Chicken Soup for the Blogging Soul

Marty was outside raking leaves in his front yard when the call came. "Marty come quick, something's wrong!" his wife Sarah yelled from across the way. A shiver ran down his spine, and Marty dropped the rake, almost tripping it over it as he ran towards the house. He'd never heard his wife sound so traumatized before. A thousand thoughts went through his head all at once. "My son has been kidnapped, and those are the kidnappers on the phone demanding money", he thought. All manner of irrational fears that had been drummed into his head by television and movies played out as horror scenarios flashed through his mind.

He burst into the house, slamming the door behind him. "Honey what's the matter? What is it?" he demanded. His demands quickly felt a warm hug attack him as a tearful Sarah came over to him and whispered, "Your father fell off the roof while he was trimming those tall apple trees of his. The doctors don't know how long he has to live."

"No. Not dad. Not now", Marty pleaded between sobs. "He doesn't know the Lord", came his thoughts. "Why have I been so afraid to share the Gospel with him? Maybe it's too late."

Marty's father Richard used to tease his wife and son about their religion, asking them why they bothered going to church on Sunday when there was so much work to be done on the farm that morning.

Richard and his wife Dot had adopted a young Chinese girl about a year ago who was found abandoned in the Hunan Province of China. Dot's church had a missionary from China speak who told them about all the children left without a home in China because of the Communist oppression. It so touched Dot's heart that she put a bug in her husband's ear who eventually relented saying that "It might be fun to have a youngster around here helping with chores again."

As soon as they adopted little Xiu, Richard was a changed man, helping to teach her English, and playing games with her constantly. Sometimes Dot would look over and just shake her head in amazement.

Everything seemed to be going so well, until one day, Dot was driving home from town with groceries when she was struck violently and killed by a drunk driver. Richard was inconsolable after that, and Marty never knew quite what to say to him anymore, so he just sort of left him alone.

Marty and Sarah drove to the hospital in silence not really knowing what they could do, except to pray. The doctor led them to room 122 where Richard lay in bed asleep with bandages over his head. As they tromped over to his prostrate form, Xiu came out of her seat and ran over and hugged them. It was a nice moment, and the commotion woke up Richard briefly who motioned to Marty to come over.

"I'm okay", he whispered in Marty's ear.
"But dad", Marty cut in, "You've got bandages all over, and the doctor's said they were going to do their best."
"I don't mean up here son", Richard said tapping his forehead, "I mean in here," he said putting his hand over his heart. "Right after Mom died, I just about wanted to kill myself. Well, I thought that for about 5 seconds, that little girl over there in Sarah's arms really saved my life. It was hard to feel sad for myself when she gave me so much love and didn't ask for much in return. And since Dot was taking her to church, I felt it was only right that I do the same. I only live 5 minutes away, so I figured it was okay to drop her off with her teachers at Sunday school, then come back an hour later. Those teachers always sent her home with something to read, and I didn't think much of it. But one time she came home and asked me to read her this story of a shepherd who left all the sheep in his flock behind to look for one lost sheep. I felt uneasy after reading that, and something just didn't set quite right with me. I couldn't put it out of my mind. So I went over to the church with that story and asked the pastor if he thought God cared about me. He said that he did. I asked him if he knew that my wife died. He said they had all loved her very much. I broke down into tears and Pastor Mike came over to hug me. I told him I felt like that lost sheep, only I didn't think that anyone was looking for me. He told me that Jesus had been looking for me for a long time. And son, I broke down again. I just couldn't take it anymore, and later that morning the Pastor led me to Jesus, and I haven't been the same since."





If you would like to learn about adopting a Chinese orphan, and how you can help today, go to http://www.spirit-of-adoption.org