The thought that Jesus was betrayed by a kiss has been running through my head all day. Of course, today is Holy Thursday, the day that Jesus celebrated communion with the disciples; they day He washed their feet.
This week has been one of the most difficult weeks that I have experienced in a very long time. I’d like to blame it on hormones, but I know that there is much going on in the spiritual realm. I’ve had so many “chance” encounters on “whims.”
Last night I decided to get my nails done. I went to a salon and my nail person was this brooding Asian man. I shook my head and thought, “Just my luck. There are all of these sweet women sitting around, and I get the brooding guy.” I knew, though, that it was not by chance. I talked to him, and found out that he is from Vietnam, and he has a bachelors degree in management from a university in Vietnam. He wants to get into an international company that does business in Vietnam and in the US. He’s a really nice guy. I told him that I would do research for him and get back to him. Obviously he’s brooding because he’s not doing what God has created him to do. But, it lead me to wonder how it is that he came to work in a nail salon in the US. Was he “betrayed with a kiss?” Were promises made to him that were never fulfilled?
Last night I picked up the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. If you’ve been to Starbucks in the past few months, you’ve seen it. I am putting it on my must read list for every person who wants to make a difference in the world. I don’t know if I will ever have the opportunity to travel to Africa to pluck children out of war. I don’t have the money to make a real financial difference in Africa. But I do have the power of prayer.
So there you have it. My Holy Thursday ramblings for the day.
Deneen White 
You pose an interesting question, “was he betrayed with a kiss”? Were you able to find out why or how he ended up in a nail salon? Asians are very family oriented; was the salon owned by his family? I know that quite often, the family back home as well as here, work and sacrifice to help educate and finance a loved one, who then in turn helps to educate and finance another family member, and so on. It reminds me of the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” How nice it would be if everyone followed this philosophy.
I’m glad that you continue to see God’s hand in your life….That nail dude needed to hear your words…God absolutely has this “International” thing going on with you….
go with it…
chill