Subj: Late night musings
Date: 97-09-3013351101 EDT
To: (Howard & Lynn Hankins)
Dear Lynn,
Here's my first email to you!!!
Last night l took some time to write out some things l was thinking about...
My sister in law Kelly sat on the floor. Between us was a pile of paraphernalia that l was sorting and packing for our two year move to China. We leave Thursday morning. It seems as if all of my earthly possessions are in various piles strewn about her house, waiting to find their place in one of my 11 pieces of luggage. Since Jim and I started staying at their place about a week ago Kelly's done a lot of confounded head wagging. "You seem so calm. Are you really? I mean, I just get overwhelmed watching you pack."
Funny, I did feel pretty "calm." i had been working hard, making decisions, taking care of personal business, trying to think through what must be ordered, communicated, or deposited, etc. before we get on a jet that will take us to a land of aggravating inefficiency. And yet I'm more than calm. I'm even "eager" at this point. i think often about the fact that for all
My careful planning, I‘m going to forget something important...but it doesn't bother me to even imagine myself dealing with the oversight once we get there. And it's not like I can just let my fingers do the walking.
Jim last week, and the first night he was gone, my tough little Cameron and I got very little sleep, if any. He was a baby in pain. With 6 days to go 1 spent the afternoon at Kaiser and we were prescribed some antibiotics for a double ear infection. Wouldn‘t you know it? And, as I have confessed often, it is the children's health has been my greatest fear about moving to a place where there may not be any Western doctors or medicine.
"People must be praying." I answered. It's the only possible reason...well, that, and I've been high on adrenaline for weeks. BUT, since I'm doing this well under the circumstances, I hope they don't stop praying once we get to China and the adrenaline wears off.
As I was out on an errand that evening, musing about this "calmness" I have, i started thinking about an old gospel song. "Power in the blood."
I really couldn‘t get it out of my head. As I sang it to myself, I enjoyed thinking about the fact that it truly is the power of Christ‘s blood, that sacrifice which provided a way for me to be God's child, with all the rights and privileges, AND POWER, as his heir. Power that gives us strength to rise above our life's circumstances with unexplainable peace and joy.
THIS is exactly what the Chinese are dying to hear about. This is the "good news" that Christlans have to share with those who l'm under oppression. Chinese people are not Interested m hearing about "escaping hell." They live in a kind of hell already. The "afterlife" is not even something they think about.
But, expose them to a powerful way to have hope & Joy in what seems to be a poweriess and hopeless life, and then we'll have gotten their ear, and then, Lord willing their souls will follow.
"There is power, power,
WONDER WORKING power
In the blood
Of the Lamb
There is power. power. wonder working power In the precious blood of the Lamb "
I pray you all also expenence the same power in llfe today.
Rising above,
Kimberly
(PS My hymnbook is packed, hidlng, under a lot of non-religious items. Do you remember any of the verses?)
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