Yesterday i spent my day at The Salvation Army's Joytown Secondary School for the disabled. My mission was to meet two young fellows - Julius and Dan (both in final year of high school) who have discovered their passion in writing and have decided to take it a notch higher. These two guys are working on manuscripts for publication- two already, in which they intent to share their testimonies and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
As the day for our meeting approached, i kept wondering, "am i really adequate?! Will i measure up to the task?! How do i handle these smart guys! What if they asked me stuff i have no answers to?!" The thoughts went on and on.
And on this very day as i am going, those questions and newer ones flooded my mind. I started feeling like my head would soon burst open out of an overflow. I could not stop my mind from racing. I kept telling myself shut up! Stop there! Its enough! That is it! Yet the mind kept going.
Indeed God works in mysterious ways. His mysteries are immeasurable and can only be understood by Him. Arriving in town, i realised i was too early for the appointment - guess out of anxiety and wanting to give a good impression. I decided to console with a friends family who had recently suffered the lose of their dad as i kill time. As is my habit to look around, reading anything readable (wall hangings, pictures, calendars, sign posts and the like), i did my did - passed my eyes around to see what there was to read in the house. I read quite a few since the house had plenty. One of the hangings read, "if you say you can, you can. And if you say you cant, indeed you cant." Others spoke about the love of God, good neighbourliness and so forth. I left thinking to myself, if i don't make it with the guys, at least i have fulfilled one other thing - consoling with these ones.
The school chaplain received me and set me up in her office before leaving to get my hosts. At this point, it dawns on me how 'hot' the seat is. Soon the door bursts open and in come the two guys, Julius and Dan. I am told Dan is a powerful evangelist while Julius is a great singer. At that point my mind is going "for them to be known as 'powerful' evangelist and 'great' singer, these must be intelligent guys. How do i measure up to their expectation?!" My wondering mind is suddenly interrupted by the chaplain who says, Dan and Julius, this is Marion, the Editor.
I look at their faces trying to read and understand their minds. I see a million and one questions and thoughts. The one that seemed most loud was, "is this she?!"Out of courtesy, i smile back and appreciate knowing them. The chaplain quickly excuses herself and locks the door behind her, leaving me with these 'great' guys. I think to myself, OK, the day of reckoning is finally here! Where do i start?! For a moment i felt like Daniel in that den of lions - i assume, since the Bible does not tell us how Daniel reacted other than speaking of his act of faith. Not knowing what to say to them, i start, please Dan sit on this chair (on my right), and you Julius pull your wheelchair besides me on this other side - kind of shielding myself against running away just in case my mind goes wild and i cant take it anymore. Then i say, "shall we pray."
And again the mind goes, "what are you going to pray about? Why didn't you ask the prayer group back home to stand with you in prayer?" I ignored it and quickly said a prayer.
We then embarked on business - discussing the manuscript. As we go on, i am thinking, "oh, it wasn't that hard after all!" as my heart smiles to itself. They brought out questions, we shared pieces of information here and there. They would smile time and again as i pointed out one issues that needed refining. They also brought out other issues they were discovering that needed more attention as we move along. And on and on. We got to sharing experiences as we discussed ways to better the material and make it juicer. We shared testimonies, the great acts of the Lord in our lives. Before we knew it, the chaplain was calling at the door for us to break for lunch. It was actually ten minutes to three in the afternoon! Wow! We had been sitting here for three hours without realising it. How fast time had flown! It felt like we had been there for only half an hour!
Surprised, the three of us, now great friends burst out in laughter. We did not want to part but we had surpassed our time. Dan and Julius had missed their lunch and first lesson after lunch. Truly, it was time for them to get back to class.
Ooh! i didn't want us to part. Neither did they. We would have spent the whole day together talking and sharpening each other. And not just talking nothings, but stuff to lead us to destiny, as their manuscript put it. Julius and Dan had really challenged me. How come i had never thought of putting my own experiences together into a book?! i mean, i have lived longer than they have! I have had much more experiences than they...! Whoever said age is composite knew better.
To be sincere, this meeting moulded, trimmed and helped me to fit into that shape the Lord has cut out for me. At least i had learnt my day's lesson: "if you say you can, then you can and if you say you cant then indeed you cant."
As the day for our meeting approached, i kept wondering, "am i really adequate?! Will i measure up to the task?! How do i handle these smart guys! What if they asked me stuff i have no answers to?!" The thoughts went on and on.
And on this very day as i am going, those questions and newer ones flooded my mind. I started feeling like my head would soon burst open out of an overflow. I could not stop my mind from racing. I kept telling myself shut up! Stop there! Its enough! That is it! Yet the mind kept going.
Indeed God works in mysterious ways. His mysteries are immeasurable and can only be understood by Him. Arriving in town, i realised i was too early for the appointment - guess out of anxiety and wanting to give a good impression. I decided to console with a friends family who had recently suffered the lose of their dad as i kill time. As is my habit to look around, reading anything readable (wall hangings, pictures, calendars, sign posts and the like), i did my did - passed my eyes around to see what there was to read in the house. I read quite a few since the house had plenty. One of the hangings read, "if you say you can, you can. And if you say you cant, indeed you cant." Others spoke about the love of God, good neighbourliness and so forth. I left thinking to myself, if i don't make it with the guys, at least i have fulfilled one other thing - consoling with these ones.
The school chaplain received me and set me up in her office before leaving to get my hosts. At this point, it dawns on me how 'hot' the seat is. Soon the door bursts open and in come the two guys, Julius and Dan. I am told Dan is a powerful evangelist while Julius is a great singer. At that point my mind is going "for them to be known as 'powerful' evangelist and 'great' singer, these must be intelligent guys. How do i measure up to their expectation?!" My wondering mind is suddenly interrupted by the chaplain who says, Dan and Julius, this is Marion, the Editor.
I look at their faces trying to read and understand their minds. I see a million and one questions and thoughts. The one that seemed most loud was, "is this she?!"Out of courtesy, i smile back and appreciate knowing them. The chaplain quickly excuses herself and locks the door behind her, leaving me with these 'great' guys. I think to myself, OK, the day of reckoning is finally here! Where do i start?! For a moment i felt like Daniel in that den of lions - i assume, since the Bible does not tell us how Daniel reacted other than speaking of his act of faith. Not knowing what to say to them, i start, please Dan sit on this chair (on my right), and you Julius pull your wheelchair besides me on this other side - kind of shielding myself against running away just in case my mind goes wild and i cant take it anymore. Then i say, "shall we pray."
And again the mind goes, "what are you going to pray about? Why didn't you ask the prayer group back home to stand with you in prayer?" I ignored it and quickly said a prayer.
We then embarked on business - discussing the manuscript. As we go on, i am thinking, "oh, it wasn't that hard after all!" as my heart smiles to itself. They brought out questions, we shared pieces of information here and there. They would smile time and again as i pointed out one issues that needed refining. They also brought out other issues they were discovering that needed more attention as we move along. And on and on. We got to sharing experiences as we discussed ways to better the material and make it juicer. We shared testimonies, the great acts of the Lord in our lives. Before we knew it, the chaplain was calling at the door for us to break for lunch. It was actually ten minutes to three in the afternoon! Wow! We had been sitting here for three hours without realising it. How fast time had flown! It felt like we had been there for only half an hour!
Surprised, the three of us, now great friends burst out in laughter. We did not want to part but we had surpassed our time. Dan and Julius had missed their lunch and first lesson after lunch. Truly, it was time for them to get back to class.
Ooh! i didn't want us to part. Neither did they. We would have spent the whole day together talking and sharpening each other. And not just talking nothings, but stuff to lead us to destiny, as their manuscript put it. Julius and Dan had really challenged me. How come i had never thought of putting my own experiences together into a book?! i mean, i have lived longer than they have! I have had much more experiences than they...! Whoever said age is composite knew better.
To be sincere, this meeting moulded, trimmed and helped me to fit into that shape the Lord has cut out for me. At least i had learnt my day's lesson: "if you say you can, then you can and if you say you cant then indeed you cant."
