From the Chinese Restaurant
Last night i went to eat at my usual little chinese restaurant where i have a great relationship with the owners and the food is always good. I asked the owner’s wife if she would teach me some Chinese and she agreed. So there on that back table of an empty restaurant we started our small dialogue in Chinese. Occasionally she would stop to explain some words and occasionally i would be able to say a few words instead of simply nod my head. Surprisingly i was able to understand a lot of what she was talking about. For almost an hour she helped me use Chinese to express my love for Chinese people and my reason for wanting to live in China.
Then, before i could figure out what had happened i realized we were singing “Jesus Loves Me” in Chinese. It was amazing. We were singing very loudly in this quiet restaurant and i had a moment in the middle of the song where my brain paused and i suddenly realized what exactly was happening. I was sitting with a dear friend in a small restaurant in a small town singing “Jesus Loves Me” loudly and passionately. She was singing the language of her heart and somehow i’ve been graced with the ability to join right in. Even today i’m still trying to get my head around that surreal moment. How many people in the world have had an opportunity like that? Maybe a lot more than i think, but to me it was special and it’s a memory that will stick with me for a long time.
It’s a small thing, i know, but it’s significance it’s massive.
b/ said
am July 22 2008 @ 2:15 pm
perhaps more than you think, but not near as many as should have had that experience (that was poor grammar, but I don’t feel like fixing it).
I break up when I think about my mom telling me the story of some new Believers in Senegal singing “Jesus Paid it All” for the first time in Wolof.
This is what Piper was talking about when he said that missions exists because worship doesn’t. We don’t do “missions” to save people from hell, we do missions so that every tribe, nation, and “Tongue” will worship together in voice, saying “Jesus Paid it All” and what is more, “He loves Me.”
Great, I’m crying now. I want to go with you brother, and I’m waiting on God to release the gate.
erin said
am July 22 2008 @ 3:31 pm
wow, if i were a crier i would be crying right now. so sweet and amazing. i miss cher. please love on them for me. man i miss that place. thanks for sharing that.
so neat.
ps: who is b/ ?
Rachel said
am July 22 2008 @ 3:34 pm
I am remind of a few lines from a song quite near and dear to my heart.
Can you hear the song that every tongue is singing? You can sing along because you already know the words.
I can send you the full lyrics (and music, if you’d like). I think you would enjoy it. Just let me know. =)
Rachel said
am July 22 2008 @ 3:35 pm
*reminded. Yeah. We all have good grammars today.
Ericka Gonzalez said
am July 22 2008 @ 4:20 pm
That’s awesome!!! I have to learn it! I could send ya some songs if you like. Chinese worship songs.
/p said
am July 22 2008 @ 8:58 pm
stellar story. you rock.
Vicky Beeching said
am July 22 2008 @ 11:38 pm
That’s SO awesome… I’m onto lesson 2 of Chinese.pod com Mandarin lessons and its going pretty well…Thanks again for recommending that website - it rocks! I need some pronunciation help though, so hope you can give me some coaching when you are in the LA area later this summer!
Vicky
mom said
am July 23 2008 @ 5:41 pm
Jesus Loves Me, it is universal. What a wonderful experience. And you know me- yes, tears are in my eyes. I love you so…