FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS...

So many life lessons in these past three weeks in Costa Rica. I guess it really is true that we often need to get out of our daily routine, remove ourselves from the ordinary, to see God at work and to hear the LORD speaking to us.
One revelation from the LORD has been the reminder that my life is in His hands. God has blessed the roads of my life's journey and, as the popular song states, "God [even] blessed the broken roads…." to bring me to this point in life.  Praise the LORD for His Goodness, His patience, His mercy, and His faithfulness. "For now we see through a glass darkly but, then, we will see face to face, now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known (1 Corinthians 13:12). What a joy it is to see a little "face-to-face" during this trip to Costa Rica.
So many events from my life have converged at this point: Children's Choir at Calvary Baptist Church, piano lessons from Mrs. Leila Jo Caughman--a great (very strict!) teacher, choral opportunities in middle school, high school, college, and seminary, church music ministry opportunities in wonderful churches in Columbia, SC, Charleston, SC, Isle of Palms, SC, Lexington, KY, Raleigh, NC, Brentwood TN,  countless Bible studies, teaching undergraduate Bible, music, and worship courses, mission trips to Mexico and Costa Rica, raising four children, two of whom we adopted, the love of a Christ-following husband. Oh, and don't forget the Spanish classes. When Brentwood UMC offered Spanish classes in 2011, I signed-up so I could brush up on my 30-year-old high school level Spanish. This would hopefully enable me to communicate a little better in Costa Rica when we went on sabbatical the following summer. Once that summer trip ended, however  I continued to take Spanish classes, loving every minute of them. I took the cleaning lady (from Guatemala) to lunch to practice my Spanish, I volunteered in an ESL class, I pestered my nephew who had majored in Spanish in college, bribing him with breakfast at Panera's, if he would speak Spanish with me for one hour. Why? Why did I love this language and why was I DRIVEN to learn it? The question surfaced many times and I had answer.
Along with the positive experiences of my life these past few years, there were some events that saddened me and events that caused me to question God's purpose for my life. Why didn't God answer my prayers (the way I thought He should!)? The waiting, the "NO's," the questioning were all part of God's plan, though I could not see it.
It is crystal clear to me now how God prepared me through each of these opportunities/events to bring me to where I am, now: working with a high school chorus and living with 11 children (who are up for adoption) in Costa Rica.  Though I would not begin to compare myself to Queen Esther and the time that Mordecai stated that she was a Hebrew who had been chosen queen  "for such a time as this;" that phrase keeps running through my mind. God's time (kairos) and my time (chronos) join hands at God's bidding. It has taken years down the road to understand but, looking back, the guiding, loving hand of God was there with me all the time. 
Thank-you, Lord.

Tico Patience. HURRY UP, I WANT IT NOW!

Tico Patience 

HURRY UP, I WANT  IT NOW!

This is my fourth trip to Costa Rica. I have been here for 17 days so far this trip, nine of those days without Rob. While the loneliness and isolation I experience in the evenings and weekends is unsettling, there are many good things about this trip. One of these is the patience and manners of these lovely Costa Rican people (Ticos).

Traffic is HORRIBLE, here. Cars, buses, motorcycles, and bicycles weave in and out with no attention to driving rules such as the lines in the road or not passing on the right. I find myself getting upset with these drivers, after squealing and prying open my eyes, certain that my driver is going to hit their vehicles. Somehow it all works, though. I observe that the drivers seem to be patient. If someone moves out ahead of them, they acquiesce and then continue on their way when all is clear. Four cars may approach an intersection. All stop and with the nod of a head, they signal who will go first. Pedestrians begin to move out into the road when oncoming traffic is approaching and that traffic will slow down for them. No angry honking of horns, no cussing or making obscene gestures. Oh, a driver may honk his car horn, but only lightly to signal to the other drivers that he is moving out. I'm not advocating that the rest of the world drive this way (USA especially) but Tico patience is admirable.

This cultural patience is found in other places, too. In all my time at Colegio Metodista, teaching chorus classes and participating in school events, I have never seen anyone in a hurry. Yet, this is one of the top private schools in the country, academically.  How do they do it? The gentility of staff and students alike demonstrates a lesson many of us could learn. Costa Ricans greet everyone in the room when they enter it, often with a kiss on the cheek. They say good-bye to everyone in the room when they leave. The students stand by their desks, after entering my classroom, until I sit or tell them to be seated. I've attended two morning coffees and there was no rush. The food was delicious and elegantly prepared and people seemed to genuinely enjoy taking the time to socialize. I did not see ONE PERSON PULL OUT AN iPHONE during the entire hour of both coffees! People and relationships matter the most--what a pleasant atmosphere.

I'm afraid that in the USA, we would be checking our watches, our phones, and hurrying through such social events to get to our next event, only to check that off our list and head to the next thing. As for me, I am now inspired be more patient, courteous, mannered, and interested in people. If the greatest commandments are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to love people as ourselves, this will be a step in the right direction.