Tears Fell Down

There is a woman I have only known for one year yet she changed my life.  She taught me meekness as she sat across from me during our Tea Party gatherings.  She was quiet and often would not speak unless a direct question came her way.  Her English speaking was unpracticed but her understanding was quite good.  She would smile demurely at me.  Her eyes laughed. Even with communication being so very difficult we somehow knew what the other was saying or intending.  We talked of marriage, love, Jesus, salvation, daughters, sons, marriage concerns...we talked of life.

Last week, I said good-bye to this wonderful friend.  We met in her apartment for our final Tea Party.  The table was laden with fruit, chocolate, steamed buns, nuts, banana bread, and potato chips...And as always hot tea was being served in beautiful, antique china cups.  We laughed and told stories as we celebrated our friend's time in America.  The minutes ticked by until it was time for our goodbye.  Tears fell as I expressed my heart of love for this beautiful woman.  She was special to me, as our hearts had collided through broken English and laughing eyes.  I told her that I had met many Chinese students but none had captured my heart like she did.  I begged her to keep seeking God, as she has not yet accepted His love.  As she too cried she said in her beautiful, broken English, "I'm so sorry, I feel so much, I cannot control my tears...they fell down."

And so she returned to China knowing about and wondering about a God of love.  She gave me a new freedom to let go and love.  She gave me joy and laughter.  She gave me a bigger mind and a bigger heart.

One day, we will rejoice as our precious Li realizes her words to me are the same ones our Jesus gives to us...
"I feel so much....my tears fell down."

Let us 'let go' and in our complete weakness let the Lord use us in this world.  The blessing will be ours.  Our hearts will grow...

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.² For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.³ I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. ⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.  ^{I Corinthians 2:1-5}