It began with a comment on my mother’s day post and resulted in pizza in Beijing.
Like many who “discovered” The Messy Middle, it was through a friend posting it on her Facebook wall. (Can I just say, I owe much to something I used to mock . Oh dear hypocrisy, I wish we weren’t so well acquainted. And now dear FB, we are friends, and by that I mean real friends, not FB ones. Wink!).
She left a lovely comment and in part wrote:
I shall have to follow your blog now. And, actually, I have to ask: how do you feel about meeting fans in person? I’m going to be in Beijing the first week of June to visit a friend and… well, I could get you food, or coffee, or stop by your office or something. :)
How do I feel? Giddy! Once again, the mother’s day post has brought blessing into my life. After several emails we set up a time and a Saturday evening in early June found me heading off to Houhai in Beijing for Hutong Pizza.
Waiting for M at Houhai. It was entertaining sport to watch the massive amount of paddle boats try to miss each other.
The month of my departure from my current job was upon me. Meeting Morielle was a blessing in its own right — she is a delightful conversationalist! — but it was also a gift from God as he allowed me to meet one of YOU. You who I don’t know from my many years in China or from strands of my life. You who know me here, in words only, and have allowed me the privilege of showing up in your inbox or through other means of following The Messy Middle. Like these paddle boats, you’ve got plenty going on, yet you say, “Hey, there’s room for you to paddle by in this crazy lake we call life.”
As I walk away from a very known and beloved community here in China, I wonder if my world is going to shrink. Will I be less interesting? Many people in my life listen to me because they HAVE to :) … let’s be honest, when I’m up front with a microphone and a title, you don’t have much choice but to listen to me (or at least pretend to).
Through Morielle, God said, “You silly goose. You can only see what you can see. Morielle was sent on behalf of others. Your time with this microphone and the dear people you’ve known for 20 years is coming to an end, but your influence and your gift of noticing and then your (ridiculous obsession) with sharing will go on. There will be others who will invite you into there homes and hearts. You won’t get to see all of their faces and know all of their names and that part, oh dear relational nut, will be foreign for a while. But enough of them will comment so that you will begin to know them. And some you’ll even get to meet in person because I love you and know your wiring.”
At the end of the evening Morielle humored me with a photo. And though my face looks like a baseball diamond come to life, that joy is real! Would a few of YOU leave a comment and introduce yourselves? I’d be over the moon — who knows what other sports will show up on my face :). She also wrote about our evening on her blog and you can read her perspective here.
Who has God used recently to remind you you are a ‘silly goose’ and He’ll humor you because he loves you!
In marketing, hearing from 1 customer represents the opinions of 25-100 other customers who never speak up.
I believe it :) … that’s part of why it was so lovely to meet Morielle and hopefully just a few others here in the comment section :). Thanks Susan!
Hi Amy, I’m me. :-) I don’t think I need much more introduction than that. We go WAY back!
Yeah, I’m one of those who will continue to read your blog no matter where you plop yourself, because you’re…well…interesting. :-)
Seriously, you can bet that I’ll continue to be one of your faithful readers, and from time to time, commenters.
May you continue to help us see things through a different perspective! Blessings!
Mike, hearing from you brings a smile to my face! I’m thankful that our paths can still cross here on the web if not as much in person! Blessings to you and W too!
I love how you acknowledge these events are God’s way of showing how much He loves you. This is a realization I’ve just begun to own over the past year. I believe that once we start looking with eyes of thankfulness and expectation of His love, we will see what has always been there: a Father that is head-over-heels in love with us. When we can begin to see Him in everyday events (the really great ones and the not so great ones) then life takes on a whole new flavor.
Thank you for sharing your flavors!
Suzan, your departure date is coming up! Meeting you here in the comments and then following a bit of your journey on your blog has been fun! Thanks for adding your flavor to the mix! Amy
Hi Amy, Just want to let you know that the combination of your post with Moelle’s blog, which I have just printed out (and thanks for the intro!) are answers to this morning’s prayer. Looking back at memories, deciphering meaning, trying to write, living the examined life, poetry. Thanks.
Karen
Karen, I think my fav phrase in your comment is “living the examined life, poetry.” That caught my fancy — thanks for reminding me of the poetic nature of life! Amy