Saturday, April 2, 2011

Last Friday- Extra Lecture

I read my NUS emails.

I replied to one of them about a talk by a guest lecturer.

I turned up for the lecture on India’s economic growth.


Goodness, I seemed like the only student who bothered to do any of the abovementioned things. I brought the mean age down low…

And I felt a little weird. Here were all the graduate students doing their masters, and here were the lecturers, and they were all in formal shirts and pants while I was in jeans and a t-shirt Yinhong gave me.


What was I doing here?

Well...

I’ve heard the call; the preparation starts now.

If I'm going to go to India, I better know about India.


At the end of the talk, I got up to leave. I was just about to use my handphone to post on FB a shout-out saying how I was the youngest person in the room by far, and how no one else my age cared about such things.

And then, at the back of the room, I saw the fairest girl from my Sociology of Religion module (not the DDGG one) who had the most beautiful red hair (that made me like red hair from the moment I first saw her). I went over to her excitedly and greeted her.

“Why did you sign up for this lecture?” I asked.

“Interest,” the red headed girl said. “What about you?”


I took a deep breath, and then risking looking really stupid, told her about how I felt called by God to India.

We had quite a nice chat over the terrible food they catered (except for the heavenly eclairs).


For the first time since I heard the call to be an advocate for the oppressed, I was an advocate for the oppressed.

It was amazing.

She said she's never met someone so clear of doing something so different with his future.

I hope I live up to it.


I was thankful to God. I had come to this talk knowing well that I might feel very lonely, but I still came because this was my calling. And God gave me a bonus on top of learning more about India. I don't expect him to let me find friends (or pretty girls) all the time; this is not why I come. But I am glad this very first sacrifice was rewarded. I'm encouraged to do more coz I know he looks out for me.

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