By H. Leung

Growing up, I not only had to greet my teachers, I had to walk up and give a slight bow to show reverence.  Recounting those big family dinners where all the children take turns going around the table saying, “XX吃飯”?  Or most notably, how dare we not greet our fathers and mothers every morning and wish them well every night? It wasn’t even an option, it was do-it-or-else!

Is it me or has this generation fallen away from the fundamental manners of salutations and greetings?  Perhaps society has settled that with each generation, we lose a little bit of culture with the passage of time.  Even more so, how far we have drifted as a church from saying the same greetings to our own Abba Father. How wonderful and blessed that for the past two months, brothers and sisters from our Cantonese Congregation have gathered in unison on the 1st Sunday of the month to have precious “Time with Abba” (TWA); not just for the adults, but also with the children.

Children who may or may not have even cracked open a Bible are being led by our own Youth leaders in reading His Word, inviting the Spirit to come, and responding to Abba in prayer. My daughter who was so reluctant in coming, made up 101 excuses of why she didn’t need to come. I applaud her for her creativity, but alas, I provide her sustenance, shelter and transportation.  After the session led by our aforementioned Youth leaders, my daughter went back to her Christian school to share the concept of “TWA” with her friends. That following Saturday, they had an on-line TWA session. The parents found the passage for that day. Then they shared a Google doc where they typed out their thoughts and responses. Followed by a typed out prayer. Wow, praise the Lord!

“Good Morning.  Good Afternoon. Good Night.”  It’s not just a salutation or a greeting.

Good Morning – We welcome our children into our ministry and start the cultivation, growing up in wisdom and stature.

Good Afternoon – Our children grow up to be Youth leaders and make lasting imprints at Urbana, in Mexicali, in our own backyards.

Good Night – Our Youth are now commissioned to be witnesses in college, in society, “to Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What started out as a means of bringing brothers and sisters together to greet our Father, is a demonstration and revelation of how God’s plans are much, much bigger than ours.

Special shout out to the Class of 2019!!!