Kindness of strangers

When I first came, my "love bucket" was empty because everyone I knew was in the U.S.  My kids are very busy and they rarely call.  But God loved me through the kindness of strangers.  At first, I didn't notice because my focus was too much on the ones that were "supposed to love me".  I found out that I actually have two "love buckets",  First from the ones I love and second from strangers.  My eyes were always on the ones I love and gave much love to.  After all, I poured into them, they were supposed to love me back.  When I see that my first bucket is empty, I feel sad and unloved. Yet, here in Taiwan was the first time I realized there is a second bucket and I saw that God can use strangers to love me too!

Once I began to focus on my second "love bucket", I found that I have received many random kindnesses from strangers or people I barely know from unexpected places.  I started to keep a log of them.  One example was in Jan near my Dad's birthday, I was missing him but I didn't know what to do with that.  One day I was eating at the Taiwan Costco food court, which had a VERY different selection than the American Costco food court, and the menu changes periodically.  That day I decided to try the fatty pork over rice.  It was bad... the rice was half cooked and everything else disappointing.  Truly Costco is the wrong place to buy Taiwan street food.  I ate slowly while sitting next to an older couple.  The old gentleman asked if I was from another country, I was surprised because I look like everyone else and I haven't talked yet (sometimes they can tell from my accent.)  He said it's because of what I was eating.  I looked around, everyone was eating pizza and hot dogs.  No one comes to Costco to eat Chinese food except for me.  Well, I am not sure why but this old man chatted with me for an hour!!  He had some of my dad's characteristics: outgoing, know it all, confident, and funny.  It was healing to talk to someone like Dad.  Finally his wife was impatient and hurried him out of there.  I felt like God sent that old man for me.

When I came back, it happened to be my birthday in April.  I was not wanting to celebrate because I felt I had my fun in the U.S.  That day one of my friends came to pick up something.  She is a sister from church.  I casually mentioned that it's my birthday.  At first, she didn't believe me and asked to see my ID, so I showed it to her.  Then she made a phone call (for reservations) and took me to a super fancy restaurant that had BBQ and is surrounded by water with black swans swimming around.  She said that place has a very nice birthday discount.  What a pleasant surprise!  The quiet boring birthday I expected turned into a day full of good food and laughter.  I don't know what that sister had originally planned for the day, but I was very touched and so blessed by her presence and kindness to me.  Perhaps God knew what I wanted for my birthday, and it isn't to hide in my bedroom.  I am amazed by how God takes care of me.

There were many other kindnesses.  Sometimes I received well-meaning gifts from church sisters, such as a dress or concert tickets or something they made.  Sometimes a sister would drop by to give me some the local goods from the traditional market.  My Taiwanese new friends love to show me the local foods that they eat.  All the random kindnesses filled my love bucket.... 

Soon I had my chance to pay it forward recently.

In June, there is a Taiwanese holiday that we were supposed to make some Zongzi.  I've always been confused about the holidays here and I wasn't sure why we have to make those now.  I will need to google it but I think the legend included someone who jump into the river? Anyway,  with a sister's encouragement and help, I decided to try to make some.  Mom used to make Zongzi all the time, but I took it for granted and didn't quite learn from her.  It looked like tons of work and too time-consuming for me then.  Once I tried making it after she passed, I didn't quite wrap those correctly so I used staples to keep some together.  My kids still teased me about that, but they gladly ate all the ugly Zongzi I made that day because it was still so yummy despite their appearance.   So this is probably my second time making them.  Thanks to Youtube, I didn't have to use my stapler.  

Oh boy, it sure was tons of work the day before with all the prep, and on that day my stove and AC were both on full blast.  It was a struggle first, but we soon got the hang of it and at the end of the day, we each had 35 zongzi!!  I think it was a success!  Soon I realized that my small fridge will not fit 35 zongzi, so I have to give most of them away.  Well, the Bible always said that it's better to give than to receive.  So here is my chance to give to anyone that I could, even strangers.  It felt good to make and give away something that the locals like, and to pay it forward the love that I received.  So on that day, our security guards, church sisters and pastors, people I barely knew all received a zongzi that I made.  I felt happy to see the expression on their faces.  

I accidentally discovered that one of the secret to being happy, is to open my eyes and see the many random acts of kindness from strangers or people I barely know.  God loves me through them.  Then when I get a chance, I can give random acts of kindness to strangers around me as well.  I think that's a loving cycle that brings a smile to our Father in heaven.