On the birthday of our youngest son, Jamie, he said he got what he wanted: a Japanese Bible from his wife. (Isn't the King James Version hard enough?) But he's always been interested in languages, majoring in French in college. Who would have thought, when he was such a non-verbal toddler? Of course, he had his own language, even then. Sign language, that is. He would point and say "Um," and we'd better understand what he meant. If we didn't, "Um" was repeated plaintively, then a satisfactory "Um" again when his request was granted. (If a sibling dare use "his" word, they risked a slap from a two-year-old palm or his flying left.)
Later, Jamie couldn't (wouldn't) make the sound "k," using a "t" sound instead. "Say 'cat,'" I told him, and he would say, "tat." He could, however, say, "black." "Say 'black cat," I implored him, but it came out, "black tat." My granddaughter, as a 5-year-old, couldn't say "hair," pronouncing it "har" or "her." She would say, "Brush my "her," or "She pulled my 'har." Since she was about to start kindergarten, I worked with her on her pronunciation. "The man cuts hay. He is a 'hay-er." After a few tries she got a triumphant look on her face and said, "hay-er...hair!"
Children do eventually learn to speak clearly, even speaking in foreign languages. Jamie directs a youth band in a Houston Chinese church where he volunteers weekly. He also ministers there occasionally from the pulpit, with the help of an interpreter. He must have everything written down verbatim in English to present to the interpreter a week in advance to review and familiarize himself with the sermon. Although it's hard to pause after every thought to wait for the translation, our son says you get into the rhythm of it. When I asked how he knew his words were effective, he said he could tell by the expressions on their faces, the occasional laugh at the appropriate place, and of course, by the moving of the Spirit. They have wonderful altar services there with great response from the congregation. It must be like being a missionary to China without ever leaving home.
The youth pastor at the church, a friend of Jamie, is a former missionary to China. He married a lovely Chinese girl there; they had to leave the country when they were expecting their second child, due to the "one child" rule in China. Now they have three children, so they don't have much hope of going back, even though China is now modifying its laws to include permission of two children in some places due to population depletion.
Jamie said he feels like a first-grader in trying to read and sound out the words in his Japanese Bible. Demonstrating for me, he sounded like the adults on the "Charlie Brown" programs. (I've heard that to know how a beginning reader feels, by reading a book upside down. I've tried it, and it's true.) The Bible says in James 3:5-8, that the tongue is an unruly member that no one man can tame. And in Proverbs 16:32, that he who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city. The Holy Spirit transcends languages and moves above our limitations, even in cities of China or in a place like Houston, Texas.
No comments:
Post a Comment