My dad was Buddhist in the overwhelmingly traditional Taiwanese household he grew up in, turning agnostic and accepting of all religions as he started to think for himself. He was a realist, only facing only problems that arose in front of him, things that occur in everyday life. His spiritual state remained thus for many years, that is until he met the only Christian in my household: my mom. The thing is, his parents hate Christians; so much that my mom was not allowed to go to church or talk about Jesus after they got married. My mom however has always told my dad how she would pray for him and how the God she knows can help in many situations. My dad was still agnostic at this point, but really just listening to everything she said but responding to nothing.
From my conversations with him, he was adamant that we humans are the ones who, with our willpower, wills things to happen. And he refused anything I said about God being real and always referred to God as a human construct. Granted I didn't have a lot of time with him because shortly after I became a Christian, I left for the States. But still, my memories of him was of someone who would deny God to his grave, not a whole lot unlike my brother.
I know little else about what my mom has told my dad all these years, but I know what I told him three years ago. Most of you may already know this, but I used to be a student at Georgia Tech. Due to certain circumstances, I had to leave not just the school, but the country too. This was after three and a half years at that university and it sucked, a lot. I might go into more detail just how much this devastated me later, but the focus is on my dad right now. So three years ago, after God broke and remade me, I started fervently witnessing to my dad. At that time, I've been away to school and away from home for so long it almost felt alien to be living in the same house my parents lived in. My dad still never went to church with me the whole year I was with him but God's word was spoken in the house a lot.
In 2009, when I was in the airport ready to leave for Canada, my dad and I sat in McDonald's eating overpriced Big Mac's. I started telling him how much God meant to me and how real I think he is. I urged him to reconsider God and to ask my mom about it if he has any questions. This would probably be the last time my whole family lived together under the same roof, and I wanted my farewell to mean something. Later on that year I found out from my mom that my dad has been going to church, that he has even said things like "快點, 每次教會都遲到!" ("Hurry up, we're always late for church!") I was in Montreal at that time and I remember crying a bit then. My dad was going to church, and not just once or twice, but consistently!
Every once in a while my mom would tell me updates about how my dad is doing spiritually and it's always exciting to hear things like "We were praying for you today". The fact that he is even praying with my mom means that he's talking to God. He's seriously considering Christianity? The God conversation at the airport stuck? I didn't know what to think and that's when I remembered a prayer I made at Georgia Tech. I used to do Bible studies with my parents there and after one of those, I remembered being brought to my knees, tears streaming down my eyes and praying to God:
"God, you know my heart. You know how much I want this. Even my D-group members know this. I pray, I beg of you: Save my dad. I don't care what it takes. I don't care if I have to give up everything. I don't care if I have to leave the school and all my academics for my dad. I'd rather not have to die but God, if that's what it takes, so be it. Save him God..."
It went something like that, but longer and much less intelligible. God had answered my prayer. Without what had happened to me in the States I would not have had the opportunity to witness so much to him in Malaysia. And my family would not be in Canada now, my dad would not be going to church every week. If my grandparents found out, they'd be so pissed, probably a lot more pissed than when I refused to worship an idol. The work He was doing in my dad's heart was awesome and almost miraculous. Thinking back now, I totally underestimated God. You see, about a month ago, my dad accepted Christ.
My dad is saved! He is now a Christian! I'll be able to see him again in Heaven!
I went around to a lot of people just telling them the news. It was just that exciting. Now I'm just sitting in the living room, typing out all this and being reminded of just how awesome it is that my dad is a Christian. I've prayed, I've begged, I've wept for my dad for eight years. And it was way too long. I can't even imagine what it's like for my mom who has been doing it for much longer. But I do know that God is faithful, just looks at Acts 16:31. I know a lot of you has loved ones out there who refuses to believe and might even hate God. But I know for a fact that my God is mighty to save. He saved me and now my dad. You are no exception.
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