The Good, The Bad, The Beijing Trip

Well, friends... to be quite honest, I'll never go back to Beijing. Heh.

I'd rather not spend my time complaining about the polluted air and the unfriendly locals. I'd rather not discuss my near nervous breakdown due to the crowds of people in tiny cramped spaces. I'd really like to refrain from a rather long discourse on how I feel the city of Beijing, both its people and the buildings themselves, is in no way ready to host the Olympic games (for various reasons that I will not discuss, like I've discussed).

However... Even though the experience itself was not quite what I had expected, and even though I wore a bare face and am in desperate need of a tan, I was so thrilled to have stood in some of the most famous places on the planet. How insignificant I felt when I walked the Great Wall. How intimidating to stand in a section of the 980 buildings that make up the Forbidden City. How chilling to view the body of one of China's most notorious leaders. How naive I felt to have walked through the Summer Palace, not knowing any of that beauty existed. How athletically inspiring to stand near the Olympic Stadium. I even witnessed these things at a very pivotal point in China's history. Who am I that I would get the chance to do this? And to think, none of the splendor and beauty of these things will last. All of this fades and will perish in light of Him! He is more famous than any of the places where my feet were planted. I thought of this as I was standing in line to see Mao's dead body. I thought, why am I wasting my time to see a man, a man who is called the Son of Heaven?? I know the True Son of Heaven, and this guy ain't him... What an incredible perspective to have in life; to know that we are here for His glory and not for our gain. He chose to allow me to see these things last week so that I might have a greater understanding of who He is and how He is working. If only I could have been thinking this way in my frustrating times last week (sheepish grin).