East-r in Luoyang

I’m bummed that I didn’t make it to The House today to celebrate j’s res. Unfortunately, my mom and I were being picked-up early this morning to visit the Longmen Grottos and Songshan and Shaolin Temple. So, we celebrated our East-r morning visiting Buddhist statues and figures and relics buried in caves, still standing since the 5th century, riding a gondola and hiking around Songshan mountain, and watching some Shaolin kung-fu.

                              

Songshan Mtn.

Shaolin kung-fu practice

I don’t really appreciate these temples or statues, but I have to admit that the pure size and the artistic and architectural construction that has lasted so many years is quite impressive. But I find that in the end, nothing compares with the natural beauty of G's creation – the water and mountains and the sky that we saw from the gondola and short hike we took on Songshan mountain.

Shaolin kid in training

  

      

Shaolin kids in training

My mom and the taxi driver were talking about the socio-economic situation in ch, I filtered questions through my mom and stayed quiet to not give away that we were Americans. I may need to re-evaluate my opinions on ch’s gov that I wrote about in an earlier post, but I’ll save that for another time, perhaps after I’m back in the states. I’m going to try to do some more “user research”... find some random people to casually interview. The problem is my vocabulary is so limited when it comes to poltk and stuff… but I am curious… so, we’ll see.

As I was looking up things in Luoyang, I found an orphanage that was started by Steven Curtis Chapman and family a few years back. The orphanage, called Maria’s Big Hope, is for “special needs” children. I wanted to visit and see the work they are doing in China, but there’s not enough time, and I don’t think it’s quite my mom’s cup of tea. But this little orphanage caught my attention and I wanted to learn more about it and the Chapman family story as to what brought them to focus on orphans and Luoyang, China specifically.

The orphanage is named in memory of Chapman’s youngest daughter Maria, who suddenly passed away in 2008 in a tragic accident, just days after her 5th birthday. Steven and his wife adopted this little girl from China, who was considered a “special needs” child because she had a heart condition, which apparently turned out not to be a big deal after doctor’s checked her out in the states. A healthy, normal little girl who bright a smile and pure joy into their household.

I was touched by her story, by the heart and faith of the Chapman family, both before the accident and after and how they have continued her legacy by bringing hope to more children like Maria in China. On one site, they talked about how and why they decided to adopt. Steven likened it to our own adoption by our Father. We too were lost, wandereing, yet our Father came into our lives… here’s a short blurb from Chapman that really touched me. "Adoption is a physical picture of what J has done for me. I did nothing to deserve G's love; in fact, I was living as an orphan, without hope. Yet G chose to pursue a relationship with me, and through the death of his son J, I was adopted into G's family."

On this East-r Sunday, I am reminded of my own adoption into His family…how it was free for me, but it was tragic for Him – His own son had to pay for it all in a very painful way so that someone like me could be adopted into His family. It was He who initiated that relationship, to love us and care for us and welcome us with open arms. It was nothing we deserved and there’s no way we could ever pay Him back… but He doesn’t care. He loves us and gives it all to us, with open arms. He has risen. Thank you.