when rubber hits the road

as a college student [whoa this is in past tense], the biggest lifestyle choices i made for justice were becoming vegan, buying only used goods, trying to get as much food from farmers markets as possible, and walking or bus-ing almost always…and each of those were difficult, but as they became routine, they became great sources of joy

but grown-up life poses some new challenges…stronger temptations. 

 

my dream is to become a doctor, and my parents would have paid for an mcat test prep course. 

          but God reminded me of my friends who can’t afford those. 

my graduation gift from my parents was a new car, which was very generous. 

       but God reminded me of my friends in Haiti who walk across mountains and valleys with baskets on their heads, and if necessary, pile 20 into the back of a tap tap.

my parents helped me open a retirement account, and wanted me to put it in a mutual fund.

       but God pressed my heart to be steadfast in detracting myself from the economy of injustice and greed.

 

and what surprised me the most was how all three of these things were so tempting.  even after 2 years as an ids major, a broken heart in long beach and haiti, and an award that says i’m more courageous than that.  but they were also so very exciting, because i no longer critique the “real world” from a college student’s theoretical bubble, but from the position of a (young) adult stepping out on her own, committed to opting out of injustice and into holistic love.  it’s exciting to see the temptations come…and pass…and seeing the beauty of God that remains in their absence.

and while the next 3 months will prove extremely interesting as the first completely independent months of my life, the training wheels God gave me this summer have equipped me well.  in the big temptations, and more importantly, in the smallest, most insiduously ordinary choices, remember the poor.