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Today’s Blog Post
My mind is full this morning as I try to process the millions of stimuli that came my way in the last 24 hours. And actually most of the impressions were deeply imprinted from 11:00 AM through to 11:00 PM.
12 Hours of unbelievable celebrating with amazing young folk and some rocking adults, that love life.
It all started 8 years ago when Michelle and some of her friends started attending Northview Church each Sunday morning. Through this group of friends Kenny came to the church.
I didn’t know it at the time but the struggle with life in general was getting the best of him and his boat felt like it was sinking. In fact it had almost tipped over.
He was a young man all alone. His parents lived in China. Now he was studying at Trent University and it was an up hill battle.
Picture yourself leaving Canada, going to China, to a remote and small city … with no friends and your entire future and the family’s hopes and desires for their future depends on how well you do in studies. Mind you – remember that you are doing all your subjects in Chinese.
Got the picture? That is the one that Kenny was facing when he walked into church one morning.
A few Sunday’s after he started attending church I shook his hand at the front of the church. He looked at me intently and smiled a little nervous. His friend beside him told me, “Pastor, Kenny wants to know how to ask Jesus into his heart.”
What followed was gentle and quiet and yet may have well blown heaven apart. Kenny Zhong became a born again Christian. From that minute on he started to change and grow by leaps and bounds as a new Christian. He listened to every thing that I said with a deep yearning for more. Every time we were together he would have huge questions… that I delighted in finding an answer with him.
That all happened… 8 years ago.
In the work that I do there are rewards at times and at other times it just hurts too much to even talk about it.
When Kenny left our church to join another fellowship, because that was where everyone else was going… that hurt. I had him for about three years and did my best. Then Kenny left Canada. It was over – I thought.
Back in our church things weren’t going well. I don’t need to say more… except that it was hard. Older folks quizzed me as to why Kenny left our church. I had no answers. He had done so well… but I didn’t know.
Our church was to continue to go through some hard times and I think God took Kenny and the rest away from what Northview was going to go through. He didn’t want them to see what would happen next.
This past summer Kenny and Helen were at a BBQ that we attended. I thought that it was by accident that they had arrived to where we were.
Kenny introduced me to his beautiful Helen… and then before I could get a reading on what was happening… he popped the question… “Pastor Murray, Helen and I would like you to perform our marriage in October. Would you do that for us? You are my mentor and the one I look up to. I would like you to do this for us.”
Helen smiled broadly, Kenny looked at my face for a reaction… and I was trying to pick myself up off the floor.
I had no idea that I would ever see Kenny again… let alone at the BBQ! This was the last thing that I imagined would ever happen!
“Kenny and Helen, I am delighted to be asked… and am thrilled to be able to take part. YES! I will be there for you!!!” So the deal was done.
Yesterday it all happened. Pastor Murray Lincoln and Pastor Seung Jung performed the ceremony for a beautiful young couple with the huge potential.
At the reception in Markham Ontario, Kenny’s dad stood to thank everyone that had helped Kenny and his family. He told how proud he was of his son. He told us of some of the struggles Kenny had gone through but people in Peterborough had helped Kenny and his life had changed… he told us much… and thanked us all deeply. What a story!
Back up a little…
In the ceremony I had preached a short message about being faithful to each other… keeping Faith, Hope and Love alive… and the fact that as they were now Christians and getting married that they should not forget their heritage, their families and their parents.
As I spoke I looked up and Kenny was crying huge tears… they were rolling down his face… Helen looked at him and she was crying too… I handed Kenny a tissue.
Later, Kenny’s dad and Helen’s dad told me how much it meant to them to have me say these words. One of them said, “Now we know why Kenny respects you so much…”
I gulped when I heard that.
Last evening as the 12 course meal was almost done… the MC asked everyone to listen. Kenny was going to do something special for his new bride Helen. He took the Microphone and began to sing a song in Chinese and then later into English simply entitled, “I love you”. his beautiful Helen cried again.
Today I am still full. The 11th and 12th course are still hanging around some where just below my swallower!
My heart is rejoicing. The work that began that Sunday morning is still going on.
Kenny and Helen have bought a $450,000 home, a car and are doing very well.
I remember that special moment 8 years ago… when Kenny looked at me at the front of the church and said quietly, “Pastor Murray, I want you to pray for me that God will bless me, that I will do well in my studies and that God would lead me...”
I did and He has!
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
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