因为在神没有一件事是不可能的

Travel back in time with me to February 18th. Mark has just picked up a box of delicious treats that some friends in America sent him. He is taking a bicycle-type rickshaw contraption back from his old school where the box was delivered. While sitting in the rickshaw something happened that he was unaware of. His cell phone slowly slipped out of his left pocket. He should have known better as these particular pants have pockets that like to empty themselves while he is sat down. The rickshaw arrived at his apartment and he hopped out excited to open up the box and indulge in some American delicacies.

He did not notice that he had lost his mobile until halfway through cooking dinner when he remembered his friend was supposed to call him. Having cleaned up his house the previous day it did not take him long to realize his mobile was gone. He couldn't help but laugh at his foolishness. This would be the second phone he lost in the last five weeks. He enjoyed his dinner and went to bed only slightly annoyed at himself knowing it would be easy enough to get a new mobile in the morning.

Things wouldn't be as easy as Mark thought. G-d had a certain appointment that He needed Mark to be at. Mark, of course, knew nothing of this appointment.

Mark woke up a in decent mood. He made some eggs and coffee for breakfast, read a bit, and then decided to go pick up a new phone. First, he would talk to the driver of the rickshaw to see if he had it. Mark walked out of his apartment and down to where the rickshaw drivers were gathered around a chess board.

Mark found the driver of the rickshaw he used the day before and said, “昨天我的手机丢拉。” (Yesterday I lost my mobile.)

He looked up from the chess game, "真的吗？" (Really)

Mark hoped that he would have found it and given it back, "真的。你有没有我的手机。" (Really. Do you have it?)

"没有。" (Nope.)

Mark didn't really expect him to have it, or give it back even if he did have. So he headed down to the big China Mobile store where he could buy a replacement SIM card.

He explained that he had lost his cell phone and just needed to buy a replacement SIM card. After giving the women behind the counter his passport and phone number she looked at the computer screen, looked down at the passport, looked a bit confused, looked back at the computer, and down again at the passport a few more times before calling the manager over for some help. The manager spoke English.

He said, "Is this your passport?"

"Umm, yes. Why?"

"The number on your passport and the number on the account don't match. We can't give you a replacement card."

Now Mark was also a bit confused, "Wait a minute. This is the second time I've lost my phone. I came here and got a replacement card once before. Why didn't I have this problem then?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I got a replacement once before. Just do it again."

"Wait a moment, please."

The manager called over a higher manager and spoke in Chinese for several minutes. Mark didn't understand most of it, but he understood that they were not going to help him. The manager came back and apologized.

"I'm sorry, we can't give you a card with this number."

Mark moved a bit closer and lowered his voice, "Tell you what. I'll give you a hundred yuan to just give me a card with that number. I know it's possible because I have done it before. I think the girl before didn't speak any english so she just gave me one. I know it's possible. Just do it. A hundred yuan, I need this number."

"Sir, I'm really sorry but I can't. We can give you a new number for a hundred yuan."

Mark sat back frustrated, "So there's nothing I can do. Right?"

Nodding his head in agreement he said, "Right."

"Alright, I'll buy a new card. I had better get a discount, this problem isn't my fault."

He got out the contract and papers to sign. "We can give it to you for a hundred yuan, usually it's two hundred. And all of the money will be put into your account."

After Mark had signed all the papers and whatnot he was given a big bag with the most random selection of gifts a cell phone store would hand out. It included, soap, a tooth brush, shampoo, laundry soap, and toothpaste. He had to laugh because he was only buying a phone, not planning a vacation.

He still didn't have a phone though. Stopping by every phone shop on the way to his old school he finally found a decent cheap phone for three hundred yuan. After buying that he met his friend, Craig, at his old school so he could take a bunch of numbers off of Craig's phone. Mark was still ticked off that he couldn't have his old number. He wondered what would happen if his new employer tried to call him. Resigning not to worry about it too much, Mark began walking home.

Fifteen minutes into his twenty five minute walk someone tried to hand him a flyer. The man with the flyers said "Hello!" in the standard Chinese-trying-to-get-the-foreigner-to-look-at-them-so-they-can-have-a-good-laugh way.

Mark was not interested. He avoided eye-contact and said, "看不懂。" (I can't read.)

But the man was persistent. Mark looked up to see a tract in his hand. He was completely shocked. He couldn't read it and the man's English was the same level as Mark's Chinese, but he found out that at this Chinese place of worship they had an English service. The man really wanted Mark to come. Saying, "Please come help." Mark didn't know what that meant, but he told the man he would be there. The time of this service did not conflict with the Korean service he was involved in. Mark spoke to the man a little longer trying to understand exactly where this place was. Eventually he decided he would just hop in a taxi on Sunday morning and point to the address on the tract.

So after 8 months of looking for a Chinese place of worship with no success, G-d only had to make Mark's mobile disappear on the 18th of February to guide him straight there.


There are so many things that we don't see. Often something annoying will happen to us, or something that just plain sucks, and we will completely miss the deeper meaning. You lose your cell phone so that you can meet some guy on the street that shows you what you have been looking for for eight months. You get a flat tire that keeps you out of the huge pile up that happens only 30 seconds later. You fail a final exam making you re-take the class so you can meet the person G-d wants you to marry. You get terminally ill so you can go to the hospital and witness to another dying patient. You lose your job just so you can share Love with a broken single mother in line at the unemployment office. Your child is murdered so that you can forgive the murderer and be a huge part in him coming to believe in Love.

G-d sent His Son to earth to die, but that wasn't the end of the story.