Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Foggy Day, Wonderful Night

Yesterday, I was in a sort of a fog all day. I am catching a cold (again!), and felt lethargic & sleepy all day. It didn't help that our worn out puppy (who I'm convinced has a cold, too) shivered in his bed all day with bloodshot eyes, and made the room feel even more sickly & sleepy. And because we had a "virtual staff meeting", I stayed in my PJ's until after lunch. All those factors add up to a drab sort of day where one never quite feels like they have accomplished anything.

I was supposed to go to a friend's for dinner, but canceled because of my cold (she has a newborn). As the evening rolled around, however, I started feeling a little better, and decided to go with Chris to a hang out with some of his SF State students at Starbucks. What really turned my day around was when Chris asked each of us to share a little bit about our stories-- our spiritual journeys-- and how we got to this place.

One student shared about how her life was "trash" when she arrived at college, until she met Chris, and began exploring faith. She talked about finding meaning & hope.
Another student from Taiwan shared about her spiritual journey, and how she now wants to go to Kenya & serve the poor there.
Still another student shared about living in Botswana, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Canada, and now San Francisco, and how the tsunami in Sri Lanka devastated her life. She found hope again on an inner city missions trip a few years ago that turned her life around and introduced her to a relationship with God.

All their stories were so beautiful, so different, and so meaningful. There was this sweet little moment where they were telling me how much they admired us for being "missionaries" and for sacrificing so much for God. I laughed and told them, "My job tonight was sitting in Starbucks & listening to how God changed your lives. I don't feel like I've sacrificed anything."

And even though my cold has definitely suffered from staying out late, I am so glad I had the privilege of hearing those students' stories, and that I get to do what I do.

No comments: