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GOD'S SEATING ARRANGEMENT
"Go into all the world and
preach the good news." Mk. 16:15
During my flight from Shanghai back to Hong
Kong, I didn't get to sit next to any of my
teammates. Instead, I was seated on the isle next
to a young Chinese man. Thinking to myself, I
have no one to talk to, I looked at the young man
engrossed in a book written in Chinese. I began
praying, asking God why I was seated next to someone
with whom I could not communicate. My next thought
was, maybe I'm supposed to witness to this young
man. I wonder if he can speak English.
I
started a conversation by saying, "I see you are
reading a Chinese book. I studied a tourist's book
of basic Chinese but the only word I learned to say
in Chinese was xie-xie: thank you."
He
laughed at my pronunciation and hastily corrected
me. Then we began exchanging information. about
each other. He told me his name and said, "I've been
in China making films. I live in Hong Kong with my
wife and son." Tears came to my eyes as I
mentioned, "Audrey, my seventeen-year-old daughter,
died a few years ago and I still miss her."
As
I wiped the tears from my face, the young man patted
me on the shoulder and replied, "Ahh, you are just
like my mother." Then I explained, "The Lord helped
me get through this tragedy. Even though Audrey had
asked Jesus into her heart when she was seven, I did
not feel any assurance that she was in heaven. God
gave me a vision of Audrey walking hand in hand with
Jesus. I no longer worried where Audrey had gone.
I knew she was safely in heaven with Jesus."
At
his puzzled look I took a poem, which I had written,
out of my Bible and handed it to him and said,
"Here, read this."
He
began reading it out loud, and at the end of each
line he said, "What does this mean?" Line by line I
told him the meaning. His countenance seemed to
light up with each explanation. By the end of the
poem it dawned on me that I had given him a Bible
lesson, concluding that Jesus had died for our sins
so we could have everlasting life.
Just at that moment a couple from our team who
were sitting across the isle handed me a Chinese New
Testament to give him. They had been listening to
our conversation and wanted him to have a Bible.
When I handed him the New Testament his eyes lit up
and as he caressed the Bible he said, "Thank you" I
shall cherish it always."
At
his reply I said, "Take that Bible home and read it
to your wife and son. It will change your lives."
"Oh, I will, I will!" he exclaimed. "Would it be
all right if my friends take a picture of us?", I
asked. "Yes, I would be honored", he replied.
Then I handed my camera to my teammate across
the isle and said, "Will you take our picture." We
were both smiling over our happy encounter. After
our picture was taken I said, "Write your name in my
notebook and I will pray for you and your family."
"Lenore, I am so glad I could meet you. I will
always be grateful", he said.
Needless to say I was thankful to God for
using me to bring the good news about Jesus Christ
to a young Chinese airline passenger. At this point
I was sure this was no chance encounter. The
seating arrangement was planned by God.
Here is the poem which aroused my Chinese
friend's curiosity about God:
REJOICE
Rejoice! Sing praises
to our God Most High!
Proclaim His Majesty
lifting hands to the sky
The earth is the
Lord's and the fullness thereof
Let us dwell together
in the light of His love.
Oh trust in the Lord
every step of the way
And gather the lambs
who stumble and stray
Never lose courage;
our Lord will lift you up
Surely living waters
will overflow your cup!
And walk ye in
righteousness, never wavering
Jesus our Redeemer is
a joy to be savoring!
Didn't He die on the
Cross so we could have life?
So walk ye in holiness
and put away strife.
I
will probable never know the consequences of this
encounter. I am to obey what I feel impressed to do
and leave the rest up to our sovereign God. After
all, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness
thereof! Psalm 24:1 |
