this and that

Freedom

I bought the blue parking permit last week. It is awesome! I feel I can go anywhere anytime I want to. Though it is kind of pricy, it is totally worth it.

It made me think of the freedom that God gives to us. He sent his son to pay the price for us so that we can have a choice not to be slaves to worldly desires. No matter how messed up we might have been, and no matter how high the price was, he thinks we are worthy.

Difference

Only a few people came to CC last week. I have been wondering what God's plan is for this group. It was a little bit sad and discouraging, although I think Brian has done a good job and I have a lot of respect for him.

However, I have decided that I will keep going until the day I leave AA. It is true that we don't share too much of the good news there, but it did provide a place for some people to connect and learn English.

One guy told me that he came to the building the week when there was no meeting. He said he suspected, but he didn't want to miss it if there was one. I saw a soul yearning for community and friendship, and I am glad that we can serve this way.

Touching one single soul could be all the difference we need to achieve.

Compassion

The other night I talked to my mom. She shared with me a few concerns about my family. After I hung up the phone, I couldn't help thinking how broken we all are. For a moment, I felt the urge to take up all the burdens from my family so that they could live a worry-free life.

And then I thought about Jesus. When he died for us, how strong his compassion for us must be! He sees us as his family, he knows us personally, and he wants to free us from our sins and brokenness.

I felt deeply connected with him. And so grateful for what he has done for me.

make a difference

Sometimes my prayers got answered so quickly that it makes my faith almost effortless.

I had been complaining that I couldn't see the purpose of my life, and that I was not making any difference. Oh well, one of my friends, who had been living a pretty rough life, told me last week that I was an inspiration to her. Wow, I always thought she was an inspiration to us. And all I did was simply sharing a few of my thoughts with her.

I got a phone call from a person on my last night in my old apt. He was troubled with some matter and was seeking my advice. It was already past 10pm and I still had some packing to do. I had to fight against my impatience and tried to help him find what he could do to resolve the issues. After we talked for 30+ mins, he said he was starting to have some clues and thanked me. Although I didn't share the good news with him, I felt I was serving God in some way.

One of my friends has been having some relationship issues. Last week God gave me the chance to share with her my thoughts of faith, church, and small group. It was actually surprising to me that even though we had been friends for a long time, I hadn't really told her explicitly the huge impact of Christianity on me and my relationships. I hope by starting doing this, she would hear the message and open her heart to God.

I guess most of the time I just didn't see it. Just by standing by my faith and being myself, I could easily make a difference in this world. When I put in effort to help others, or share my faith, God has the power to move people's hearts. It really doesn't matter whether or not I could see the change. I only need to trust that God will make the best out of what I do for him. And everything is possible.