A Happy Mover

By Jiang Ming Feng

Yen-Fong is a Christian. He is physically strong. He has big bright eyes under his thick eyebrows. I am not a Christian but a seeker. That's why I get to know Yen-Fong.

I lost my job and have been looking for a job for about half a year. Since I could find nothing suitable for me, I am getting ready to go back to my hometown. My older brother told me, "Don't go! Our parents are no longer around. If you go back, you will be lonely. The farm we have in our hometown is not easy to manage. Why don't you stay some more time to see whether you can find an opportunity here? " I reconsidered it and decided to stay.

After a few days, my brother said, "Why don't you go to ask Brother Wang?" Brother Wang is Yen-Fong. He moves furniture for living in the Furniture City of Beijing. I went to check about it but I felt it's a hard job so I did not take the job.

After a while, I still had no job. My brother said again, "Brother Wang asks you to go over. He welcomes you." I went again. Brother Wang was very enthusiastic. He told me that I needed to have patience; I needed to trust in God. I thought that I almost had nothing to eat, how can I trust in God that I cannot see? I walked away.

Then I went to sell used books on the street. Not very long, I even lost all the money I invested. I was ready to pack up and go back to my hometown. That night, my brother and I both felt very sad. Since our parents passed away, we have depended on each other and now we have to be apart. The sadness was difficult to describe in words. I also felt very depressed that after I went back I would be in a lonely and rural area by myself.

On the second day, I did not go back to my hometown. Instead I went to see Yen-Fong. As soon as he saw me, he smiled and kindly treated me. His joyful laughter infected me to have a good mood. I wondered how he could be so happy to live such a labors intensive life.

There are so much furniture in Furniture City. Yen-Fong had me sit on a chair and patted my shoulder, then comforted me, "It's ok. Take it easy! There is nothing to be afraid about if we depend on Jesus." I said, "How can I not have any fear? I am almost broke and will have nothing to eat." He replied, "A real believer in God would never go hungry." I was shocked: "The God he believes takes care of our physical needs?"

This time, I would not leave. I had no way out so I need to be down to earth.

Around noon, it started raining. I stood in front of the furniture store to watch the street. Rain dropped and formed many small water pools. Many passengers walked carefully. The willow trees on the road seem to be quite happy with their green leaves welcoming the rain.

Yen-Fong hurried to me and said, "Let's go move some furniture to customers." I stood up and followed him.

It still rained hard. We moved many chairs into the truck, tied them up, and covered them with plastic. Yen-Fong told me not to go since the rain was heavy. Although I was not willing to go, I proudly said, "No, I will go with you." Yen-Fong told me to sit with the furniture and covered me with the plastic. Then we went.

Rain was not quitting. It hit me on my face. I felt it was such a hard life. When I was complaining about the weather inside of me, Yen-Fong asked me, "How do you feel?" I answered, "It's fine." He said, "I thank God during this kind of weather. I am very happy in time like this because I know God the Father is taking care of me. When He sees me suffer, He will help me. So I am not afraid of suffering. Thank the Lord! Hallelujah!"

After he said so, he laughed joyfully. I thought he indeed had a happy life. How could he be so joyful? His God must be the right one to believe.

Gradually, I became happier. To be with a happy man, you will be happy too. I did not dislike the rain any more but felt it's kind of romantic. People's mood really is kind of strange. In the same circumstance, one can have a totally different kind of mood.

With the engine of the truck clicking, the wheel on the truck moved with the rain, and the plastic on the furniture flew in the wind. We drove into the residential area with not many people on the street. Yen-Fong suddenly started singing. His voice was beautiful:

"All the glory and praises to my Lord, Jesus. For He is worthy of praises.

Lord Jesus. We praise you..."

To see the road behind me, I suddenly felt very happy. As if we were not moving the furniture but driving to heaven in the rain, I would not be afraid even if we had a car accident. I knew if we died, we would go to heaven directly. But when I compared myself to Yen-Fong, I felt unworthy. Yen-Fong is the one who deserves the heaven.

We continued to drive with Yen-Fong's praise song singing:

"Praise God. Hallelujah! Praise God. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! ..."

With this bold and joyful singing in my ears, I thought, "For sure, this is the right God to believe in."

Author lives in Beijing.