I have been thinking about grace lately. Sadly, the cornerstone of the Christian faith that also happens to be my namesake, has not been a significant point of reflection for me throughout the years. Most of my life, I have understood grace as the free favor of God toward humans, which is necessary for salvation. The last few months here in Honduras have slowly taught me that grace is also the only avenue through which I have the possibility to live a life of peace, hope, joy, lament, and reconciliation.
Sola gratia. I have changed the name of this blog for two main reasons: 1) I can use a reminder of how and why it is that I am able to do anything for the kingdom and for the glory of God, and 2) I am no longer teaching.
God, in infinite wisdom, allowed me to come Honduras to learn many things, but one of them was not to teach. Yesterday was my last day at the school, and it was filled with surprises from some of my favorite and then more unruly students. I crossed paths with seventy-five 10th graders this fall, and only God knows why. Last night, the school put on a Thanksgiving dinner for the staff and administration- a wonderful note to end on- which allowed me to get a head start on thinking about for what I am thankful.
I am thankful for faithfulness. By the mercy of God, I have a job with Association for a More Just Society (AJS). The Christian NGO's goal is to help transform Honduras, and the world, into a more just society. ( All of this is taken from their website: www.ajs-us.org). To this end, AJS supports efforts in Honduras that promote the interests of the most poor in legislative projects, defend the rights of the most vulnerable in judicial processes, increase the awareness and democratic participation of churches to practice the Biblical teachings on justice, and publish journalistic investigations on issues that affect the poor of Honduras.
I will begin working as an AJS fellow, here in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, beginning next week. My resonsibilities will include corresponding with supporters, attending visitors at the office, coordinating board calls, taking on some aspects of newsletter design, monthly emails, and web updates, processing new Justice Club sign-ups, and translating material. In addition, I will be assisting with a youth transformation project in Nueva Suyapa. I am in true awe of what God is blessing me to do at AJS. As I eagerly anticipate becoming part of this community of believers who have actively taken up the call of Micah 6:8, to " act justly," I give thanks to God for his faithfulness that brought me to this place.
I am thankful for grace. This grace turns my soul to God who compels me to empty myself so that God in me may finally begin to work. Only by grace, can I have true joy that does not falter in the face of failure, loneliness, and the incomplete. The grace that allows me to live is also the same which teaches me to live with unanswered questions. We know only a portion o f the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. This has been the cornerstone of my faith.
I Corinthians 13 lays it out: We don't see things clearly. We're squnting in a fog, peering through a mist. Until the completeness comes, when we'll see clearly as God sees,we must do three things that lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. I give thanks for the grace that can lead me to trust, hope, and love.
I am thankful for love. I have experienced God's love in the quiet moments of prayer, through friends' reassuring words , in the sights and smells of a creation, and through the innumerable ways that God tells me " I am here," everyday. I believe that because God loves, grace is dispensed undiscriminately. How else can I understand the times when I have least deserved it, I have known God's love? There exists a recipricol relationship between love and grace; I am able to truly love only after God has gives me the grace to do it. I Corinthians talks about how we are bankrupt with out love. To live is to love because loving is meant to lead to an intricate dance of lament, joy, suffering, and reconciliation. I pray God grants me the grace to live.
The following prayer and verse is a familiar one, but it brings a deeper meaning now that I see that grace is involved not only in the act of God's countenance shining upon me, but also in the act of me smiling back.
The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lordmake His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
I miss all of you dearly. I am exceedingly thankful to belong to the body of Christ, who support and uphold each other in prayer. When I have felt downtrodden, God has placed somebody there to walk with me through the fog and mist. I am deepyly thankful to you friend.
