ORLANDO CHINESE CHURCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY, 2000
How much does a prayer weigh?
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.
She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said, "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can."
John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocerman that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocerman said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?" Louise replied, " Yes sir."
"O.K." he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries." Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it.
She then lay the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed. The eyes of the grocerman and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocerman staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."
The customer smiled and the grocerman started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.
The grocerman stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with great amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer which said,
"Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands." The grocerman gave her the groceries that he had gathered and placed on the scales and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store.
The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to John as he said, "It was worth every penny of it." It was sometime later that John Longhouse discovered the scales were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer weighs.
Leaving Homeland, Entering God's Kingdom
In the early part of 1998, I left China to study in Switzerland, the garden of Europe. After one and a half years there, my greatest reward was not the natural beauty of the country, nor the hotel management diploma I received, but coming to know God as the wellspring of life.
I ran into a schoolmate in Paris during Easter holiday. She insisted that I went with her to the Easter program at the Chinese Church. I was apprehensive about going because I was a little scared. But when I got there, I was greeted immediately by many friendly smiles and surrounded by beautiful hymns. I felt an inexplicable peace in my heart. In a wonderful way, I realized that I had taken, by God's power, a very important first step towards Him. On that day a small seed was planted in my heart. To this day, during each Easter, I could not help remembering the Chinese church in Paris.
During the second half of 1998, I was an intern at a hotel in Vienna. A sister invited a few of us to attend a local Christian fellowship. There was not a Chinese church at that time; a preacher from Taiwan was leading the fellowship. When I first met the people there, they struck me as very sincere, readily disclosing to me what was in their heart. One brother asked me these questions: "Do you really believe that man evolved from monkey? Do you believe in evolution?" At that time, I only laughed quietly at their foolishness.
After that, we joined the weekly Bible study. I learned a lot from the two books "New Life" and "New Living". I no longer believed that man came from monkey, but rather man was a creation of God. The door which was tightly shut in my heart for so long began to open up to God.
Through one incidence at the end of 1998 I experienced God's presence in my life. That evening when I was working half way through my night shift, I felt this sharp pain in my stomach. All of a sudden all my strength was gone. I called for a taxi to take me home. Just before the taxi arrived at my home, I had this terrible cramp and I could not move. My head was hurting very badly and my mouth was very dry. When the driver saw this, he was frightened. I lived on the third floor of the building but there was a restaurant on the first floor. The driver ran into the restaurant to get a helper and the two of them carried me from the car into the restaurant.
After a lot of commotion and half an hour later, my situation still did not improve. I was finally taken by an ambulance to the hospital. When I arrived there, I was able to move again. Just when I was glad about the progress, I began to vomit. The doctor spent about four hours examining me but did not find anything wrong with me. By the time I was discharged from the hospital, it was already 2 A.M.
Whenever I thought of that incidence, the pictures were still very vivid in my mind. Besides the pain, there was a power that quietly took hold of me. At that time I felt so weak and so insignificant. How much do we really had control of? My thought in that very moment turned to God. When I arrived home that evening, I found myself kneeling down to God. It was the first time I prayed to Him. My heart was filled with worship and thanksgiving. The seed that was planted in my heart in Paris began to grow.
When I was back to school again, it was already in January of 1999. There was a small church with an American pastor near the school. Going to church on Sunday became a part of my life. Some of my schoolmates did not understand and would tease me: "What! Going to the temple to burn incense again?" I did not care about what they said and continued to attend church every Sunday until I left Switzerland.
One time, when the preacher talked about the story of the prodigal son in the Bible. I felt I was like the prodigal son. I was dirty and polluted. As I recalled all the things I had done, they were all sins! But the father in the story did not give up his son but embraced him with open arms to welcome him home. This was wonderful grace indeed! I could no longer hold back my tears. I prayed to God : "I am a sinner who need your help, please save me from my sins." At the moment I submitted myself completely to God, the seed planted in my heart by the Holy Spirit had not only grown but had blossomed.
In May Pastor Lee from San Francisco came to Switzerland. On the 23rd of May I was baptized into the family of God. Therefore, I had two birthdays. One was my natural birthday, the other was the day I was born again spiritually as a new creation. The seed that was planted in my heart had grown and had finally born fruits.
God then led me to the United States. I went through a period of one year from not knowing the Creator of the universe to becoming His child. This happened because of two reasons:
- The guiding of the holy Spirit: God says: "I have chosen you among many." I attended a Christian middle school and high school. If it were not due to God's guidance, how would I be able to go from China to such faraway place like Switzerland? God used the events in my life to draw me to Him so that I could become a member of His household. If it were not because of God's guidance, how would I be able to cross the Atlantic to come to the United States? God had His good purpose in everything. O Lord! You indeed are the lamp for my feet.
- Spiritual needs: It is my firm belief that everybody's conviction influences his thinking. Thinking affects actions. Actions lead to habits. Habits determine character which in turn set the course of our life. When I was little, I wore a red neckpiece signifying I was a successor of the communist ideology; when I was in high school, I replaced my neckpiece with a communist party badge to show that I was a member of the front liners of the communist party; when I started to work, my only conviction was "money". Since everyone else around was busying making money, I felt I should not miss out on the actions. I used to admire those who had the ability to get rich. That admiration, however, led to many frustrations and disappointments. After becoming a Christian, I realize that we all have a sinful nature. We should worship people; but should worship God instead.
In the world the frequent there are shifting of people's heart and the constant back stabbing among them. Having seen enough of that, I had grown tired and felt a spiritual vacuum within----I did not know what to believe anymore. After going abroad, my heart was captured when I came in touch with a group of good people who were genuine and lived in a godly way.
On this Thanksgiving day, I thank the Lord for His grace, His care, and His protection. I am thankful for Brother and Sister Hsieh for their love and concerns. As students from Switzerland who did not know anybody, they have been so kind to us from the day we arrived. They overlook any inconveniences to provide us rides to the meetings. They help us with understanding of God's words and are always caring for us. I can only think of the word "love" whenever I think of these two Christians who love others and love God. Their love is truly unconditional. Jesus said: "You shall love others as you would love yourselves." In their life I see the reality of this statement. My heart overflows with peace and joy because I am now a Christian and a child of God. Spiritually I have found my homeland. I have found the true meaning of life. Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Praise Him indeed, for His mercy and His grace.