By sister initiate Lu Yi
Taipei, Formosa

 


 

 

 

 

One Wednesday afternoon, a brother initiate, who usually delivers goods for the local center, called me on the phone. His car was fully loaded, he said, but there were still two cases of Celestial Clothes that had not been packed, and which he could not load into his car. He asked whether I could stop by an hour later to help deliver the Celestial Clothes to the Taipei group meditation venue that day. Coincidentally, I had to pass by his place on my way to handle some business matters, so without hesitation I promised him that I would help.

Having loaded the two big cases of Celestial Clothes into my car, the responsible sister initiate told me that they must be delivered to the group meditation venue (Tachih) by six p.m. However, I had an appointment with a client in Hsintien at four p.m. I estimated that he would arrive a little late and our conversation would take at least one and a half hours. But driving from Hsintien to Tachih normally takes more than forty minutes, and I had no idea how long it would take me to reach the destination, as the traffic becomes very congested around 5:30. I quickly called the delivery brother and asked him to find another fellow practitioner to help him with the Celestial Clothes. He made several calls but failed to contact anyone who could help. Finally, I decided, "Just do what you have to do, and leave the rest to God!" Then I drove off to Hsintien.

A chain of "miracles" followed! My client arrived early-at 3:45 p.m. We discussed the most important matters regarding our business, yet we miraculously finished the conversation at 5:25. I rushed to the parking lot and started my car, and my watch told me that it was 5:29. Just twenty meters away from the parking lot, I ran into a red light where a policeman was directing traffic. Wow! I could hardly believe my eyes; even though it was a red light, the police blew his whistle to stop vehicles from other directions, and signaled me to move on. In great amazement, I pointed to myself and he nodded in confirmation. As I drove past the red light above me, I was really exhilarated by the miracle!

After that, I drove like a water snake swimming smoothly through the river of Taipei's traffic. It was very congested all the way, yet I was not obstructed. I did not have to decide which route to travel; I simply drove effortlessly along the road. Along the way, I said to myself: "This route is really smooth today!" When I made it to the highway, I recomposed myself and started to recite the Holy Names. Then, as I approached the Tachih venue, I wanted to ask the sister initiate to pick up the clothes at the entrance. I called three times, but no one answered the phone, so I decided to drive to the entrance as quickly as possible, and made it to the entrance at precisely six o'clock. It was a miracle! The whole journey had taken me only thirty minutes! At the entrance, I met two brother initiates who were just about to enter the venue. Each of them helped carry one case of Celestial Clothes right to the publication group. Just at that moment, the call to the sister initiate got through. I told her with much relief and happiness that the Celestial Clothes had been delivered as instructed.

Then, another coincidence occurred! I had been hospitalized a few days earlier due to the recurrence of an old problem-a gastric ulcer. The doctor advised me against eating any deep-fried or pungent food. However, the irresistible smell of the deep-fried veggie fermented tofu at a stall opposite the Tachih venue stimulated my hunger and voracious appetite. I still had time for supper before group meditation, so I conceived an ideal plan for myself. "I should be able to eat at the stall without being seen by my husband (a brother initiate)." So, I marched into the food stall and ordered a plate of fermented tofu. Just when I was about to take a delicious bite of the tempting food, a familiar voice came from behind me, saying, "May I sit next to you, madam?" Oh! It was my husband all right! Then, right before my eyes, the plate of fermented tofu moved in front of him and into his mouth. With great reluctance, I asked him, "How did you know that I was here?" He shrugged his shoulders and said casually, "I happened to pass by and saw you. You are not supposed to eat deep-fried food; you'd better get yourself some cool noodles!"

God's love and itinerary are always so "just in time"!