It was Monday noon and I had just finished lunch and was walking back to my apartment. Along the way I came to a small old frontend loader and stopped to look at its engine. It was an ancient one cylinder job. I hope to get a picture of it someday and some video of it running so I can have a sound clip. This was my first delay.
The second delay came later in my walk home when I went over to investigate why several of the new trees still didn’t show signs of new life. I have been watching them like they were my own trees. I really want them to live, maybe not as much as I want my students to find life.
I continued on and neared the gate to my apartment complex, a French looking person came up to me and hesitantly asked if I spoke English. – I learned that he was from Canada, just across Lake Ontario from where I used to live. – He said I look so much like a Chinese minority that he was hesitant to ask. I have had Chinese make the same mistake several times and are shocked that I don’t know Chinese. I responded and he asked me a question about finding an apartment. I answered his question, but in such a way that it raised more questions. After about 20 minutes of talking about various topics, including the housing crises in the US, I gradually directed the conversation to Christianity. He took the bait and a beautiful and thoughtful conversation developed. We stood there for over an hour talking.
He had been to the coffee shop so he knew where I worked. I invited him to come back and visit me and have more conversation if he desired. I could tell that he left me with much on his mind. I have learned how to ask questions and share insight and not preach. Never tell someone what to believe directly. I have learned the Chinese way. Just talk around and around the main point and eventually you get there and have a great time in the process. Often when you go right to the point, as we tend to do in the west, you make enemies. I saw a westerner do that with one of my Chinese students and it deeply hurt her.
Was that a divine appointment? I wonder if any seed might grow. It was clear to me that my Father had arranged the appointment and guided the conversation. I love it when that happens, and it happens almost daily. It is a life that is so rich. This kind of richness makes the richness you seek in the US kind of worthless. I really wish I could sell everything I have in the US and live a simple rich life of service for him.
The second delay came later in my walk home when I went over to investigate why several of the new trees still didn’t show signs of new life. I have been watching them like they were my own trees. I really want them to live, maybe not as much as I want my students to find life.
I continued on and neared the gate to my apartment complex, a French looking person came up to me and hesitantly asked if I spoke English. – I learned that he was from Canada, just across Lake Ontario from where I used to live. – He said I look so much like a Chinese minority that he was hesitant to ask. I have had Chinese make the same mistake several times and are shocked that I don’t know Chinese. I responded and he asked me a question about finding an apartment. I answered his question, but in such a way that it raised more questions. After about 20 minutes of talking about various topics, including the housing crises in the US, I gradually directed the conversation to Christianity. He took the bait and a beautiful and thoughtful conversation developed. We stood there for over an hour talking.
He had been to the coffee shop so he knew where I worked. I invited him to come back and visit me and have more conversation if he desired. I could tell that he left me with much on his mind. I have learned how to ask questions and share insight and not preach. Never tell someone what to believe directly. I have learned the Chinese way. Just talk around and around the main point and eventually you get there and have a great time in the process. Often when you go right to the point, as we tend to do in the west, you make enemies. I saw a westerner do that with one of my Chinese students and it deeply hurt her.
Was that a divine appointment? I wonder if any seed might grow. It was clear to me that my Father had arranged the appointment and guided the conversation. I love it when that happens, and it happens almost daily. It is a life that is so rich. This kind of richness makes the richness you seek in the US kind of worthless. I really wish I could sell everything I have in the US and live a simple rich life of service for him.
