I have been burdened by a blog post that I read the other day that was talking about the leader of North Korea calling for 33 Christians to be executed. A stark reminder of the freedoms we have here that are so often taken for granted. And, I can't hear things like this without thinking, "Would I be brave enough to stand up as a Christian under those same circumstances? When everything of this world of value to me lays on the line? Would I show REAL faith then?"
So, yes, those 33 Christians and their families have been heavy on my mind, as well as the other members of the faith that are still living in fear of becoming the next victim to this horrible persecution, and they have all been in my prayers since I read the article. However, today I was hit with a new revelation about that situation as well.
After church today, I took my 9 yr old to eat at a local Chinese restaurant--just the two of us. This is a place we go to often. The owners are so nice, and actually comment to me when it's been a while since they've seen us. LOL
Here's where things were different for me this time though, and made this visit a little more memorable than others have been. When I was at the register to pay, something on the wall caught my eye. It was a baptism certificate with a picture of the owner of this Chinese Restaurant being baptized into one of our local churches. This small symbol of their faith taped to the wall of that restaurant for all to see left me in AWE.
I don't have a baptism certificate from when I was baptized, but my husband and my 2 older children do. Are theirs proudly displayed on my wall? No. Why is that? Because it never occurred to me how proud I should be of the thing those pieces of paper symbolize.
Then I thought more about these local Chinese people that I don't know very well, but have become familiar and friendly faces to me in our community. And though their restaurant is kind of small and doesn't have the widest variety of choices on their buffet, theirs quickly became my favorite Chinese place because the kindness of this family makes them the type of people I want to support with my business (even before seeing this baptism certificate today).
And my new thought today was that these particular Chinese people who live here in Small City, USA get to PROUDLY live and display their faith in Jesus Christ, while near their homeland of China they would have to live in fear of being truly known as a Christian. They could never display something like that, without GREAT fear of repercussion and persecution from their own government for their faith in Jesus Christ. And they must understand the significance of that fact, and is likely a deeper reason to proudly sharing their faith in such a quiet, yet public way. They realize the significance of being a Christian and being able to live it publicly without fear. It's an honor to them, and something that obviously makes them deeply proud.
The funny this is, that baptism certificate has probably been there on that wall a long time, and I never stopped and noticed it until today, but it has inspired me so much in my own faith now that I have seen it. And I think it was in God's timing that I did see it, because I may not have put together the significance of this Chinese family openly sharing their Christian faith without having the burden on my heart for these other persecuted North Korean families too.
So, why am I not giving it the true honor it deserves? Today I was able to go church and openly worship my Savoir, I was able to go in a restaurant and speak freely to my son about our faith, and I was able to commend and encourage a Chinese family for showing me (and the rest of the world) how precious a little piece of paper could be, when it signifies something as amazing as a life given to Jesus.
Anyway, I just had to share. It moved me, and I wondered if it might move some of you as well.
Here's the blog post I referenced too.
http://loristanleyroeleveld.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/theyll-be-dead-by-morning-
what.html?m=1
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)