I have had trouble blogging about last month in Costa Rica.
It's not because we never had internet, or because my device wasn't working. And it's not because we didn't do anything, or because the month was terrible.
In fact, it's because this month was so awesome. Our month hanging out in the slums of San Jose doing ministry was so sweet, I've been struggling with how to put my thoughts and experiences into words so you can understand.
I'm not going to try. Instead, I'm going to share with you one of my favorite memories from the month:
One night, at sunset, I went outside in the cool air and sunk onto the grass of the makeshift soccer field. It's the best spot to see the sunset from, and the sunset from the Los Guidos slum is pretty spectacular. When mountains and fast moving clouds get added to the palette of sunset color, it's hard to look away. It was so peaceful with the breeze blowing and I had a rare moment to myself – just me and my God with His alluring whisper of love and beauty and life in my ear.
Eventually, our host "dad" Juan came out and sat on the grass with me. He just came and sat, pretty quietly, admiring the view too. Occasionally he would break the peaceful silence to remark in Spanish on how rich life is and how mighty God is. The sincerity and gratitude in his voice as he mentioned the fullness of life cannot be conveyed… He is a wise and gentle soul who knows who he is and what life is about.
Eventually, his teen daughter, Diana, joined us also. Despite her age and teen coolness, she laid in his lap and they giggled and teased one another, exchanging very real "I love you"s often. The affection between father and daughter brought tears to my eyes. It is a love so free and full and expressive and safe; the sweetest father-daughter interaction.
The three of us just sat there in love and admiration for our God, for our lives, and for His creation. Nothing was really needed and nothing was lacking. We waited out there until the stars appeared and then sat some more. God was with us and in us and life was coursing through us.
I won't forget that evening for the rest of my life. And it was one of many very full and rich moments. Last month was full of these. As has been the whole Race. And come to think of it, much of my life. Especially life the last few years, life with Jesus. There really is nothing that compares to the abundance and satisfaction He brings with quiet peace in the midst of insane adventure. This is life and life to the full. For me, there's just no place I'd rather be, no life I'd rather live.
Bob Goff's book, Love Does, expresses this sentiment well also. It's an awesome book full of the zest of life; I think everyone should read it. (That should be obvious… I quoted such a large chunk…). From the chapter on the banquet:
"There is only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I'm tempted to turn it down all the time. I get the invitation every morning when I wake up to actually live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does. It doesn't come in an envelope. It is ushered in by sunrise, the sound of a bird, or the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen. It's the invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life for one more day. Nobody turns down an invitation to the White House, but I've seen plenty of people turn down an invitation to fully live.
"Turning down this invitation comes in lots of flavors. It looks like numbing yourself or distracting yourself or seeing something really beautiful as just normal. It can also look like refusing to forgive or not being grateful or getting wrapped around the axle with fear or envy. I think every day God sends us an invitation to live and sometimes we forget to show up or get head-faked into thinking we haven't really been invited. But you see, we have been invited – every day, all over again.
"There's no doubt Jesus invites us to have some very cool experiences in our lives, and for that matter, in the afterlife. Jesus tells a story in the Bible about a rich guy who had a banquet. The rich guy invited lots of people, but most of them made excuses and didn't come, so the guy sent his servants to invite other folks – but this time he invited the unlikely ones, people who don't normally get invited, folks like me. The message for this new round of people was simple: 'There's more room.' … I think life is like that… I think God sends out His messengers to tell everybody there's plenty of room and there's free food and conversation and adventure and a wonderful and generous host who has invited us by name…
"Accepting the invitation to show up in life is about moving from the bleachers to the field. It's moving from developing opinions to developing options. It's about having things matter to us enough that we stop thinking about those things and actually do something about them. Simply put, Jesus is looking for us to accept the invitation to participate. It's like the president is calling and we need to just answer the phone. We need to show up.
"If we accept life's invitation, it is contagious too. Other people will watch us and start seeing life as something more amazing, more whimsical than before. When you show up to the big life, people (the type who don't think they're invited) start seeing the invitations everywhere as thick as colorful fall leaves. They don't think about their pain or their weakness any longer. Instead, they think about how incredible a big life really is and how powerful the one who is throwing the banquet is too.
"Jesus wants us to come. He's sending his servants out to tell the people standing at the fences and the libraries that they're invited to the party. He's sending you an invitation too, in the sunrise, the sound of a bird, or in the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen. The one who has invited you is way more powerful than any impediments we think we're facing, and He has just one message for us. He leans forward and whispers quietly to each of us, 'There's more room.'"
