bearing fruit

"I am like a green pine tree;
your fruitfulness comes from me."

Hosea 14:8b (NIV)

I had a chance to go over the four spiritual laws with mom's caregiver today, after she asked me to have my church people pray for my mom and her more.

Two weeks ago I brought a minister along to visit mom. Caregiver noticed that mom was able to sleep at night (which means that caregiver could herself rest better) after the minister prayed for mom. I told her that I would pray for mom and her before I left, while I also encouraged her to pray herself when she needed help.

She said she didn't speak well like others. I told her that God doesn't care for beautiful language, but sincerity and truthfulness. She then told me that she had tried it on her own already because of my mom's condition in the last two weeks, her father's terminal illness, her daughter's illness, and her grandchild's fever. She said that she noticed things changed after she prayed. She said she's believing in the power of prayer more and more.

I then told her a few things about praying and we went over the four spiritual laws together because even though she attended church before she still cusses and gambles once in a while. I want her to be clear what believing in Jesus means. (I happened to go to see a stage play with a non-believer friend today. Because of that, I inserted a Four Spiritual Laws pamphlet in my purse, which I didn't find the chance to use.) When we're at the fourth law, I found out that the caregiver had said the repentance/conversion prayer in the past. Even so, reviewing the four spiritual laws with her, she said, helped her understand what believing in and accepting Jesus mean. I left the pamphlets with her.

Isn't that amazing?

People often asked what bearing fruit means: does "fruit" refer to Christian virtue like the 9 spiritual fruits, or does it refer to a soul converted? But does it really matter? I think God the gardener can decide what fruit he wants; the branch only makes sure it's attached to the tree and is not barren.

the triune God

I trust in a triune God.

I trust the Father, believing that He has chosen me from before the foundations of the world; I trust Him to provide for me in providence, to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to His own house where there are many rooms.

I trust the Son. He is very God of very God--the man Christ Jesus. I trust in Him to take away all my sins by His own sacrifice and to clothe me with His perfect righteousness. I trust Him to be my Intercessor, to present my prayers and desires before His Father's throne, and I trust Him to be my Advocate at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me.

I trust the Holy Spirit--He has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I trust Him to drive them all out; I trust Him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness. I trust Him to dwell in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me completely, spirit, soul, and body, and then to take me up to dwell with the saints in light forever.

~Charles Spurgeon

tony

Tony is my first visually-impaired student.

I remember seeing him a couple years ago waiting in the music building for his class to begin. I had very little contact with him then because he's not enrolled in my class. He's my student this quarter. Today's the second session, which met in the library. Tony was a little late; it probably took him some time to feel his way with the walking stick from the music building to the library. Someone had to help him to find our room. When he arrived, another student sitting by the entrance quietly and courteously moved away to give Tony the seat.

After class Tony came up to ask me about the assignment due next week. Because of my lack of experience with disabled students, I might be more nervous answering him than he was asking me. But after 5 minutes of chatting, I was completely disarmed; Tony's no different than other bright students.

He's funny too. He sort of needed help to exit the room and the library. I learned from TV program that it's best to let the visually-impaired person hold your arm, and Tony asked if it's OK to hold mine. I said yes but also admitted quite frankly of my cluelessness how to do a good job. On the way back to the music building, I asked him how he could manage his classes (and I had in mind how he could manage my research techniques class that requires a lot of reading). He told me that his computer reads to him, and he wittily joked, "Don't worry. You'll get your homework!"