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It was noon on Good Friday.  A fitting reminder of His grace that brought us this far.  Happy to be back in Hanoi, but exhausted after 20 hours of flying, we were a little anxious knowing we still had to get through the COVID checkpoints and Immigration.  But, taking our documents without question, the official slammed his stamp down onto our passports.  30 days have been granted.  30 days.  “We’ll see”, I thought.

Without a word we loaded our bags into the prearranged vehicle and headed away from the airport toward the city.  The sights and sounds, although familiar, were somehow different.  The gray skies seemed more solemn now.  Like the rest of the world, Vietnam has struggled through the global pandemic.  Businesses have closed,  Apartments stand vacant as 80% of all foreigners have left.  Streets once crowded with motorcycles, cars, and pedestrians all moving in one giant mass, now are strangely wide open.  Hmmm…

Our apartment was a welcome sight.  The building manager ran outside to welcome us, smiling from ear to ear and shaking our hands over and over.  Dragging our heavy bags up to the 4th floor, we had no idea what we would see after two years of heat and humidity had taken their toll.  On the surface, everything looked fine, but opening the closet… ugh! Mold!   It’s not good to breathe this stuff.  We knew we couldn’t unpack our bags until the moldy clothes were removed.  Some could possibly be washed, others tossed.  Too tired to deal with it, we left our bags in the middle of the floor and walked to a favorite cafe.  After a hot shower and a meal, all we could do was collapse into bed.  Eleven hours later, we awoke.  And so it begins…Now what?  

A favorite verse stays in our minds.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)   Yes!  He will direct our path.  But, as the saying goes…“You can’t steer a parked car”.  And so it begins.  One day at a time, one step at a time.  It’s just that simple.  Offer yourself willingly to Him and let Him direct you.  He will.  He always does.

As we seek options for securing a longer visa stay, we’ve already connected with old friends and are meeting new ones daily.  I’ve been invited to talk to an English Center class on pronouncing American English and common idioms based on scripture.  (Like “The writing is on the wall.” or “By the skin of my teeth”)  These students are not believers, so we are thankful for this opportunity to form new relationships and introduce scripture.  We can’t speak very good Vietnamese, but we can speak English!  A good reminder…give Him what little you have and let Him use it.  Great is His faithfulness.  

When living in Asia, we are aware to be on the lookout for fake food.  It’s a real problem.  Rice could actually be plastic or paper, eggs could actually be a resin compound, and honey may just be corn syrup.   As horrible as that all sounds, I have to admit that there’s some “fake food” in America too, but at least it’s edible.  Here’s what I mean.

Recently, we’ve been trying to adopt a more plant based diet. I’ve got “rice” that’s actually cauliflower,  “noodles” made from zucchini, and Impossible “Burgers” in my freezer.  I’ve got “yogurt” made from cashews and “milk” made from almonds in my fridge.  My latest purchase was a “hot dog” made of tofu and blended spices.  I like to call it a Not Dog.  When you put it in a bun and bury it under condiments, you can barely tell the difference!  

All these fake foods have one thing in common…they appear to be one thing on the outside, but are something else entirely on the inside.  

In Scripture, you could make the case that Judas was the biggest Not Dog in history.   On the outside? A devoted disciple.  On the inside?  A treacherous traitor.  But before I congratulate myself on not being like “that guy”,  maybe I should consider…

Am I… a Not Dog?  

Do I sometimes smile and act like everything is great, when actually I’m hurting inside? Not Dog!  Have I ever been in church singing a worship song, but my mind is wandering somewhere else?  Not Dog!  Have I ever tried to go along with a crowd, hide my beliefs and who I am in Christ, preferring to just not say anything “controversial”?  Not Dog!   

Hmmm…I guess if we’re honest, we’ve all been a Not Dog at one time or another.  I guess it’s human nature to want to appear better than we actually are.  But with Christ, we don’t have to.  

In fact, I’m reminded of this verse:

“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have over a million dollars in my desk drawer right now.  Yet, I couldn’t buy a cup of coffee with it. Let me explain…

The money I have in my drawer is a currency that is not accepted here in the U.S. because it’s foreign, it’s Vietnamese.  Although I’ve got plenty of it, it’s useless to me here.  I keep it in the drawer waiting, waiting, waiting for the day when Vietnam will open its borders and allow us to come back in.  Hopefully, that will be soon.

That got me thinking.  Because of all the uncertainty in the world today, many people are trying to secure their future by building their savings, investing in real estate and stocks, etc.  There’s even “cryptocurrency” commercials on TV trying to get people to invest in that.  I think it’s interesting that the root word there is “crypt”, literally a place where dead people are buried.  Hmmm… I’ll admit I don’t fully understand it.  (Does anyone really?) To be clear, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with investing and planning ahead.  We should be good stewards of the resources God has given us. But those resources are just tools.  Maybe Bitcoin is great. I don’t know.  It seems like some are trying to obtain and hold onto things that are literally worthless in heaven.  Yet, many of the things that God truly values don’t seem to hold much value here on earth.  

You may not own any stock.  There may be times when you don’t have two nickels to rub together, and you’ve never even heard of cryptocurrency.  But, in the end, I’m not sure that matters much.  Our future is secure the moment we believe and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.  (see John 3:16)  In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”  No, He wasn’t talking about cryptocurrency.  

As followers of Christ, how do we do that – build up treasure in heaven?  Well, people are what God seems to value most.  That’s why Jesus came – to save people!  So, I think when we serve God and others, we’re storing up treasure in heaven.  When we share our story of how we came to know Jesus and help others to know Him too, we store up treasure in heaven.  When we help out in Sunday School or with childcare, we store up treasure in heaven.  When we use our earthly resources to help others in need; or to help a missionary go out into the world, we store up treasure in heaven.  When we care for the sick, feed the hungry, encourage the downtrodden, or visit the forgotten, we store up treasure in heaven.  Yes, God loves people and ultimately, only the things done for the glory of God will last and that’s the only “currency” that’s worth anything in His kingdom.  

One day when the “gates” are finally opened, I wonder will I be rich, or poor?  Hmmm…What’s in your wallet?

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”  Matthew 6:21 NLT