Give Me That Old Time Religion

One way the Lord provides for my family's needs is through my job as an ESL(English as a Second Language) teacher with a Chinese company called VIPKID.  I've worked with the company for over 2 years and enjoy teaching the children in the morning and evenings.

There are literally thousands of teachers doing the same thing throughout the world, but especially in the USA.  We all meet up in Facebook groups dedicated to VIPKID.   It is a great opportunity to be home and still earn money to care for my family.  It also has the beautiful benefit of meeting Chinese children.  They are the hardest working children I have ever met!  Their days are filled with lessons.  Often they are taking class with me just moments before bedtime.  In fact, their desire to learn English has recently caused the Chinese Department of Education to step in and institute rules to prevent the children from spending too much time in their English studies.

In case you did not know, English is the universal language for the business world.  It is a very important language for international trade.  At one time, I was an International Business major, so this side of the story is interesting to me.  I say one time because God changed that plan at the end of my Junior year of college.  (Eeeek)  Since it was at the end of my Junior year of college when I changed my major to Accounting, I did spend many years planning that I would one day be part of the international business world.  So, to be plopped down in the middle of teaching these children now is a tightening of a thread of my life.

Recently, as I was following the VIPKID blog, I came across a story that touched me.  It is about a woman who has achieved success academically in Linguistics, but more than that it was the way her life was changed to push her in that direction.

Jeanine Ntihirageza was born in a small African country.  When she was in 8th grade, she heard a song that changed her life.  She loved the way the song sounded and asked her teacher what language the song was in.  Her teacher told her, "English."

Since Jeanine was a native French speaker, she became determined to learn English.  This moment of hearing the song changed her life.  She did learn English and spent many years teaching children to speak English.  She came to love education and worked to meet her students where they were.  She is now Professor and Coordinator of TESOL at Northeastern Illinois University.  She received her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Chicago.

While this story is inspiring and if you watch the video located on the VIPKID blog you will feel her love and passion for children--which makes it all the better--it was the thought of that song that drew me in.

The song that was sung in English in her small African country was Give Me That Old Time Religion.

Can't you just hear it now?  The words dancing through her young mind as she made a choice to learn a language that would take her to many places, but the most important place was in the life of a child.

Give me that old-time religion,
Give me that old-time religion
Give me that old-time religion
It's good enough for me

When Charles Davis Tillman first heard the Negro Spiritual being sung, he jotted down the words and he ended up being instrumental in introducing it to white audiences and laying the groundwork for Southern Gospel music.  I'm sure he never thought the song being sung by African Americans at a camp meeting would have such an impact.  I know he also never imagined that it would reach the ears of a young girl named Jeanine and change her life forever.

My point is we never know what impact we are leaving each and every day.  Only God does.  He carefully orchestrates every part of our life because He--and only He--can see our tomorrow.  He pulls those threads tighter here and there and we are blessed to get to see them pulled taut in the Master's hands.

For me, it's like a moment of enlightenment.  I see that thread pulled tight and look back over the tapestry of my life to see where it tied in and I feel a warmth cover me because I know my story is beautifully crafted by my Father and it is a warm blanket to lay in, to make peace in, and to trust in.


For More:

http://blog.vipkid.com.cn/the-future-of-language-%26-learning-with-dr-ntihirageza/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old-Time_Religion