Title: A Little Barley and A Little Book

This is not about Me...

I went for my first Grace Youth Church camp in December 2003. I remembered we had to gather in church early and wait for the bus. So while waiting, a guy suddenly came to me and asked for my name. Then we started off a little conversation, and he asked me to go for a drink at the coffee shop beside church. So well I went with him. Note that this was the first time I met him.

And so we sat down and ordered our drinks. I ordered a cup of iced barley drink (my usual) and he ordered something. We chatted and I remember well enough that he asked me how I spiked up my back hair for he thought it was cool. We continued chatting for awhile till it was time for us to go to the bus.

And this guy that I just met for hardly 30 minutes did something. He did the kindest act ever. As little as it may seem, it goes a long way. He did something I never thought he would do...

He offered to pay for my barley drink.

3 years and 7 months later, he has never left my mind. Instead he has crept his way into this little heart of mine. He has never stopped inspiring me.
It was him who first person gave me an impression of a Christian who hungers for God. This was because in December 2004, my second GY Camp, he and I were put in the same hotel room together with 10+ other people. During one of the night before we went to bed we were just sitting at the dining table and thinking of the day’s happening.

Suddenly he took out this little book just a little bigger than the size of his palm and he started to flip through the pages of the little book and planted his eyes and thoughts on the page. He was reading it for sometime before I asked him what he was doing.

He told me he was doing his devotion.

I had been a Christian (or so I thought) for almost a year since December 2003 till December 2004. And I know well what doing devotion means. But I have never seen anyone doing it before. I thought reading the Bible was boring and reading Christian books was boring. I thought being a Christian was all about having great music, jumping around during Praise and Worship, saying “Amen” whenever the pastor says something encouraging and I though being a Christian is was just like that.

But that night I started to know what being a Christian was. The guy was reading fro ma devotion book and doing his devotion late at night when almost everyone was asleep. Moreover it was during camp, when everyone feels sleepy and tired at night. But he was there, sitting down and reading “Our Daily Bread”.

That night something happened.

He inspired me to want to know God deeper.

He inspired me to seek God.

He inspired me to read the Bible.

He inspired me to grow in God.

He changed my life.

I have never stopped seeking God since that night.

And until today he has never failed to inspire me one way or another. He does have his flaws, everyone has and no one is perfect. I take the good out of him and pray the bad out of him. Until this day, I look up to him as a leader.

JOEL GAN,

Thank you for helping me to reach where I am today.

A little barley and a little book,
Zlwin Chew.



Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

He sent me this verse via sms two nights ago when he thought of me and prayed. He was right on the dot, because I am going through a pretty bad time these days. And there he was, sending me a Word from the Bible.
Thank you, brother.


The kiss that never was... =) Save it, man! Haha.