two thoughts

So far this week, and its only Tuesday, I've spent far to significant a chunk of time reading about child abuse, rape, corruption, and drug use in Cambodia for a work project. I've also spent a chunk of time thinking about how all my friends are in a huge period of transition and how most are being overwhelmed by it on a regular basis. These two factors combined put me in a contemplative mood. So two thoughts for this week:

First, I've been amazed at the vastness of corruption in Cambodia. Anything can be done if you put money in the right person's hands. Last week, there was an article quoting the prime minister in the newspaper. He stated that Cambodia was not Tunisia and he would like to crush opposition parties completely. His exact words were something about beating them like dogs behind closed doors. Rarely do you see such an unveiled statement about the true nature of politics in this country. In Kirirom National Park, all sorts of illegal logging goes on but no one cares if they are paid off. This in a country that has lost something like 60% of its forest in the last 40 years. In schools, teachers make students pay for handouts and photocopies because they have to pay their supervisors who have to pay their supervisors all the way on to the top of the government. There are so many good things that could happen in Cambodia if this kind of corruption was eradicated! There really would be a completely free education system, the environment would be protected, votes would mean something, illegal tolls would be removed from roads that were donated. . . really a whole society would have a much better chance of developing and developing in an egalitarian manner. Its sad and frustrating, because I surely don't have any ideas about how to make that kind of change. I suppose the Cambodian people need to demand it and maybe that will happen. But it seems that the majority are quite comfortable hoping that they will someday be the ones collecting the bribes not paying them. We talk about corruption in the American system, and I'm sure its there, but its nothing like here. There is something to be said for the idea that no matter how much Americans complain about the government, most believe in the system and benefit from it. Its a huge issue and I can't really wrap my mind around it.

My second thought is about this stage in life- post college transition. Its find a job, become financially independent, figure out where you want to live, find a church, make a new circle of friends, maybe get married for some. Its a huge shift from talking about the kind of adult you want to be and actually having to live out those principles- whether it is fearlessly moving to a new city, volunteering, getting involved in a church, buying local, using the bus to help save the environment. . . a million different things. There's a zillion questions and the answer to most of them is - just wait, it will work out. And my friends and I get to face this in an economy that doesn't have good jobs for us inexperienced college grads. So we're going on to grad school, working retail, interning, volunteering- all of which continue to give life an unsettled feeling. Even here in Cambodia, I feel these things and am already anticipating them for next year. So what's the solution? Where's the end of this unsettled, transitional feeling going to come from? I don't have any answers, but the best advice I've been given is to just enjoy it. Life moves forward. Most decisions you make now will not ruin the rest of your life. You can choose to stress out about the future or you can choose to enjoy your life and friends here in the moment and hold onto hopes for the future. I'm certainly a planner, so this is somewhat against my nature! This is just one stage of life, there's no need to skip onto the next one too quick. I also know that I am sustained in this massive transition by God. Although I can't see it or touch it or put it on my calendar, He has a plan. This verse struck me this week:
Psalm 4: 6-8
⁶There are many who say, "Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!"
⁷You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

⁸In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

We can choose to question God's goodness when our lives seem out of control or we can live in the joy he gives us- the joy that is greater than when grain and wine abound, greater than when everything is going well and is under control.

So that's two random thoughts of the week oddly put together in one blog post!