Thursday was the first day of China’s “National Day” holiday. I wasn’t interested in celebrating the communist takeover of this country, so for me it was just another day off from work. The air pollution had been “cleaned up” either by the wind or by government intervention and it was a bright sunny day in Beijing.
We don’t get to do much together, so I accepted Susan’s offer to get out of the apartment. Susan had stayed home for a week and took advantage of having free delivery (me) and we bought fruit and vegetables from a little old man in a nearby parking lot. I am amazed at how well Susan can shop without knowing a word of Chinese except “thanks.” She said the man was nice and very helpful and his prices are cheap. He was puzzled when she let him keep the change.
We dropped off our “loot” at the apartment and headed to a nearby mall. Susan wanted my opinion on a sweater she was looking at and after browsing through a few shops, she found one she liked. We had lunch in our favorite Japanese noodle shop. We normally practice our chopstick skills there, but Susan’s had a sore thumb, so she used plastic-ware to help her out. I used my chopsticks and the ladle and only got one spot of soup on my shirt. I used my Chinese phrase book to order some food to-go. Susan laughed and called me “Professor-in-Chinese” when I tried to teach her a few words.
We returned home and Susan had a few things to do before settling down to scouring the internet for the latest news on a starlet she has been following (Liza Sobrana). The rest of the day for me was a nap, some computer time, dinner and finishing a Korean video series I had been watching. For us it was just another day.
During that same day, refugees continued to flee Syria as Russia bombed rebels in support of the brutal Syrian regime; the Taliban continued raping and killing in a city they captured as stories of child rape was reported to be a symbol of power in the Afghan military; and Pastor Saeed (Christian) marked another year of abuse in an Iranian prison. Besides those specifics, approximately 150,000 people died around the world. Even as I was pondering what to put in this story, the news was filled with a story of 10 people being shot to death on a college campus in the US.
How can any day be just “another day” when so many won’t have another or live in such misery? Yes, I enjoyed a nice day with my wife and there is nothing wrong with that. Though I can’t stop or even truly impact many of the bad things that are going on in the world, I can pray for those people and be an active witness to the unmerited favor of GOD. If people accept Him, He will help and comfort them during their brief life and they will go to live with Him forever when this life is over. “For GOD so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Wayne Lance (2015) – That’s Good News to Share!