TIU’S SECRET

By

sandel@epix.net

(1949; Chantung province of Mainland China)

Missionary Nathan Parker packed quickly. Brothers Chin and Lau-Tzu were waiting outside, watching for the Red Army that would be coming for their pastor any time now.

He quickly stuffed all he could fit into two suitcases. When the second one would take no more, he forced it closed. He didn’t even notice the little red booklet he’d made as it fell to the floor.

"Hurry, Pastor!" Brother Chin whispered, "We can hear them coming!"

Nathan Parker grabbed his suitcases and rushed through the door. "I don’t think I should go," he said again, repeating his old argument.

Lau-Tzu said, "You must trust our Father to care for us, Pastor. You are in far more danger than we are."

The three men ran down the dirt road to the nearby river, where a boat would take their beloved Pastor to the next step on his journey back to the West.

* * *

Present; same place

Tiu Shantzu, a petite girl of ten, loved to explore. She would get in trouble a lot for not joining the group games, but nobody else wanted to leave the group and go learn about places and the people who once lived there.

She’d been curious about this old, old two-room house for a long time. Everybody avoided the place. Nobody ever moved into it, which was very strange. After all, China was a very crowded place!

So today, she had slipped away after the evening meal of rice and vegetables. She only had a little while before the sun went down, so she hurried as quickly as she could.

When she arrived at the place, she looked around to make sure nobody was looking before she gathered her nerve and slipped inside.

She was surprised at how dark everything was. She tried to be careful stepping around the front room. At one point, she stumbled over something and fell forward, getting the wind knocked out of her.

As her elbows and hands hit the dusty floor, she felt something under her left hand. She closed her fingers around it and waited to catch her breath, then stood.

She still couldn’t see very well, but the room looked empty of everything except a few sticks of furniture. The treasure she’d found – a pamphlet or booklet, or something – seemed all she would find here.

Clutching her find, she slipped out and made her way home without being noticed. Finally, alone in her house, she looked at it.

The cover was red. It fit easily into her hand. The title was "The Little Book". It reminded her of the ‘"Sayings of Chairman Mao" everyone used to have.

She opened the first page and read, "The Law was given through Moses, but mercy and truth came by Jesus Christ."

She didn’t know Moses, but she knew about law. Mercy and truth were much nicer.

Reading on, she found, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But to as many as received Him He gave the right to become children of God."

God…her teachers told her there was no God, that the rich used the people’s fear of God to keep them poor.

But there was no fear in this. It warmed her. To be a child of God…

"Oh, Jesus Christ," she whispered, wondering at her own words, "<y parents don’t’ want me. Mama could only have one baby or die. They wanted a boy. They would have aborted me, but they knew I would be their only child. They have not loved me. I will receive You, Jesus Christ, to come a child of God like this says."

* * *

Present, Missouri

The old, old retired missionary, Nathan Parker, lay on the hospital bed, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He looked so tired, wrinkled, and ancient. Nobody knew what was keeping him alive.

Suddenly his eyes opened wide, his face lit up with a wonderful smile, and he said, "Thank You, Lord!"

And he passed into Heaven rejoicing.