One Step at a TIme

So we've been here, in China, almost 2 weeks and there has been soooooooo much going on! Our brains have been crammed full of info about teaching and curriculum, out digestive systems have been getting used to Chinese food, ears are inundated with the sounds of Chinese language, and honking car horns, and noses, with the smells of food from the street vendors and garbage in random piles.

Almost everywhere we go and everything we do is a spectacle for people to watch. A friend and I went to play a little volleyball, the only open spot was in this little park area in a sort of shopping center. I don't know how many people came and just watched for awhile. I'm guessing a couple foreign girls playing volleyball isn't a regular occurrence for this part of town! While its a little intimidating to be openly watched all the time, its a good reminder of how important it is to be careful of the things I do and say, so that I represent the Father well. Most of us are being watched even at home in the states, we just don't always know it.
Wednesday we got to visit the Great Wall of China! That was quite the experience! They told us it would be a lot of walking and quite challenging for the average person. But being my prideful self, I naively thought that I was in a little better than average physical shape, and thought it wouldn't be that much of a problem. What I didn't count on was having to climb the mountain to get to the Wall. I think we walked up 15,000 steps just to reach the wall, and by the time we got there my legs and lungs were burning like the second day of preseason volleyball practice!
Once I reached the the Wall and caught my breath though, it was so worth every step. The mountains that this part of the Wall run through are really beautiful and covered in trees. It really is amazing, that the Chinese built this huge structure, for miles and miles in the rugged mountains. Major props to the guys who lugged the bricks up those mountains to build it!
Once on the Wall, there are guess what... more steps! Almost the whole thing is steps, only there is another challenge. The steps are not constructed evenly. Some of them are only about 3 inches high, others 5 or 6 in, and still others are closer to 8 or 9 in! So you really have to watch your step so you don't take a tumble.
I like parallels, and the steps reminded me of the journey we take with the Father every day. Sometimes we take the small 3 in steps, sometimes he stretches us a little more with those 6 inchers, and at times he takes us the full 9 in. Its not always an easy road to walk and when we try to do it ourselves or try to rush ahead, often those uneven steps cause us to take a tumble. Being human, the rushing ahead, and wanting to do things on my own part, comes very naturally, so when you think of me, ask that I would keep hold of the Father's hand as my walking buddy, and let him lead me one step at a time.

And I like songs, so here's the song of the day for the musical of my life, enjoy!

EVERY LITTLE STEP
Music by David Meece

Lord I pray to You
But sometimes I doubt You’re there
Lord I wait for you
But You’re silence seems unfair

I want to find You
Walk beside You
Show me the way

Every little step that I take
Lead me on to see Your face
Every little breath that I breathe
Flow - flow Your river through me
Every little think that I do
Let it only deepen my faith in You
Every little step that I take

Like a father’s hand
You pull me to my feet
I know You understand
You’re strong - my body’s weak
Touch the child in me
Open my eyes to see
Show me the way

Though Your hand’s unseen
And I can’t hear You speak
In the little things
You reveal Yourself to me

It’s a long hard climb
I need to know You’re by my side
All the time

Every little step that I take
Lead me on to see Your face
Every little breath that I breathe
Flow - flow Your river through me
Every little thing that I do
Let it only deepen my faith in You
Every little step that I take

Light Up the Sky

Walking back to our hotel in Beijing from dinner tonight, we saw several twinkling colored lights in the sky. Upon discovery that they were kites, a curious few of us decided to investigate and followed the lights to a bridge crossing a canal. Here were several kite flyers with huge heavy stringed kites, attached to harnesses strapped around their chests. The kites had little blinking LED lights along the strings in blues, reds, and greens that twinkled and danced in the night sky. Several people stopped on the bridge to enjoy the show as the warm breeze cleared the pollution and freshened the air. When one man's reel malfunctioned, many gathered around to offer suggestions and try to help. It was neat how it became almost a community ordeal, people wanted to help and stuck around until the problem was fixed. The Chinese seem to be good at living in community.
This short time that I got to experience, is just one example of how things can be very different in China,(I've never seen anyone fly a kite at night in America,) but not necessarily bad. Soooo many things here are different. Here I am the farm girl from Nebraska staying in a city of 17,420,000 people. We use public transportation, buses, subways, and taxis are all new to me, but we're learning how to get along. I'm eating a lot of different foods, but it hasn't caused any stomach problems, and the chopstix and I are learning to get along as well!
As I watched the kites, sparkling in the dark sky, I was reminded how we as believers are to be a light to the world. In a talk about Esther, I learned that she didn't necessarily want to do many of the things she had to do, and had to change things about herself, but in the end was able to accomplish a great task to protect her people. I was challenged to look at the situation that I'm in and look for ways that might be different and uncomfortable to me that I might have to change my mindset in order to best live with and serve the people of China. Evaluating the things I need to change is not very fun, but I believe necessary. And hopefully it will help me be a light that many people will see and be drawn to the holder of the kite, my Father.