SoulThirst

Quick weekend recap:

Saturday- Spent most of the afternoon helping Amanda & her dad with yard work- mulching, uprooting a tree, etc. Had Ivan, Tai-Chi, Calvin, & Leo to slave alongside with. Not too much happened there, except that when we shoveled out one section of mulch, out pops a baby bunny! It sorta just crawled out... so kawaii~ its eyes weren't even open yet and it could fit in the palm of your hand ^^. Eventually we unearthed 3 more... and since the mulch pile would be gone soon, we put them in a box & took them back to Living Water. They were cute... huddled there, sleeping most of the time, so small & fragile. Eventually took them to a wildlife rehab place so that they could survive.

Sunday- All the older YAMs were out camping this weekend, so church was somewhat empty. Certain things about the service really frustrated & annoyed me, but this is neither the forum nor the place to get into that. The funny thing about Sunday was the rain. It was raining off & on all afternoon. But while Mike Liang & I were running errands, we noticed that every time we needed to get out of the car & go in, or when we needed to get back to the car... the rain all of a sudden either stopped or slowed to a drizzle. Mike said, "Someone's lookin out for us"

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Last night I had a good conversation with my parents, talking about a number of things, all centered around my future plans, calling in life, etc. But it was a good conversation, in that we listened to each other, heard each other out, and didn't end up arguing about it. I guess that's part of the process of growing up (for all you younger students who are still at home with parents)... learning that God speaks truth through your parents. Not that our parents are perfect, or that all their words are always "truth." But somewhere in the midst of their strengths & weaknesses, truths & falsehoods, is the fact that God has placed them in your life as your parents, and has seen it fit to raise you through them. Therefore, at a basic level (assuming you believe that God knows what He's doing), your parents are God's instruments.

I didn't necessarily agree with everything they said. But I did appreciate my dad's heart behind it, and the convictions & values he holds- though some differ from mine. The greatest fear of our parents, I think, is that we will no longer listen to them. I know with my parents, when they feel that I'll listen to others (my youth pastor, professors, other peers, etc.) instead of them, it's hard for them to take; it hurts to some degree because they feel that "my child is listening to someone else & ignoring his/her own parent." And while what other people say might be more "truthful," our parents still deserve our attention. I'm glad I was able to communicate to him that I still valued his perspective, despite our different views.

[Posting now to get it in under midnight]

posted by Andy Chang @ 12:00 AM