Exponential Potential

We spend January 1 walking through our lives,

room by room,

drawing up a list of work to be done,

cracks to be patched. 

Maybe this year, to balance the list,

we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...

not looking for flaws, but for potential. 

Ellen Goodman

2012 has arrived...do you think it came in a hurry almost before we lived out 2011?  I do.  And just for good measure, I don't make resolutions...I'm in a constant 24/7 self-improvement program...believe me, I need it.  How 'bout you?



I've begun this new year w/good news from China...one Chinese girl M and I love dearly...Pearl...has delivered her second baby girl...no name yet.  Pearl pops in and out of our lives via e-mail and she's always a welcome surprise, like a breath of fresh air.  That girl is in no way leading a balanced life but she keeps on trying!



I've a newer Chinese friend, I'll call her Grace.  After graduating from an American university she returned home to China and established a promising business.  We have a good communication system going...she's excellent in her English reading/writing skills so we have a good understanding.  Here's what she wrote just after Christmas:



"I learned new word:  New Year's Revolution.  I decide to make my new year's revolution.  Firstly, I hope I could handle my business and do it well.  Secondly, I am still losing my extra pounds.  Thirdly, I hope I could find my boyfriend for the marriage.  If I could finish all of them, my mother will calm down and won't fight with me any more, I guess."



A short e-mail came on the heels of the above: "I typed wrong ~ I meant resolution". 



I send Grace some of my writings and she shares them w/friends and translates them for her mom. 



The last one I sent: 
In China, while teaching in the classroom, we weren't permitted to broach the 'God' subject but HE handled it quite nicely.  The students asked, "Teacher Vasca, why are you always so happy?  Why are you always smiling?"  Well, that's because I have a good friend who takes care of me..."Oh, who?"  You haven't met Him ~ His name is God.  The door opened and stayed that way. 



Their culture does not know 'love' as we do; their parents do not use the word or display visible signs of love.  Many students said their parents had never told them that they loved them...they longed for it.



Grace responded with...
"I love your article and I totally agree with it.  Someday, I asked my mother whether she loves me, but my mother said it was gross to ask her about this.  I know it is a stupid question but I doubt it all the time because of the unfriendly relationship between my mom and me.  I think if I do not say and show the love, how could others know the love?!  A girl asked her boyfriend to say I love you to her, but her boyfriend says she should know he loves her even he does not say it.  Is it so hard to say I love you?! 



By the say, I send all of the articles you send to me to Marty.  She studies the bible and English soooo hard.  I learned a lot this Christmas.  Christmas is for the birth of Jesus and also for the death of Jesus.  He died because of our sins.  I get the love from God and the friends in bible study and Christian house this Christmas."



I love my relationships with Pearl and Grace...to mention just a few.  Of course, being the ham that I am, I am eager to have followers/readers and that would bolster my ego just a tad but that is certainly not why I do what I do.  Okay then, why DO I do it? 



Because, these two are among those who are very hungry to learn, some are new Christians and so eager to share the light of God that is in their lives.  I pray Father continues giving me opportunities to share the light He provides in my life.



So...here's my plan...today, January 1st, I begin walking through the rooms in my life, eagerly checking out the potential and guess what???



When I wasn't looking, God has moved in such exponential potential that it takes my breath away and...I'm just in the entry hall.



I believe Grace has a good thing...I feel like rather than a new year's resolution, I'm truly into a 'New Year's Revolution'...yes! 



From my heart to yours...