little ironies...

I’m beginning to grasp in such a small degree that the Sover*ign One does not always work in conventional ways. He loves to surprise us. And I think He loves irony.

Like weakness being strength.

The poor being rich.

And the last being first.

So all that to say….I’ve been noticing some “little ironies” in life as of late.

Seven years ago, I was blessed to visit China with my family.

While here, we visited some friends teaching in a college. During our time, we sought to encourage them. One of those friends, Gib, has since moved on from teaching in China and now works stateside.

The Lord used my time visiting Gib to open my eyes to teaching overseas and begin to burden my heart for the country of China.

a rather embarrassing picture of all of us a few years ago... :S

Ironically, though, during this visit, I heard the horror stories of other foreign teachers who – although they planned to teach grad students – were instead teaching English to Chinese kindergartners….and I resolved in my heart that I would love to teach in China – but I would never teach kindergartners.

College, high school, maybe even middle school students….but not kindergartners.

And here I am, seven years later, teaching 100 of them. (Isn’t it funny how He works sometimes? :)

Sorry....they're not the most photogenic bunch - still need to teach them what "smile" means.

I know one of my family’s main purposes in seeing Gib was to bring him some encouragement. And I hope we did.

This past week, “the tables flipped” so to say. Gib made a trip to China….and he was able to visit me. He explained to me that one of his main purposes for this visit was to bring encouragement to his friends here – like me. And it truly was a huge encouragement to see him and share a little bit of my life here with him.

Just like we were able to do for him seven years ago.

a real conversation + a true friend + a good cup of joe = major heart encouragement

I just love how He has brought everything full circle. 

Speaking of bringing things full circle, I joined a group from the Monday night gathering for an outreach event on a college campus. The central area for people to talk and share with college students was the library, which – for those of you who know of the  weekly ev*ngelism outreach I was involved with during college – just made me smile….because our “target talking spot” was in front of a library, too.

Ironically, I was not invited to the outreach event by a group leader, but by my unsaved friend – Vicky.

A little more than a month ago, I met Vicky at the class I taught for the company workers. As she walked in 30 minutes late for the first class, profusely apologizing to me in her rather-fluent English for her tardiness, I knew right away that this girl was leap-years ahead of my other students. I had the opportunity to get to know Vicky and her friend, Ling, by taking them out to dinner after one of our classes. I invited them to come to our Monday night gathering, and Vicky has since begun to come regularly as her work schedule allows. It was at the Monday night gathering that she learned of an ev*ngelism outing that attenders of the gathering were invited to join. In a few weeks, a group was going to go talk and share with students at a college campus. And ironically, Vicky wanted to go….and since she didn’t know many of the people at the gathering yet, she asked me to go along, too.

I agreed to go, but I must confess that I found the whole experience rather ironic; Vicky is not a believer…and well, I don’t speak Chinese. How on earth were either one of us going to be able to w*tness to anyone? :)

And yet, I’m beginning to wrap my mind around the fact that He does not always work in conventional ways….and I have a feeling that He does this in order to make sure that He alone receives all the glory.

That morning, we arrived at the college campus and met up with the rest of the group. We split up and began to walk around the library to find people to talk to….

But unfortunately, we couldn’t really find anyone to share with.

I wasn’t too discouraged, though.

Although we couldn’t find anyone, I knew He had already brought someone to us that morning: Vicky. In fact, on our subway commute, Vicky and I were able to talk about J*s*s and what it means to follow Him. And then, later throughout the morning, some of our friends from the Monday fellowship were able to share with Vicky, too (and this time in Chinese :).

Since our time together during the outing, I’ve had a little more time to share with Vicky. A few weeks ago, she joined us for the Monday night gathering and afterwards, I was able to give her a B*ble in English and Chinese. She was very excited to receive it and promised me that she would read it often. :) Asking that He be faithful to speak to her through it.

All that to say, I’m so thankful for all that He is doing lately. Yes, in many ways it is unconventional and a little ironic. 

But it is so good. 

Because the more unconventional and ironic - the more it seems be of Him....and not of me.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways  my ways, decares the L*RD. For as the heav*ns are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts....so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it..." -Isa. 55:8-9, 11

Thank you for your continued pr*yers, friends! Please especially pray for Vicky’s salvation….she is very curious and open to the faith, but I’m afraid Vicky sees Chr*sti*nity merely as a gateway to understanding western culture. Please join me in asking that He would open her eyes and help her to understand that it is so much more than that….it is the way, the truth, and the life! :) Thank you.