"Focus on God's Will" | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: "Focus on God's Will" | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jim Newton
11/15/20
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Zhang leaned against a dirty-brick wall in an alley that had become his home for a night of waiting. This January night brought a bone-chilling wind that churned the trash around him into a noisy tornado. Zhang pulled his coat's hood-strings tighter. Shivering, he wadded up some of the paper blowing around him and stuffed it inside his coat in an attempt to give some added insulation. He might as well have stuffed ice into his coat for all the good it achieved. His shivering only escalated. In fact, many things in his life had escalated over the past few months. Through it all, his mission remained his focal point, and his father's favorite expression armored him.

Focus - that was the personal trait that made Zhang Wei Wang stand out all of his life. His father would tell people that Zhang could focus on the job at hand while a bomb was going off next to him. Zhang was born in China, but his parents had moved the family to the United States when he was eight years old. Zhang's father had problems with the Beijing government over his Christianity. However, Mr. Wang had great focus, too. He loved his God, and he remained focused on him while the Chinese government attempted to make his life a living hell. Over time, family friends were able to convince the Wangs to move to America. Mr. Wang felt like he was running from the battle against God, but God was moving him to a place of safety to raise and educate his son, Zhang, in holy ways. His son would take the fight back to the Chinese mainland stronger and better prepared than his father. As his father would say, "If it is you, my son, that must go back to China, it is God's Will that must prevail, not mine."

In the alley, Zhang was freezing and scared, but he kept his focus on his father's favorite expression for comfort as he waited. A police vehicle came into view and drove slowly past the alley. Zhang pushed his body against the wall till he felt like one with the cold bricks. He prayed prayer-in-prayer. His father always stressed the power of prayer. Still, Zhang felt as if the policeman was staring right at him, but the vehicle never completely stopped before it moved on down the empty street.

Two hours that seemed like days passed, and that is when he heard the sound of another vehicle creeping down the street. This vehicle didn't cruise by. This vehicle turned slowly down the alley with its lights off. Zhang was frozen from the cold, but, now, he was frozen from fear, too. The vehicle stopped, and the door opened. A man slowly stepped out of the driver's door.

They stood there staring at one another at a distance for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, as though by a command, the mysterious man walked toward him till they were almost face against face. The stranger was bundled against the cold wind, and vapor billowed from his mouth like a train. Now, it was becoming very awkward standing there without speaking. Zhang wanted the man to speak first, but he was beginning to have doubts about that happening. "What do I do or say?" he asked himself. The standoff was becoming almost comical.

Finally, the man blurted this question out in a nervous voice. "What was the true expression of God's Grace?"

Zhang's mind and face lit up. This was something very familiar. This was his father's favorite expression, but it was wrong. Was this man a Chinese government agent that didn't understand the terrible mistake he had made in his question? Or was this the man he had been waiting for? A man that was surely as nervous as he.

It was now or never. Zhang answered, "It is not "what", but "who" was the true expression of God's Grace? Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." The two men threw their arms around one another and wept.

"I am Huan Chen, your contact. We have all the photos and videos you took at the internment camps of the Christian and Muslim prisoners being horrifically abused. Those items should be in the hands of the United Nations' representatives of the United States by this time. I will take you to the United States Embassy for the arranged transport home. All for God's Will, my friend. It is finished."

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