Testimony: Tears… and ‘catch a big fish’

A testimony from my trip to China:

A few weeks ago I joined a couple of my dear friends, Dave Clark and Jack Lee on a business trip to China.  In one of the business meetings, we all spoke to about 50 business leaders.  There were about 30 students from a nearby business university… and about 20 business people… some who were billionaires.  They were Buddhists, Daoists, atheists and a few Christians.

Dave and Jack shared the business opportunity and our values for living from the heart.  I shared about how to live with an ‘alive’ and soft heart… we must live for something bigger than ourselves… bigger than money.  I said one of those ways for our family, is to let our hearts be touched by the poor and to find ways to come alongside them.

I recounted the story of our trip to Cebu City, Philippines… to the Little Palace in Shanty-Town.  As I was telling the story I was overcome with tears… and a very discernable change occurred in the room.  The atmosphere changed from a business opportunity to a heart encounter.

Afterwards the university professor said to us, “I’ve been to many, many of these kinds of meetings but never one as meaningful as this.  Would you come back and do a 2 or 3 day seminar with my students?  I want them to learn how to live for something bigger than money.”

The power of God-tears is almost uncanny.  When we live with our hearts engaged and ‘ablaze’ with passion and God’s glory, it is infectious and revolutionary… especially to folks who have never been in touch with their hearts.

There is not a dearth of knowledge in the earth… there is a dearth of experiencing the realities of the heart.

Living for head knowledge as ‘king’, is the substitute for not knowing a satisfying reality in our hearts.  And we can’t blame the people, because they’ve never had anyone explain and model it for them.

But once their heart has been awakened… and had an encounter… they realize that living for head knowledge, is only ‘surface-y’… only ‘glitter’ that purports to be a life source.  In the end, it is quite powerless to create true happiness or true change.

After the business meeting I interviewed 6 or 8 people to see if we should visit their factory the next day.  After each interview I asked if I could take their hand and pray with them.  I felt like the Lord gave me little ‘sparks’ of special insight to pray for each of them.

At the end, a lady who had been watching, asked why we held hands.  I said, “For a sense of connection and agreement with one another.”  She asked if I could pray for her.  I did… and at the end she was VERY tender and responsive.  My translator suggested that we take the next step of leading her to Jesus.  I briefly presented Jesus and what it means to have a relationship with Him… then I led her in a simple ‘sinners prayer’.  Afterward she was very tender and exclaimed, “Something happened… I felt something change.”  Her eyes were very near tears… and mine already had tears.  We hugged… it was a wonderful God-moment.

I had not interviewed her so I didn’t know who she was, except that her name was Mrs. Cao.

The next day, we visited several clothing factories and as we walked into one large facility, there was Mrs Cao!  We eagerly and warmly greeted each other and I referenced how special our time was together.  Without hesitation she confidently and proudly announced before her associates that she had given her heart to Jesus the day before.

Well, it turns out that she was one of two owners of this factory.  And this factory is one of the main suppliers of uniforms for the airlines and military in China.

Who knew????  God did!  Sometimes you catch a big fish and don’t even know it.  And my translator even had to give me the nod to go the next step. 🙂

Thank you, God!!!!

— MLH