Double Rainbow
July 2011
Matthew 25:35 NIV
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.
One of my first memories of meeting someone from overseas came in the early 1970's through a church experience. My family was told a group of Vietnamese boat people were traveling through Cincinnati and needed overnight housing.
I was around 12 years old and possessed only a cursory understanding of the Vietnam War based on news coverage on television. Even though I didn't comprehend the politics of the time, I recognized the urgency of the request for homes for the refugees.
Mom and dad agreed to host, and we were given a girl, not much older than I, for the night. She was quiet and reserved when we first met her, but we eventually found a way to interact and communicate with her through music. She didn't speak English, but that was no problem.
She was classically trained on the piano. She played by memory pieces such as "Für Elise". Her visage was transformed as her fingers danced on the keyboard. She no longer looked worn out, lost, or misplaced as the music transported her to a different place and time. She relaxed as she played.
We discovered she spoke French, yet none of us knew French. However, we knew the French words to "Frère Jacques", so we all sang it repeatedly, laughing as we tripped over words.
The overnight visit elapsed in a moment, and then she was on her way to wherever God was leading her.
However, in her brief visit, she influenced me. I discovered the joy of spending time with people from other cultures.
God planted a seed in me as a child which grew to become one of my life's focuses.
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Lord, thank you for teaching me the value of interacting with people from other cultures.
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