I think I’m learning that the phrase “creatures of habit” runs a lot deeper than I thought it did. There are so many things in my life that I do, just because I was raised that way. But since I’ve come here to Costa Rica, there are things that I’ve realized aren’t necessary just because its how everyone does something, or the way someone thinks. For example, on a small scale, my family keeps all of our silverware in a plastic container in the fridge. I just realized that the utensils are in the fridge because we don’t have drawers in the kitchen. Brilliant. Silverware doesn’t NEED to be in a drawer…it could be in a box beneath the sink or in a jar in the cupboard…drawers aren’t necessary. This brings me to ideas that are a little more controversial—such as premarital sex. I’ve heard someone say that premarital sex is okay because the Bible only mentions sexual immorality, which is a question of interpretation. I’ve put a little more thought into this question, as opposed to the silverware issue, but I realize that people—Christians—believe this. So now I just struggle with this and mountains of other questions. Just keep’n my mind open.
I found out that its risky to keep an open mind. 1) you realize that everything you believe might be right and 2) sometimes it requires change and 3) people you love are sometimes not so happy with the ‘non-traditional, liberal and pluralistic’ way of thinking that I’ve adapted. But to learn and understand more…its worth the cost. I think.
