the whole story

Yesterday in chapel, our university president, Joe Stowell, spoke to us about his recent trip to Southeast Asia. He had been there to speak at a conference for Christian English teachers with the organization ELIC (English Language in China). ELIC recruits Christian English foreign language teachers from the U.S. to teach in China, to use English as a gateway to bringing the gospel to this closed country. Over the years, however, ELIC has grown and now sends teachers to China, Hong Kong, Laos, Cambodia, Napal, Thailand, and Vietnam. From what I understand, there were hundreds of these teachers at this conferece in Thailand.

Anyway, ELIC took the opportunity to video some of the conference and put together a short film on their ministry and the people it works with, which Joe Stowell shared with us in chapel.

There was some introduction to the video, but the main part of the film consisted of a montage with a song playing in the background where current ELIC teachers at the conference faced the camera with two outstretched fists, side-by-side, in front of the camera. One by one, the people would open their right hand first, palm up, to reveal the first part of their testimony written on their hand. After a few seconds, they would then open the other hand to reveal "the rest of the story."

Some people had written things like, "0-21: defining who I was" and then, "22-today: allowing myself to be defined by Jesus Christ."

Or, "4 years of misery resisting God's calling" and then, "Peace and fulfillment teaching in Laos until Abba moves me. 3 years and counting..."

Or, "A lifetime struggling with depression and anxiety disorder" and then, "Chains broken by the Great Healer."

Or, "No real passion for the Cambodian people" and then, "Deepest love for the Cambodian lost 2 years later."

Their testimonies were so powerful. But one thing hit me hard...

There was one girl on the video who I'll never forget. She literally couldn't stop smiling..

Most people showed their right hand with a straight face, and then smiled when they revealed the second hand revealing the story of their redemption, but this girl smiled the entire time. And it wasn't one of those fake smiles... She just couldn't stop it. She didn't try. It just overflowed. Even when she showed the first hand, her excitement was bubbling over -- she couldn't WAIT to show her other hand...

I want to be like that girl...

Because it struck me that this is what God's children are -- they are a people who know the whole story! Like an excited little kid, they are a people who can't wait to show the "first hand" because they know the joy found in the second hand! They are a people who smile in the midst of darkness and overflow with excitement in the revelation of their weaknesses because they know the rest of the story! They are a people unashamed -- a people unafraid -- a people who burst with joy at the sight of brokenness because they know the freedom found in the bittersweet refrain:

Jesus saves!