His name is Myckey. He loves China.
I’ve never met him before, but even to a total stranger like me, he has made an impact. Whenever he comes to mind, I remember that nothing we do to honor God is in vain. We may not be aware of the way our actions make ripples that affect eternity, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t make an impact.
Myckey joined a short-term trip to China last year. It wasn’t his first trip coming here, but it was his last. After months of battling cancer, he went home to the Lord earlier this year.
Read about another great impact Myckey’s life had on his own son: Dead dad, thank you for giving me the gift of China.
Many students who met him last year were saddened by the news. One of them was Sherwin (not his real name). He was especially affected because first, Myckey promised him that he would come back to join this year’s English Camp, and it was one reason Sherwin returned to camp this year. Second, Myckey passed away on Sherwin’s birthday.
“Do you think it was coincidence?” Sherwin asked. “That he died on my birthday?”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just said, “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I don’t think he is. I feel like he’s here. Like he’s trying to tell me something.”
I remained silent, not wanting to push it, but I knew that it wasn’t Myckey who was speaking to him, trying to reach out to him. No. It wasn’t him. It was the One he served.
“He promised me he’d be here.”
“You seem to be very close to him,” I said.
“I wasn’t. I met him for two days. We just talked for a long time during last year’s English Camp. We were arguing. I’m a communist and he was talking to me about God. He told me to give God a chance and that he would pray for me. We weren’t very close.”
“And yet he seems to have such a huge impact on you.”
Sherwin grew silent, processing his own reaction for a bit, before responding, “He taught me how to be thankful. He told me to thank the people who have done good things to me.”
One conversation. An argument even. Yet simple words like, “Give my God a chance” has created such an impact in a person so much so that by the end of our conversation, Sherwin admitted, “I don’t want everyone to know that I feel God. Science can explain this. Science can explain this.”
I believe that Myckey’s life, which Sherwin encountered only in passing, has brought this one person—who is still trying to rationalize God’s pursuit of him—much closer to knowing Christ.
That is the kind of impact a short-term trip to the mission field can create. Sometimes, I think that none of it matters, but Myckey and Sherwin have shown me that I was wrong.
Myckey is in the arms of our Savior now, but his life continues to create ripples that impact people towards eternity.
What kind of impact will your life create?