A Taste of Home

I've been living in San Jose, Costa Rica for one month now.  It's insane how fast that month has gone.  So, one month down, 11 to go...not that I'm counting down or anything.  (Really, I'm not counting.)  It's been an adjustment living in San Jose.  Things are just different here.  Different cultural norms and language.  Both will take some getting used to. And just as I get comfortable with them, I'll be off to Ecuador.  
One of the adjustments has been to city life because I'm a country girl.  I've lived on a farm my whole life, with the exception of college.  I love the country - so peaceful and quiet, not a lot of traffic, wide open spaces, clean air, huge skies full of stars....really, I could go on.  Now, this country girl is living in a city.  There's noise, vehicles everywhere (they're crazy drivers here), exhaust, houses are tight up against each other, with the exception of parks, there's not a lot of grass or trees.  Pardon me, I do have a small back yard that does have grass and trees.

I admit, I probably should count my blessing for having a backyard, not many people have them here.  But it feels cramped and is enclosed and just doesn't seem the same as back home.   

So, how does a country girl survive in the city?  Rely on the beauty of God and stare at the mountains every single day as I walk to school.

Without views like these, I honestly believe, I'd go mad.  God knew by putting me here in San Jose, I needed some views of nature.  I do miss the mountains of Pennsylvania (especially now, since it's autumn back home.), but the mountains here outdo the mountains back home.  

Even though I do get to see the mountains every single day, I still miss the wide open fields.  Yesterday I took a trip with some of the students at school to La Paz Waterfall Gardens.  I was excited to get away for the day, but I had no idea what was in store for me.....a taste of home.

As we drove out of San Jose, we ended up driving into another city - buildings, traffic, noise, blah.  BUT then we entered the breathtaking countryside.  As we drove there were miles of mountains, fields, grass, flowers, and trees everywhere!!  I could feel myself relaxing and my heart was glad.  I didn't realize how much I missed the country until I saw it!!

This is just a glimpse, a tease really, of what I saw.  Sigh.  I could live here.  I relished the views and tried to drink it in as much as possible, because the reality was it was only for the day.  I was in awe of this gift from God and felt that He went above and beyond to give me a taste of home.      

The Church

It's not the church most North American culture thinks of - the building, a structure or a club. No, it's much more than that! It's how it's supposed to be seen as: Christ's body of followers. Those whose hearts beat like His and desire to see the world come to know Him and become transformed for His Kingdom's sake. And those who have newly welcomed His grace in their lives and being made new and restored in Him. That's His body!
The church is alive because of Christ who breathes in us. It's a living organism, it grows and spreads. You could almost say that it is like an infectious disease. Once Christ takes root, you will be destroyed and will never be the same.
In viewing the church as the Body, it is no longer complex. It has become simplified in that there are only two commands that matter: love God and love others. Both are completely possible and are to be obeyed. When both are obeyed, amazing things happen. Those without Christ, see His light in the church and are drawn to it. The church is able to share the Good News of Jesus that is for EVERYONE: the afflicted, brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, the poor, the weary, and everyone in between. The church can transform whole families and multiply in communities. The church can strengthen and unite communities and even nations for His sake.
Because of Christ, the church is powerful. God uses it to change lives, families, communities, nations, the whole world! More than that, the church is empowered. It's because of Jesus' Commission and Commandment and the power of His Holy Spirit, that we, the Body of Christ, can touch the hearts of the world!
How beautiful is the Body of Christ and what a blessing to be a part of it!

Note: This was originally written as a reflective writing for a "Perspectives" course I was taking last fall.  Someday, I wouldn't mind getting it published!  Perspectives