A China Experience

Finally my long journey has come to an end! I get to finally see my husband who has been gone from home for 5 weeks, as he makes Qingdao, China his new home for at least 3 more months. I eagerly grabbed my carry on bag and made my way to baggage to retrieve my luggage. As I waited for my bags, I noticed quite a few Chinese people waiting outside the baggage area waving and smiling. Naturally, I assumed they were waving to a friend or loved one, excited to see them upon their arrival. Once I got my bags and headed towards the exit area, I noticed the same people, waving and smiling, but now a little more intently and enthusiastically.

As I got closer, I noticed that although they were waving and smiling at someone behind me, their eyes were focused on what appeared to be me. I gave a slight smile and broke my eye contact from them and continued to walk towards the exit. However, once I crossed the line of the baggage area into the airport arrival area, those same people that I had assumed were smiling, waving and waiting for someone else, were actually smiling, waving and waiting for me!

Meanwhile, the excited welcoming committee consisted of a few photographers, flashing their cameras paparazzi-style, videographers filming, a journalist walking next to me with pen and pad in hand asking me questions, and a big beautiful bouquet of flowers handed to me by someone else. Overwhelmed by the unexpected group of greeters, my mind was thinking, "I'm sorry, you have the wrong person, I'm not whoever you think I am. I’m just here visiting my husband." As I was about to project those words from my head to my mouth, to my surprise I heard my name mentioned a couple times. "CleRenda, Welcome to China" came from one person. The next person jumped in, "How was your flight to Qingdao, CleRenda?" Yikes.... they are actually talking to me! They do have the right person!

To add to my twilight zone experience, in the midst of cameras flashing, video's rolling, flowers put into my arms and having questions thrown at me left and right, another person from the greeters force came from out of nowhere and whisked the cart away from me that I was pushing that had all of my luggage.... including my PURSE! For all of my ladies that can relate... you can take my luggage, you can take my carry on, and on a bad traveling day, you can even take my child, but pleeeeeeeassse don't mess with my purse! My mind was thinking, "Hey you, come back with my bags." However, because of the 17-hour flight I had just gotten off of and the sudden and quick "attack" of all the commotion that surrounded me, I was still in a daze and my mouth didn't catch up to what I was thinking. Instead, I watched a total stranger scurry off with my luggage and purse!

In somewhat of a confused state, this was a far cry from the hotel rep I was told to look out for along the curbside, who would give me a lift back to the hotel. Where was he in the midst of all this? Was there a change in plans that someone failed to notify me about?

As much as I guess I should have been flattered, I was taken aback. Again, the element of surprise totally took me off guard. If you can imagine getting off of a 17-hour flight, I'm not quite in picture perfect mode. Perhaps if it weren’t for the crusty sleep in my eyes, hair in total disarray, lack of lip gloss or mineral face powder and a crooked limp due to swollen feet that refused to budge in my boots because of the air pressure of the plane...just maybe I could have gotten into the moment a little more! Not to mention the woof of "morning fresh breath!"(It actually wasn’t that bad...I did have one of those cinnamon-y hot mints!)

With all that I aside, I let my guard down, accepted “whoever” they thought I was, joined my entourage to a parked awaiting vehicle and disappeared into the chill of the night in Qingdao, China. Destination: Hotel Hai Tian.

For whatever reason God has seen it fit for my husband to have such popularity in China over these past 15 years of his NBA career, God has now uprooted him and taken my husband up close and personal with the Chinese people and culture for this season in his life. The scene I described is not uncommon for my husband, particularly in China. However, for me, there was nothing common about it! Naturally, my gracious and kind welcoming committee knew that I was coming to visit my husband and when they saw me, in their minds they thought I was “somebody.” (How disappointed they will be when they find out the truth! ) From waiting behind the baggage claim area, they spotted me out and saw something in me that I was clueless about.

This rather long blog that probably by this point seems to you to have no relevant point but merely a way for me to blab about how special I think I am, actually has just as much to do with YOU as me. My point? Like my Chinese friends spotted me out and saw “something” in me, when people spot you out what “something” do they see in you? Who do people think you are when they see you? As we are saturated in a culture that gives freedom and access to the world to view us up close and personal, who does the world see when they look at you? Even more so than “who” you are, when people see you, “Whose” do they think you are?

I love Ephesians 2:10! It says that we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” If we truly consider ourselves His workmanship, His masterpiece, are we coming off as a masterpiece? Are we striving to operate in a spirit of excellence with what we do, how we think and what we say?

Colossians 3:12 also states that as “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Don’t get me wrong, I like the latest fashion statement just as much as the next person. But beneath the label, what exactly are we clothing ourselves with? It also says we are His “chosen” people. If we are chosen, do others see that in us, or do they see common?

How do we use who we are to impact others? Regardless of where we are in life, we all have a sphere of influence. Some may have a sphere of influence that consists of only one or two people at their job. Others sphere of influence may just be their immediate family, whereas someone else may have a worldwide audience as a sphere of influence. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, who do people see when they look at you, and how do you use what they see to make an impact? No where have I mentioned or suggested perfection. We’ll never see that within ourselves or others on this side of the heavens. But there should be some consistent striving and glimpses of evidence within us all of “Whose” we are.

So although my gracious and kind Chinese friends saw me well before I saw them and they surely weren’t giving me the paparazzi treatment for any other reason than because of my husband’s status; I can’t help but to wonder...wouldn’t it be great for us all to be able to respond to others in a similar manner, because we saw and welcomed “WHO” and “WHOSE” they really are, instead of what we think they are?

Who are you?

和平网页快照

Peace and Blessings…from China

~CleRenda