Glory to Him

"Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear 师母 (Pastor's Wife),
Happy birthday to you.

住你生日快乐，
住你生日快乐，
住你生日快乐，
住你生日快乐。"

The haunting melody sunk into the ears of the hundred of us singing.  We were in the church's kitchen/main area, celebrating the Pastor's Wife's 70th birthday, all expenses paid by our Pastor Guo.
The birthday girl, however, couldn't make it to the party.  Instead, she was staying half-a-mile away.  In hospice care.  In a coma.  Which she had been in for the past year-and-a-half.
An inexplicable, tragic accident in a swimming pool last January had left her in a coma, and it's been stressful times for our church.  Of course, the Pastor himself and his family have been hit the hardest.

Pastor Guo thanked everyone for pitching in where they could to make this birthday party happen.  Even though he paid for the food, the choir came and sang a few songs to the Pastor's Wife right before the dinner started, one member got duck from Seattle, my mom and grandma clipped about 3 dozen roses from their gardens, and many people helped set up and serve the food.  I couldn't help but tear up when he then said that while he may have lost her love through this trial... he gained all of our love.
It is undoubtedly true that we've grown stronger as a church body--and though there've been a few hiccups here and there, I can feel that we're closer because of this trial.

May we continue to glorify God through everything.

now, every time I think of glorifying God, I cannot help but think of the Youtube video that Alvin showed me about John Piper and his view of the prosperity gospel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTc_FoELt8s).
The lines that stick out the most have always been,
"I'll tell you what makes Jesus look beautiful.

It's when you smash your car and your little girl goes flying through the windshield and lands dead on the street.  And you say, through the deepest possible pain, 
'God is enough.  God is enough.  
He is good, 
He will take care of us, 
He will satisfy us, 
He will get us through this, 
He is our treasure.  
Whom have I in Heaven but you?  And on earth there is nothing that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart and my little girl may fail, but You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.'


That makes God look glorious."