Name:Mark Location: Illinois, United States Gender:Male
Interests:i like stuff. . . Expertise:Let's face it, i'm not good at very much, but if you need a friend to listen, i'm there Occupation:dazed & confused
To be honest with you (everyone), i hate xanga, I truly do. Something about blogging just doesn't seem right, in the sense that when something goes wrong in a person's life, they write about it on xanga and sometimes leave it so open ended that you have to wonder . . . why not seek REAL personal help. AKA talk to a friend. But i have been guilty of this too. Using this online medium to make some emo statement and leaving all open ended, only to have people eprop saying "you ok?" Thus ~ i've stopped using xanga and just posted random idiotic stuff that doesn't really matter to real life. (although Chicago bears was life)
SO here i am. . . once again about to post something that's on my heart, and well to be honest, i doubt many people check this xanga anymore, but this is something that's on my heart and i'm sure i'll probably share this with many others in person or through other means. Figure that maybe someone will check it and their hearts will be moved as well. I know i know there are a million sob stories out there, but i guess this is what makes it hit home for me, cause i think exactly that way.
This past Saturday I received a phone call for my mom from someone from her church, and i could hear the distress in her voice. I told her my mom went to a party with my dad, and probably wouldn't get home till pretty late, and she told me to have her call her back no matter how late. I then asked if i could just take a message, and she told me that she wanted my mom to pray for a car accident. You see that day was a nasty day with a ton of snow and i'm sure most of you can recall what it was like, since it was only a couple day's ago. My mom called me a couple moments later to see if i was ok and if i had any plans to go out, urging me to just stay home and not drive in the icy conditions. I relayed the message and that was that, until she came home late that night. She told me that there was a car accident and a female pastor died.
Well here's the thing. . . i didn't think anything of it . . my mind process was actually . . "wow . . that really sucks" and then my life went on. Yes i'm cold and yes i'm a lil dead on the inside, but i think we, as a generation have been desensitized by just the media, so in hearing the news of the death of a visiting female pastor, i felt bad but in the end shrugged it off. The next day, my mom told me about how it was the pastor who was running a home outreach based in cali for kids, specifically asian kids, who were hooked on drugs.
You see, earlier that week, my mom told me about this couple who ran an foster home for kids who were hooked on all sorts of drugs of alcohol and i remember her telling me how we should some day go out there and volunteer and help out if we could. I thought to myself, "sure why not? sounds like a good plan." but it was more or less just a nod and a shrug. No real commitment, just sounded like a good idea or at least the right thing to say. To be honest it was probably empty and i just said it to say it . . . I'm sure many of you can understand that feeling, if not, just nod and agree with me and you just did what i did.
So after my mom had told me that it was the very same pastor who, with her husband, ran this drug rehab out of their own home had died, my heart stirred. I couldn't help but feel sorrow and remorse, not only because she had died, but because it was this very person who just days earlier my mom had mentioned, died suddenly. Thoughts for her husband back in cali ~ of his lose, of how could he go on doing this work by himself, what will happen to those kids who are already in their home trying to get off these cruel addictions, and leaving behind a 6yr old daughter, I asked God why. . . and i'm sure many others did as well. I thought of my empty words, and how guilty i felt shrugging it off, thinking it was no big deal, but as i thought these thoughts lives changed forever. A daughter who even at the time didn't know her mother was dead, would find out later that day as the father flew in to tell his 6yr old, that her mom, his wife has passed.
I'm not sure why i write this now, except that all i could think of was the verse in John 12:24 "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground
and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces
many seeds." Out of the sadness and sorrow, i questioned God why . . . why her? why now? I've never even met this woman before, but maybe a seed was planted. Maybe one day I'll head over to cali and instead of enjoying the fun and the sun ~ i'll go and help and serve. Maybe i'll help start a fund with others of the church for the daughter to maybe someday go to college. Maybe a seed will be planted in ur hearts, maybe not for this particular family, but for those around you, those u know, those that you can help. Those are a lot of maybe's but maybe we'll get off our butts and out of our lil selfish world and reach out to others. Maybe.
If any of you want to pray or even donate financially to this organization, let me know and i'll point you to the right direction. Please though, at least lift up a small prayer for her family. This is the lil excerpt from the email about the funeral.
Pastor Tu, Shu-Mei, passed away on Saturday night, February 24th, 2007.Pastor Tu served at Operation Dawn Ministry in California to help the young people who are in drugs and alcoholic.Christian
Assembly of Suburban Chicago invites you to attend this God honored
memorial service for His precious servant and in union of comfort with
her beloved husband, minister Yao, Hong-Ji and six-year old daughter,
Ester.
singer is pretty cute. the drama that this song is for, looks prettttty darn stupid. Something most girls would love, and most guys would want to shoot themselves if made to watch.
