over my heart since I arrived in Costa Rica on the 11th. God's unfailing, all encompasing, overhwelming beconing of my heart to His has been my real life love story this month. I can say with such joy in my heart that it literally puts a smile on my face and causes my heart to flip inside of my chest as I write these words…OH HOW HE LOVES ME!
OH HOW HE LOVES!
I have been more than blessed to spend every morning out on our amazing balcony, with a delicious cup of coffee in my hands, while the sun warms my cheeks as I sit humbly at the feet of my Jesus. In those first moments of every morning I have come before the Lord with such praise on my lips and awe in my heart over His tremendous love and continuous underserved blessing poured out over lil ol me. Many times I have cried out, "Who am I Lord, that you have brought me thus far?" And the constant reply He speaks over my heart is, "You are my beloved bride, my precious daughter, MY CHOSEN LOVE!"
BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL AND LET ALL THAT IS IN ME PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!
The Lord has shown me His unfailing love in absolutely every area of my life this month. Whether it be in the middle of ministry, living in the midst of community, or those precious moments listening to His whispers… "His banner over me is LOVE!"
Through all of this, the Lord has not only been teaching me to embrace His all comsuming love for me, but more importantly how that then translates into how I should then love with HIs all consuming selfless love. In each ministry we've been involved with I have been able to see with Christ's eyes the beauty that He will soon bring out of these ashes that scatter the streets of Costa Rica. He has also begun to teach me how to love, not in my own selfish ambitions, but with His perfect love. His perfect love that casts out all fear, that breaks every chain, that brings hope to the hopeless, that moves mountains(literally), that purifies the defiled, that brings salvation to a world in need of a savior.
A majority of our ministry this month has been focused on loving on children with reckless abandonment. We have had the opportunity to visit many different barrios(neighborhoods) and spend hours giving our undivided attention to the most precious children who are desperate for any form of love. By God's grace we have been able to not just offer them any form of love, but God's most perfect love.
Love comes in many forms ive quickly learned, but this month love has looked alot like counteless hours of piggy back rides which included the word 'corre' about a million times a day. It has looked like allowing children to freely and aggresively draw with chalk on any exposed skin on our bodies, faces included. Love has looked like kissing the week old dirty cheeks of babies and going in for many more dirty cheeked kisses after that without hesitation. It has looked like braiding the hair of little girls with lice so bad you can see them jumping off their heads, and then praying like crazy for God's angels to guard your own scalp.
Love has also taken on a whole other meaning living in community as well. Love has meant being the first one to gather everyones dishes and then subsiquently ending up washing the entire houses dishes becuase you happened to be the one standing at the sink that evening; offering hospitatlity to one another withouth grumbling. Love has meant giving up your desired position of service at certain ministries becuase you see a teamate who wants to serve in that position just as much as you; prefering others over yourself. Love has meant calling greatness out of teamates so that they may look a little more like Jesus, and in turn graceously accepting greatness being called out of you so that you too may look more like Jesus; be imitators of Christ. Love has even meant sharing pringles with your teamates even when all you've had to eat for weeks has been rice and beans and pringles happen to be your own personal heaven at the moment; die to self.
I have learned that perfect love, Christ's love, is a love only capable through death. Through death of our flesh, our selfish desires, our personal ambitions. Death makes way for life. When we die to self, others are given life. When we nail our flesh, daily, to the cross we are made alive in the most powerful Spirit of Christ. Where there is death in the body there is life in Christ! Out of life flows love, out of love a multitude of sins covered! So death in my selfish desires brings the selfless love of Christ to all those around me and blessing and life flow forth!
GOD BE PRAISED!
"ABOVE ALL, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." -1 Peter 4:8-11
I could go on and on about the precious truths the Lord has begun to etch on my heart this month and the many areas of self He has begun to chip away at, but I have an entire year for His hand to be at work in my life, so you'll just have to stay tuned to my God journey to walk this path with me!
All I can say at the end of this more than blessed, seriuosly more than blessed month, is that my God is so beyond good to me it overwhelms my soul! I have been brought to my knees in awe of His goodness and grace more times than I can count. In all of it I can most assuradly proclaim…HOW HE LOVES!!!
