Greetings dear blog readers!
I have been in Costa Rica with the rest of the squad for a little over a week now. I must say the time here has been a pretty great difference than the whole race before. In my last blog I briefly mentioned that we’d, basically, be living here in San Jose, Costa Rica as a whole squad. From the YWAM base we have the freedom to explore any type of ministry we like or we feel the Lord is calling us.
I have been greatly conflicted on a number of issues, including the relevance of short term mission trips, the importance of emotions and thoughts and how God gives them to us to teach us, and the ease of seeking comfortability.
It is very easy for me to abuse the freedom I have in Christ. Fortunately, I’ve experienced the joy of serving the Lord and dying to self each day and would rather not abuse it. But man is it tempting!
My big kick now is in finding balance. I had a conversation with Gary Black our last night together about finding the balance of extravagant living and prudent living. Since that conversation I’ve been analyzing my own actions and how I steward the gifts God’s given me. I know he’ll always provide, even if I mess up. I wrote about that in my last blog. I think he loves when we mess up because it’s a reminder of our humanity and his righteousness. Failure is also one of the greatest teachers. Maybe the greatest.
This month is about forming a lifestyle. It’s about finding the balance in ministry and everything else; about living missions minded. I don’t want to be overly righteous and become pious or overly rebellious and act irrationally. I don’t want to be overly thoughtful (more of a risk for me) or overly emotional. I want to find the balance in all things: in wisdom and passion, work and relaxation, compassion and sternness, indulging and refraining, relational and reflective, peace and violence.
My hope is that I find balance in as much as I can before I get home so that it’s not an issue. I hear the transition into the American lifestyle can be a doozy!
