This weekend I had a lovely change of pace from the normal, be a recluse and have no human interaction for 2 straight days weekend.
I spent several hours with a friend I do not get to often see, much less spend significant time with on Saturday. And on Sunday, had some personal/life discussion with another friend who doesn't always like to open up about personal matters.
What is interests me about both encounters I had is that the Father showed up in both of them.
Let's see to explain these stories, there need to be names. Ok, uh... Son and Chan. That works.
Ok so on Saturday I hung out with Son. I met Son through a mutual friend last year and our interactions have been strictly only through hanging out with the mutual friend at the same time. Anyway, Son contacted me last week asking to hang out and we met up on Saturday. We decided to hike a nearby mountain. I almost died while Son was practically sprinting up the mountain like an Olympic athlete. We stopped to rest and happened to hear a guitar and people singing (in Chinese). I recognized the song and started singing in English. They sang a few more songs and Son was translating some into English. One line said , "I give all my life to J" Son stopped translating at that point and said quietly,
"I don't want to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because then I won't be able to make my own decisions. I can't make fun decisions or do what I want to do if I live for Him."
"Son, you do know people can follow J and still have fun, right?"
(pause) "You can?"
"Yeah. I'm doing and working what I love to do and I still follow Him."
"Well...that is the difference between you and me. I don't think it is possible."
SUNDAY:
On Sunday, I hung out with my friend Chan. I met Chan a few months ago and we have become pretty good friends. Chan has never had much interaction with foreigners besides some foreign teachers and me so Chan is still getting used to my American-ness at times. Chan likes to pull the China culture card a lot and say that is why Chan does or says things. Turns out, Chan knew about a Chinese Fellowship some people attended. Chan had been invited to go by several people but was 'uninterested'. I asked Chan what was the real reason and it finally came out.
"It's disrespectful if I go."
"Why do you say that?"
"It's disrespectful if I go and don't believe in it. It is disrespectful to the people that do believe in J."
"Chan, no one will think it is disrespectful if you go."
"Elizabeth I have asked people before why they go and they said it is more to learn English and NOT learn about the Book or about religion"
"Yeah. That's true."
"You know this?!'
"Yes."
"And you don't think it's disrespectful?!"
"No."
(pause) "Well, in China..." (blah blah blah about how China is a collectivist culture and saving face and looking bad and being disrespectful things I already know about)
"Do you believe or not believe?"
"Now or forever?"
"Do you or do you not believe in J?"
"Now or forever?"
"Answer the question Chan."
"No."
"Ok so if you don't believe, what is there to be disrespectful about? If you don't think this whole thing exists how will you be disrespectful about something that is not real?"
We both knew I had caught Chan between a rock and a hard place. Chan collected their thoughts still saying they simply thought it was disrespectful to the people that actually believe and didn't want to be seen as a hypocrite.
Please be keeping Chan and Son in your yarps. The Father is moving on their souls and thoughts. Never before today has it been so obvious why I have been sent to China. My time with Chan and Son is precious to me as I never know what I will say or do that will spark their interest.
I spent several hours with a friend I do not get to often see, much less spend significant time with on Saturday. And on Sunday, had some personal/life discussion with another friend who doesn't always like to open up about personal matters.
What is interests me about both encounters I had is that the Father showed up in both of them.
Let's see to explain these stories, there need to be names. Ok, uh... Son and Chan. That works.
Ok so on Saturday I hung out with Son. I met Son through a mutual friend last year and our interactions have been strictly only through hanging out with the mutual friend at the same time. Anyway, Son contacted me last week asking to hang out and we met up on Saturday. We decided to hike a nearby mountain. I almost died while Son was practically sprinting up the mountain like an Olympic athlete. We stopped to rest and happened to hear a guitar and people singing (in Chinese). I recognized the song and started singing in English. They sang a few more songs and Son was translating some into English. One line said , "I give all my life to J" Son stopped translating at that point and said quietly,
"I don't want to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because then I won't be able to make my own decisions. I can't make fun decisions or do what I want to do if I live for Him."
"Son, you do know people can follow J and still have fun, right?"
(pause) "You can?"
"Yeah. I'm doing and working what I love to do and I still follow Him."
"Well...that is the difference between you and me. I don't think it is possible."
SUNDAY:
On Sunday, I hung out with my friend Chan. I met Chan a few months ago and we have become pretty good friends. Chan has never had much interaction with foreigners besides some foreign teachers and me so Chan is still getting used to my American-ness at times. Chan likes to pull the China culture card a lot and say that is why Chan does or says things. Turns out, Chan knew about a Chinese Fellowship some people attended. Chan had been invited to go by several people but was 'uninterested'. I asked Chan what was the real reason and it finally came out.
"It's disrespectful if I go."
"Why do you say that?"
"It's disrespectful if I go and don't believe in it. It is disrespectful to the people that do believe in J."
"Chan, no one will think it is disrespectful if you go."
"Elizabeth I have asked people before why they go and they said it is more to learn English and NOT learn about the Book or about religion"
"Yeah. That's true."
"You know this?!'
"Yes."
"And you don't think it's disrespectful?!"
"No."
(pause) "Well, in China..." (blah blah blah about how China is a collectivist culture and saving face and looking bad and being disrespectful things I already know about)
"Do you believe or not believe?"
"Now or forever?"
"Do you or do you not believe in J?"
"Now or forever?"
"Answer the question Chan."
"No."
"Ok so if you don't believe, what is there to be disrespectful about? If you don't think this whole thing exists how will you be disrespectful about something that is not real?"
We both knew I had caught Chan between a rock and a hard place. Chan collected their thoughts still saying they simply thought it was disrespectful to the people that actually believe and didn't want to be seen as a hypocrite.
Please be keeping Chan and Son in your yarps. The Father is moving on their souls and thoughts. Never before today has it been so obvious why I have been sent to China. My time with Chan and Son is precious to me as I never know what I will say or do that will spark their interest.
No comments:
Post a Comment