Mike was very open, friendly, and had enough spirit to joke around (see first paragraph, hah). Despite going through turbulent family situations, war zone experiences, and drug addiction, he still gave off a pleasant and friendly vibe. He spoke of his past quite frankly, and his thoughts and words seemed to follow an oft-treaded path. I’m guessing he has done quite a bit of reflection on his past. He gave me permission to write about his story, but did not wish to be recorded, so much of the post is driven by my memory rather than quotes. A couple of things I noted/took away:
I am so blessed to have grown up in a stable and peaceful family. While I may grow frustrated at times, I truly need to be aware of the not-small blessing of my current family situation. I think that keeping this in mind would definitely help with patience toward my family.
Mike’s monotheism beliefs drew heavily from the Judeo-Christianity tradition yet lacked one crucial element for salvation: a belief that Jesus is the Son of God. As I began to deeply care for this man who has endured so much, I was reminded that salvation is only through faith in Jesus and the power of his work on the cross. I asked Mike about the frequency of his visits to CUB — I hope to talk with him more about this topic and share the reasons that I believe in Jesus.
Mike brought up a very important point about prayer. Often when things go wrong or I am burdened, my first response is to either try to fix it myself or avoid the problem. However, “there is power in the name of Jesus,” as the song goes. I’m committing to bringing more things to God in prayer, including Mike! Y’all reading this, please keep Mike in your prayers as well!
–Nick Wong, 11/14/17
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