Thoughts on the Road

I was away for the past week on a group trip to Hong Kong, Guangdong (China) & Macau. There were times on the road when I just had to write some notes in a little notebook.

Random thoughts on...

• the cold weather - it freezes the pee out of you.

For some reason, the weather is cold enough to make your trips to the W.C. more frequent.

• driving - say your prayers when on the road.

Driving in China is like having a death wish. The cyclists & pedestrians think they own the road and cross the streets, expecting cars to stop for them. At some point, I was thinking that road kill is a form of population control. Forgive me, Lord.

• driving - Honk if you say 'Hi'.

Drivers honk their horns as often as one would step on the brakes. And the cyclists and pedestrians mostly do not heed the warnings.

• Hong Kong - of hills and roller-coasters.

The roads in Hong Kong are steep like rollercoasters because the country is situated in hilly or mountainous areas. Driving there can be an exciting experience.

• travelling - trust no one.

Not even your family. Sometimes, even your loved ones cannot be relied on to look after your belongings, especially during the rush of immigration check-ins. During the week, I've had run-ins with fake beggars and swindlers and almost lost some of my belongings twice.

Thanksgiving

God provided fair and sunny weather throughout the trip. We were also told by the locals that the days before our arrival had been rainy. They acknowledged that the weather was a result of our prayers and the blessings of God.

The high point of our trip was when we had no room for one member in our group on a public shuttle bus. A man was requested by an attendant to take the next bus so that our group would not be separated. He refused and went into a barrage of complaints and insults. So all of us dropped off the bus to wait for the next one, leaving the old man in shame. He was still complaining after we alighted, which was pretty comical. No sheep gets left behind, yes? In internet slang, that was the day of great ownage.

Luke 15:3-6 <<NIV '84>>

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

Praise the Lord!