Morning Feast

One morning last November, in a hotel room of Chicago, where I was staying for a Christian conference, I woke up, surprisingly, to some alluring scents of Chinese food. When I opened my eyes to search for the source, I saw my roommate Wudi eating at a table to the right of the TV, under the dim light from a lamp, his back towards me. Human senses are a wonderful thing-my hearing told me that Wudi was eating quickly, but quietly, meaning that he was ravenously consuming the food and at the same time paying attention not to wake me up. Therefore, almost as soon as I regained my consciousness, I developed the impression of Wudi as a caring person, a character which the more I got to know him, the more I can attest to.

After Wudi found me awake, he told me that he had bought food for both of us, even going so far as to use the microwave in the hotel lobby to heat up the beef tendon soup for me to enjoy the dish at its finest. As I was feasting at Wudi’s table, I tasted not only the Chinese food I grew up eating, but also the good old days when I used to wake up to the breakfast my family already prepared for me. Indeed, for an itinerant international student like me, waking up to delicious food at hand was truly one of a kind experience.

My dear readers, at this point, you might have thought that Wudi and I were very good friends. But as I mentioned in the first paragraph, this was the day that I got some of my first impressions of Wudi-we had not yet gotten to know each other very well.  I first met Wudi at IFI’s welcome party last August. Later he was recruited by our worship team and joined our Bible study small group, consistently, no absence. Last November, when the opportunity of a Christian conference arose, we invited Wudi, hoping to spend more time together and that he would learn more of the Lord. In my mind, it was my role to serve Wudi, not the other way around. Who could have thought that Wudi served me with an unforgettable meal?  Who could have known that Wudi’s act of love to me on that morning was but a harbinger of bountiful altruistic services he would later provide to everyone in our circle?

Now in retrospect, I treated Christian ministry as something fraught with difficulties and hardships, more than its fair share. True, when we share the Gospel, we often do not receive a welcoming gesture. But I so often went in, determined to tackle the hardest questions, and to endure the highest demands, as if misunderstanding, mockery, and even persecution were a foregone conclusion. Sharing God’s word is undoubtedly difficult at times, but it could also be as enjoyable as feasting at the table of the Lord. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Through Wudi’s table, I experienced and learned about the pleasant blessings God prepared for us along the way. So why not just do what God calls us to do, with obedience, without too much expectation, and let Him determine the process through which to achieve His plan? I know I just stated something easier said than done, but that’s the lesson God reinforced on me through Wudi.

I could have concluded this blog post here, but my dear readers, I believe it’d be your pleasure to read on for a few more thoughts. Wudi is an avid fan of driving, and got a car late December. Since then, he has been relentlessly providing rides for people in need of going to Bible studies, churches, restaurants, grocery stores, and driving tests. He picks you up at your door, onto the road the car roars, taking you wherever you ask for, no worry about rides anymore- an amazing example of God perfectly matching Wudi’s passion for driving and his service as a driver. Better still, Wudi accepted the Lord two days ago.

The Bible tells us that love never fails and that wherever the Gospel is preached, people will learn about the woman who washed Jesus’s feet with extravagant perfume and her hair. Preparing a meal? Giving rides? What do I do to love others?