Full Circle

I was preparing the children's outreach service planning for the upcoming Cambodian missions trip just now, when the central message aka the "Big Point" of the service suddenly jumped out at me: "You are special."

The reason is because that was EXACTLY the same message that was shared to me in 1991, when a Sunday School teacher told me about God's love for us. It was the very first time anyone had shared the gospel with me. And I still remember my CGL's gentle voice (his name was Peter) to this day:

"Did you know that the Bible says that each and every one of you is special?"

I was very astonished when I heard that message for the first time, because in my first day of Primary 4, my form teacher had told us all that she would treat each and every one of us equally, that no one was special - her intention was to be fair to everyone, be it reward or punishment. So, the very concept that God actually made everyone special was very surprising to me. I tried to comprehend it, that how, if there's one God and He made everyone of us, how can He treat everyone of us specially? It seemed paradoxical to me at that time. But it sure was good news to me! And that's how God planted the first seeds of faith in my heart - in Sunday school... and that message never left my heart, even when I left God in secondary school.

And now... in the last few days of 2009, I find myself preparing an outreach service to children with exactly the same message that was shared to me when I first heard the gospel in 1991:

"You are special."

- in another land, no less. Full circle. "And the gift goes on..."

If this is not the hand of the Almighty God at work... if this is not grace at its most beautiful... then what else could be?

Thank You so much, Father... let every generation, from nation to nation, speak Your unchanging good news to the next.