It’s been a couple of weeks since we have volunteered at Jam, a youth outreach at a local community center. It is actually Joe’s placement (sort of like a compulsory volunteering op), and they have kindly allowed me to tag along. Most of these kids comprise of the more underprivileged side of town, most of them are unbelievers and some of them have really complicated and even rough upbringing. It feels a little strange not to be in charge of a youth program, but I quickly got used to being a sideline volunteer - it’s so much fun and so little work!
The youth leader emailed me two days ago asking me if I would speak tonight at Jam. I really didn’t want to - why put myself out there when I can just hang out with the kids in the background? Well, one obvious reason would be that God asked me to. And that was exactly what happened.
The topic was “How God Guides Us”, a not-so-easy topic to speak within a 15min time frame to a bunch of not-yet-Christians. Reluctantly, I struggled through the preparation of it because I felt so inadequate and rusty at public speaking - something I haven’t done regularly since my Tsinghua days in China! Despite my struggle, I really felt like God desperately wanted relationship with them and He is sending me to tell them. The problem is that many of them have no idea how good God is, and that’s why they have rejected him thus far. No one has ever told them about the beautiful promise God gave to Jeremiah (29:11) or that Jesus actually came so that we can have a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, The Msg). I finally got all prayed up, went in there tonight and shot them straight with the truth that was burning in my heart. There were about a dozen kids, but the whole room was unusually quiet. I thought, perhaps they were fascinated by my Canadian accent (or rather, struggling to understand it)? This bunch of kids who are normally obnoxiously loud and rowdy sat still for 17 minutes and 32 seconds without any major disruption. For the most part I told stories of myself and others who have experienced God’s guidance in different ways, and drove home the point that God really cares about each and every one of them. He wants to be a part of their lives and is probably already dishing out some good tips to them already. The key to benefiting from God’s guidance is really to *want* it. If we decided in our hearts not to listen to His voice or receive the guidance He wants to give us, He won’t impose it upon us. When we think we’re too cool for God, we have no idea how much we’re missing out.
Well, it’s done. Joe said I did well, and I am at peace with it. In fact, never have I been so at peace after delivering a message. I felt faithful in a sense that I poured out everything the Lord put on my heart, nothing more, nothing less. The condemning voices in my head have ceased once I started speaking and are replaced by a very solid peace that hugs my heart and gives it a tangible warmth. I like it. Although this is not the first time I’ve tried to step out in faith, there’s something special about tonight. I wonder if God is birthing something new within me…
The youth leader emailed me two days ago asking me if I would speak tonight at Jam. I really didn’t want to - why put myself out there when I can just hang out with the kids in the background? Well, one obvious reason would be that God asked me to. And that was exactly what happened.
The topic was “How God Guides Us”, a not-so-easy topic to speak within a 15min time frame to a bunch of not-yet-Christians. Reluctantly, I struggled through the preparation of it because I felt so inadequate and rusty at public speaking - something I haven’t done regularly since my Tsinghua days in China! Despite my struggle, I really felt like God desperately wanted relationship with them and He is sending me to tell them. The problem is that many of them have no idea how good God is, and that’s why they have rejected him thus far. No one has ever told them about the beautiful promise God gave to Jeremiah (29:11) or that Jesus actually came so that we can have a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, The Msg). I finally got all prayed up, went in there tonight and shot them straight with the truth that was burning in my heart. There were about a dozen kids, but the whole room was unusually quiet. I thought, perhaps they were fascinated by my Canadian accent (or rather, struggling to understand it)? This bunch of kids who are normally obnoxiously loud and rowdy sat still for 17 minutes and 32 seconds without any major disruption. For the most part I told stories of myself and others who have experienced God’s guidance in different ways, and drove home the point that God really cares about each and every one of them. He wants to be a part of their lives and is probably already dishing out some good tips to them already. The key to benefiting from God’s guidance is really to *want* it. If we decided in our hearts not to listen to His voice or receive the guidance He wants to give us, He won’t impose it upon us. When we think we’re too cool for God, we have no idea how much we’re missing out.
Well, it’s done. Joe said I did well, and I am at peace with it. In fact, never have I been so at peace after delivering a message. I felt faithful in a sense that I poured out everything the Lord put on my heart, nothing more, nothing less. The condemning voices in my head have ceased once I started speaking and are replaced by a very solid peace that hugs my heart and gives it a tangible warmth. I like it. Although this is not the first time I’ve tried to step out in faith, there’s something special about tonight. I wonder if God is birthing something new within me…
that's awesome - so proud of you!
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