Making a Mountain out of a Salad Bowl

When we lived in China, our family had so much fun going out to restaurants and trying new foods.  But there is a certain comfort in going to a well-known American establishment, as well.  In Beijing, you can find McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Western Sizzlin, Dunkin Donuts, KFC and many more.  The menu items tend to lean more towards the Asian market, but there are some things that are familiar.  So...when we spotted a Chinese Kentucky Fried Chicken, we just had to go in!  We were greeted by some familiar smells and others that weren't so familiar.

One of the things that caught our eye was that there was quite an amazing salad bar.  For only about $.35 we could order a one time trip to the salad bar.  This did not have to be added on to another order...one could simply order the one bowl salad, eat it and leave.  The bowls weren't very big, but neither was the price, so I didn't even think twice about it. Until.....  There was a lady sitting next to us who got the bowl and traipsed off to the salad bar.  I, too, went there.  I was just beginning to fill up my bowl with spinach when I caught her actions out of the corner of my eye.  She was creating some sort of masterpiece.  She was layering pineapples and cucumbers around the bowl and building it up higher and higher.  Every now and then, she would fill the center to the current rim level and then keep building it higher.  I got so tickled watching her get the most out of her $.35 that when she got done, I asked if I could get a picture.  She proudly pushed her bowl forward, and I got this priceless shot:

She had gotten waaaaay more than $.35 worth of fruit and veggies!  She didn't even have to order a drink.  She and her girlfriend sat there eating off of this creation until it was all gone.  The menu didn't stipulate "no sharing" so as many as wanted could have eaten this way.  From then on, we began to watch as others were doing similar things.  The Chinese had figured out a way to get as much as possible from one little thing.  They are clever that way.

For decades now, we've heard the stories of how the Chinese can take one singular Bible out in the country and whole villages will come to Christ.  We've heard how they will take precious pages from the Word of God and hand copy them down, even committing them to memory.  They will take these bits and pass them around so that everyone can learn more.  It is the common thought these days that China has enough Bibles.  Years ago, we remember stories of faithful men and women who would smuggle the Bibles into the mainland and then all at once it seems that those efforts were ceased.  Reports came out that there were enough.

I have to question this information, though.  The same groups will report to us that an average of 25,000 people a day are coming to Christ in the nation of China.  That's an amazing figure.  If this is true, and it must be since the government themselves acknowledge these reports, then what are they doing once they believe?  Do they not still need a Bible?  Do they not need pastors and leaders who are trained to lead the Body of Christ? 

There is still a great need in the vast nation of China, one that we should be faithful to help fill.  If you think of what one woman can do with a salad bowl, just imagine if we gave her words of life?  Just imagine what one person could do with a Bible!  How many lives could be reached?  How many souls could be fed?  I must have 6 or 8 Bibles on shelves in my house that rarely get touched.  I seem to use the same one over and over.  But there are whole villages that don't even have one Bible to share.  The demand is increasing, but the supply is still lacking.

As a people group who have so much, we need to begin thinking of ways to help the rest of the world to succeed in Christ.  We have resources that other countries can't even begin to match.  We are not the holiest of nations, but we surely are one of the greatest supplied nations on the planet.  If the Church can step up and begin to meet the needs of the Body worldwide, we can accomplish the Great Commission in no time at all.  I am ready to be with my Lord and Savior, but we cannot go until much more has been done. 

Pray and see if God would have you get involved in feeding the masses of China.  Do your research and see where you should step in.  Until you know where you should focus your efforts, at the very least, be faithful in prayer!  Pray that God would supply resources and godly leadership in China, and pray that the Chinese church would be reinforced with Bibles so that they can feed the hungry.