To Be Called by God Is to …

Miu-nung and Dr. Roy Chan

“We are called to love the Giver of all gifts more than the gift itself.”
“We are called to accept difficulties and problems, taking them as tools for growth and be bonded with other brothers and sisters of humanity.”
“We are called to work in company of God and share God’s vision, pain and final victory.”

Quoted from Jerry Moye, A Wrestling People and a Wrestling God: The Dynamics of a Living Faith

Love the Giver of All the Gifts

　　Reading English textbooks is difficult for me because my English is not very good and I often come across many words that I do not know. When I look them up in the dictionary, the meaning of the sentence still remains obscure. Even when I master the sentence’s meaning, I still cannot understand what it means theologically… At the very beginning when I was adjusting to student life, I felt particularly exhausted and distressed. Once in the middle of a class presentation I realized that I had made a mistake because I had misunderstood the content of the textbook. As a result, our whole group was downgraded. I felt intense guilt and shame in front of my fellow group members.

　　I looked up to God for a way out and prayed that I could learn English better. One day in a quiet moment, the Holy Spirit struck me by revealing the reason why I yearned for such a gift. It was not to seek God’s glory, but because I wanted an easy way out. In reality, I did not want to take time or make a great effort to learn English. The motive for my prayer was simply wrong. In the meantime, God helped me to reflect through a pastor’s message: Even if the purpose and motive of seeking a gift is good, I must consider: In my own life what do I really desire―the gift or the Giver of all the gifts?

Regarding Hardship and Struggle as Tools for Facilitating Growth

　　My mother has a great passion for life, and she is a very sincere and helpful person. She dedicated her whole life to taking care of her husband and children. Before I entered the seminary, she had quietly left us because of an illness. As children, we lost a warm, caring mother while my father also lost a spouse dear to him. We all missed her very much. At the beginning of the school term, my father and I needed time to adjust to my mother’s death. Sometimes when I saw that my elderly father could not properly control his emotions, I also felt those same emotions and I felt my heart being torn and filled with agonizing pain. Despite the encouragement of my elder brother and sister, the difficulties of my family life and my studies made me consider withdrawing from school more than once.

　　One time I could not resist telling my teacher my thoughts and feelings when I noticed how easily other students could pay attention to their studies while I struggled. On the one hand, I envied them; on the other hand, I felt helpless because I had lost so much of my study time due to my family problems. At that time, my teacher did not see me as foolish, and smilingly he said this to me, “This is not a sacrifice but an adjustment in life. In the future when we step onto the ministry field, we are bound to meet other difficulties and problems and we need to make adjustments. This is a lesson we will learn over and over throughout our lives and this enables us to grow.” I took this three-year-old conversation to heart and let it continue to guide me all my life.

Enabling Us to Bond with Those around Us and with Co-walkers

　　Over the course of these few years many have asked me the same question: How can I manage financially for four whole years of study? My answer is that I have 3 “supports.” The first support is my mother church which offered to pay for my school fees. The next is my family which gave me unconditional financial support for my living expenses. Then, there was the prayers and financial support of good friends, former colleagues, and my brothers and sisters at church. The love and care from all of them touched me deeply, so I had no worries. God’s grace is often more than we might ask for or imagine. How could I have imagined that during my seminary study I would meet so many good people in the neighborhood and non-believers. They are the household goods shop proprietress downstairs, the boutique shop salesladies, a Christian sister who owns a small shop modifying clothes for customers, and also the proprietor of an optical company. The first two know that I have no income and so every time we meet they are very friendly and offer me special discounts on goods. The Christian sister once saw me being harassed by a strange man in the street and she quickly made the man go away and comforted me. During festivals or on my birthday, the optical shop owner would offer to give me a pair of contact lenses for free. From these people I have personally experienced human love and pray that they can come to Christ soon.

　　People say that the Christian faith is not something to talk about but to live out. Praise the Lord that I could see the many beautiful testimonies of God and I thank God all the more for being part of the HKBTS family. One semester, the unit one floor above mine underwent renovation. Being sensitive to the paint fumes, I kept coughing so much that was difficult for me to sleep well for a few days. Fortunately, the renovation soon ended. Unexpectedly a few days later, the neighboring unit also started renovation. At that time, I was exhausted from trying to learn Hebrew and was also busy preparing a sermon message. I began to feel low-spirited and frustrated—even typing on the computer seemed difficult. Back at the seminary, I met a fellow student who could see that I was under great stress. Without saying a word, she grasped my hands and prayed for me. Her touch not only instantly comforted me, but it also reminded me of the love and support of my fellow co-walkers. Then unexpectedly after graduation, she got sick. While she was fighting a battle with a serious illness, she did not complain but showed great courage. She and her family focused their attention on the Lord Jesus Christ. From her family’s attitude in the face of adversity, I could see their undaunted faith, hope, and love. Later, she went to be with the Lord. She was never formally engaged in any ministerial work in the capacity of a pastor but she did care for me when I was weak and low-spirited. Her perseverance, modesty, gentleness, and faithfulness will remain an inspiration to me all my life.

　　At HKBTS, I have made many friends and many teachers have become my mentors. I once heard that our teachers are out of touch with the real world, but is that really true? During these four years of living on campus, I saw with my own eyes that during the “Umbrella Movement,” our teachers went into the crowd to listen and keep watch over those in need. I also saw President Cho and other teachers hug a fellow coworker who was hurting; I saw teachers shedding tears for us because they love us so much….

　　In recent years some teachers have not been well. Even when they were under stress and in physical pain, they remained obedient to God’s leading and still were able to testify to the faithfulness of God. When we visited those sick teachers to show support for them, we too became encouraged. Another teacher, while still under medical treatment, insisted on conducting a church seminar when his conditions had improved. When I inquired about the reason why, I found out that it was because the teacher did not want to disrupt what the church had planned and did not want to disappoint the attendees. In my eyes, each of our teachers is a “real” teacher with heart and soul.

Being Co-workers with God

　　President Cho and our teachers have always exhorted us to be God’s co-workers: To treat others with hospitality, to walk along with others, to learn to use spiritual discernment, to speak the truth of God, and to be faithful to the mission of discipleship. Last winter, I saw a homeless person in ragged clothes sitting at a street corner. The thought of expressing “hospitality” immediately came to mind. That day the temperature was low and it was very cold, and I wanted to buy him a hot drink. Just when I was about to, I was overcome with worry that he might reject me or even curse me. Would others tease me? Instead of looking to others, I prayed to God to grant me courage and peace. As a result, I offered him a small token of kindness in exchange for a genuine smile! That day the sun was not strong, but I felt especially warm.

　　Praise the Lord that in these four years through my family, good friends, the church, and HKBTS’s teachers, staff, and fellow students, God has granted me encouragement, care, and assistance. Throughout these days when I was being trained and faced many difficulties and challenges, they have been my partners and they continue walking together with me. I pray that God will help me to work in company with God and share in God’s vision and final victory. Amen!