Had dinner with a dear student today. She and i have been building a deeper friendship and she continues to ask good questions about hope and the joy and truth. She is reading the word and going to fellowship with me and Papa is drawing her patiently and steadily to himself. Oh what a joy, what a crazy JOY it is to see him do it.
Today was the first day for me to teach my full Christmas lesson. My students were assigned to different roles of the story- sheep, Joseph, Mary, the magi, etc. They told the story to each other from the vantage point of these roles, thus getting different pieces from each person. I told them about our new tradition- having a birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday to the son. I asked them why he was a gift and why we give gifts. We talked about peace on earth and secular versus sacred.
My student and I chatted about Christmas and as we talked about the traditions, I asked if she would celebrate. She had a plan to mix the Chinese and 'Western' traditions together. I asked if her family ever said I love you to each other. This is not something Chinese people often say. She told me that they seldom or never say it but prefer to show it. Papa wanted to say it to her so I did. He loves you. She laughed a nervous laugh and said she hoped he did. He does.
We talked about the need for belief and she relayed a story she had heard the previous week- from a Chinese brother. A rich man invited the son into his home to eat with him and to bring him good luck. The man gave the son a whole floor of his house to live in while the man lived in the other 9. One day, the devil came and knocked on the door. He brought disaster on the man.
The man was confused and went to the son. Why did the enemy bring such disaster on me while you are here? The son made no reply. The man gave the son 2 floors of the house to live in. Again the enemy came and brought disaster on the man.
Again the man came to the son and said, "Why did the devil bring disaster on me while you are here? You are supposed to protect and bless me." The man gave the son 9 of the 10 floors in his home saying, "You can live in the 9 floors of my house and I will live in only one." Of course, the enemy came again and disaster followed.
Finally, at the end of his rope and about to give up belief the man came to the son and the son said, "I do not want nine floors of your home but the keys to the rooms of your house." The man handed him the keys.
One day, the enemy came and knocked on the door. The door was locked and, while the man wanted to answer, he had no key. The enemy found another door and knocked and the man came and let him in, but when the enemy say the son, he bowed and left.
Amazing how she who has been searching for this truth as a source of peace and luck hears a story about surrender. Amazing how I needed to hear it too.
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