let what we do in here, fill the streets out there :)

October 28, 2002

it's neat how God's been orchestrating something that's been on my heart for the last little while, and it all began from a simple school project. a while back, i chose to research world hunger as my social issue for my communication design 1 class. the theme is carried over three projects, but i've really had to do a lot of investigative research this time around because we actually had to write an article about the topic. and the facts that i've uncovered are simply unbelievable.

i've mentioned a few of those facts already, but i've been really thinking about what to do about the convictions that i believed God was placing in my heart. and today, i believe He's answered my prayer.

i went to service this morning, not really expecting anything at all. i'm still sorta feeling weird being at 4C, since everyone there is basically working or married or both, and i'm just a 20 year old student. but that's besides the point. though i do wonder if i'll ever be able to call that place home. i mean, there won't be real fellowship there with them, because they're not my age! and i only go there for service, nothing else. so it's not going to happen. the message was about caring about the needy and the poor, and it was based on micah 6. i think a lot of what the preacher said (andrew lau) really struck home with me. and what's more, was that some of the facts that he used were facts that i've already learned in my research in world hunger. but it really boils down to this for me - i struggle with time issues beyond belief. i have no time to talk with friends, barely enough time to get my work done, so where does that leave time to really get involved and serve God "out there?" i don't know. but i have been thinking about my Christmas break and what i'm going to do then, and i think this would be great. what really struck me today was how i've been sitting in the church, absorbing it all, and hanging around all the Christians. sure i'm trying to get myself morer involved with my non-Christian buddies from school, but i'm not getting OUT there, affecting the community that i live in.

"let what we do in here, fill the streets out there" (madly - steve fee)

that's what i want to be about. i want to start getting involved in the community and just showing the world the love of Christ - because after all, i was created to love God, and since God loves His people, that means i should love em too :) and i want to. i really wish i had more time to commit to doing work for God, you know, but i don't. so i'm stuck with this problem. serving God often calls for sacrifice - so maybe i have to just walk in faith, commit helping out somewhere and trust that God'll help me take care of my time retraints. maybe that's what i need to do. but one thing's for sure - i have to do SOMETHING. i mean, if you really want to see Jesus, you gotta get out of the church and into the streets - that's where He'd be if He was still around here!! not in some holy huddle with all the theologians discussing spiritual matters - but out with the people, caring for them, getting involved in their lives. :) so yeah, i'm going to start looking for a place to volunteer (maybe second harvest. a lady talked about volunteering there today).

i've also been thinking a lot about the society that we live in. it's so messed up. i went to pacific mall today after church because eric needed to get a CPU or something. and as we were walking around, i was just thinking about stupid it was to have malls like that. i mean, different stores are set up in there to entice you to buy products you don't need. we create products to entice people to buy them. they don't need them. we just make them so people will buy them. advertisers' jobs are to make products appealing to the product so that they'll purchase them. and in the meanwhile, people around the world die from hunger everyday. they die from poverty because the world's economic distribution is very unbalanced. all for what? so we can create more things for ourselves that mean nothing while PEOPLE DIE? give me a break. that's just so sad. and i'm caught right in the middle of it. i'm materialistic - i realize that. maybe not as materialistic as others, but i still am regardless. i'm like the average uni student male who always wants more. and rarely, do i ever think about using that money for something more worthwhile, like helping feed the poor or something. so i think God's trying to change my heart on that too. just showing me how money really means nothing. and i do realize that money can't bring happiness, but i still want to buy more things (it's like some strange cycle that i can't get out of).

still, all i know is that i need to get out of my comfortableness and get out into the 'world' and start living my life for Jesus among those who don't know Him. so yes, this volunteer work will have to happen soon. if not now, then definitely in december. i realize that i'm so fortunate to have a family that can provide for me in terms of my education, so i don't need to get a job to earn money. i can use my time for better things :) i've never really thought about the people who live in markham or toronto, that are suffering from poverty and what have you, and that's just really sad. i mean i've lived here for 12 years, and that thought has NEVER crossed my mind. that's just not cool.

the first meeting of the design group meets tomorrow. :) i don't know what we're going to be doing yet, but i'll make up a schedule tomorrow morning! hopefully everyone can make it!! but yeah, i totally see this as a launching pad/starting point for something great, something only God can do! man, if God started to bring our friends to know Him. that would be the absolute coolest thing in the entire world. i long to see that. i really do. by the end of my studies at york, if just one person, one of my friends in the program, came to know Jesus personally. that would rock my world upside down. :) and even if that didn't happen, but a seed was planted, that'd still be so amazing :)

i'm awfully tired tonight, so that'll be it for now! g'nite!

Posted by Leo Chan at October 28, 2002 12:38 AM