Testimony by Adlai Jew, Junior Warden of True Sunshine Church
I was asked to give my testimony on stewardship. After many years of avoiding to be picked, I finally got chosen. I believe that there is a purpose for everything that happens in our lives. And that there is a reason for me to be here at this church and at this period in time. For the past few years, besides pledging with my treasures, I also pledged my time and talents in various areas of the ministry. I am currently on the Vestry and serving as the Jr. Warden and also the stewardship chair again for 4th or 5th time. As you may know, our church faces many challenges in finances, membership, and relationships. I believe that I am called to do something about that. Besides the work in our church, I also volunteer as a crisis phone line counselor for the SF Night Ministry which Fr. Fox was serving as the head Night Minister. It was actually Fr. Fox who persuaded me to volunteer. I serve one evening a month from 10 PM to 2 AM, answering phone calls from people who are lonely or depressed. Sometimes, if necessary, I will connect them to the night ministry who is walking the streets at night to talk with them. Most of the time, I was able to help them by just listening and being there for them and saying a prayer. Many appreciate the time spent with them and I always get a sense of fulfillment when they end the call by saying thank you because I believe that greatest gift that one can give is their time. I also serve as one of the active participants from our church to BAOC (Bay Area Organizing Committee.) I give credit to Fr. Kwan for getting me involved in that. I also found fulfillment in working with that organization. It’s mission is to create social justice in our community by engaging with public leaders to support causes like better housing, education, healthcare for the poor and working families. I also learned how to lead and build people. I believe this will help in the work to rebuild our church. I seem to be getting evolved in so many things. Maybe it is because when someone asks me to do something I'm not sure whether it is simply someone asking me or it is a message from God and I dare not refuse. However, when my wife asked me to take out the garbage, I’m pretty sure that was not a message from God, but I dare not refuse either. I think that given a choice to do the comfortable thing or uncomfortable thing, I believe that God wants us to do what’s uncomfortable because that’s the only way to grow. I want to conclude by telling a story that you may remember in some of Fr. Chesterman’s sermons. It seems that many of the priests in True Sunshine had great influence in my life. For it was Fr. Chesterman who first introduced me to this church many years ago and it was he that asked me to return. It is a story about a man who was trying to find fulfillment in life and had a vision from God who told him to go to the jungle and there he would find fulfillment. He didn’t know exactly what to expect. When he came to a clearing he decided that this is what God wanted him to see. In the middle of the clearing was a fox with no legs but appeared to be well fed. He hid behind a bush and waited to observe what was going on. He saw a tiger dragging a body of a dead deer to the center of the clearing. After the tiger had eaten he went off and left the rest for the fox to eat. The man thought that at last he understood what God was trying to tell him on how to find fulfillment. So he sat and waited for God to fulfill him. He sat and sat and sat for days. Finally, with no food and water he was close to death and cried out, “God, why have you betrayed me?” And God said,” You fool, you were not meant to imitate the fox, you were meant to imitate the tiger.”
Last modified: 11/13/2007 |
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