Marks of Grace - Rev. Andrew Su's Grace Notes on His 70th Birthday
文、供圖／蘇文安
Organizing/Jian Hailan
"Wow, 70 years old! How is that possible!" Rev. Andrew Su, editor-in-chief of this magazine, exclaimed in a video of gratitude sent on his birthday in 2024. The students of the Pennsylvania writing camp in the early years still remember the scene of celebrating his 50th birthday; The editorial team of KRC also emailed him blessings from all directions for his 60th birthday (see "A Secret Dialogue on the Editorial Desk" in issue 38 of this magazine, https://e-krc.org/article/secret-dialogue/). This time, with the assistance of Jian Hailan, a special writer for this magazine, he sincerely recorded his feelings of gratitude for his birthday, because these are all signs of God's grace...
Life is like a long-distance train journey
At this moment, I feel that life is truly like a long-distance train, with passengers of all kinds boarding and alighting during a journey of changing times and scenery. Some stay for a longer time, while others get off after a short while. Among them, there are some "angels" specially arranged by God for me. Regardless of how long they travel with me, they become vessels through which God reveals His mighty works and great virtues in my life, whether through cultivation, acceptance, companionship, or teaching, rescue, promotion, or patience, forgiveness, and support.
Among them, some people "get off" and disappear without a trace, leaving only memories. However, there are also a very few who, after I have traveled through countless mountains and waters and tasted all the flavors of life, suddenly reappear at a certain station on my life journey. Although I don't know how long they will travel with me this time after "boarding," it's enough to make me overjoyed and especially cherish their presence.
Indeed, looking back on these 70 years, whether it was the first three-sevenths living in Taiwan or the latter four-sevenths residing in the United States, they are abundantly filled with signs of God's grace. For this, I want to offer endless gratitude and boundless thanks to the Heavenly Father who has guided, watched over, protected, covered, supported, and corrected me all along, and to all the "angels" He has allowed me to meet during my more than 25,000 days of heavenly journey. This song "Signs of Grace" created by Ms. Sheng Xiaomei perfectly captures my very real state of mind as I face "life at seventy"
Marks of Grace
Created by / Amy Sand
Standing by the ocean, I realize how small I am.
Climbing to the highest mountain, I realize how vast the sky is.
In the vast universe, I am truly insignificant.
Like dust, disappearing without anyone noticing...
All my struggles, all my weaknesses and falls,
Will become signs of the Lord's grace...
In the storm, Jesus holds me tightly.
I deeply know that He is my eternal reliance.
The path I've walked, with laughter and tears, will become marks of the Lord's grace.
Ten years ago when I turned 60, my eldest brother Pastor Wen-Long often sighed to people: "My little brother is 60 years old!" I am the seventh child in my family, and even I have become a "post-60s" person. Naturally, these siblings who rank before me have been pushed up to be even more senior.
In 2024, at 70 years old, my older siblings have naturally surpassed 80 or are approaching it. I've observed that my eldest brother Wilfred, second brother Daniel, third brother Edwin, and fourth brother Timothy are all excellent examples of "the sunset is infinitely beautiful, only because it's near dusk." I sincerely hope that in my "post-70" life, I can also follow their example, staying focused on the goal and bearing abundant fruit.
A Birthday Celebration Trip to Hometown
In October 2024, I specially arranged to return to my hometown to celebrate my 70th birthday. Together with my wife Lishan, whom I met after immigrating to the United States, and our three children born in America, we embarked on a journey to explore our faith and ancestral roots. We counted the abundant grace God bestowed upon me through relatives, teachers, and co-workers during the first 30 years of my life. This trip also included a special gathering with co-workers from the National Taiwan Normal University Fellowship and a reunion with classmates from the Chinese Department of National Taiwan Normal University. For most of them, it had truly been half a century since we last met, which filled me with profound emotions!
Another important purpose of this trip to Taiwan was to participate in the large family reunion of Elder Xu Chao's descendants, held from October 26 to 28. My mother is Xu Chao's fifth daughter, and through the five branches descended from his five daughters, there are now nearly 400 people spanning five to six generations
Those from the Su family who attended the reunion of Hsu Chao's descendants included eldest brother and sister-in-law Wilfred and Ruth, along with their son-in-law and daughter Willis Han and Jocelyn, as well as fourth brother and sister-in-law Timothy and Li-ting, plus our family of five, totaling 11 people. Just after the family reunion, the eldest sister-in-law, who was still in Taiwan, was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant thyroid cancer on November 19 and was taken home by the Lord on December 27. How precious are the opportunities to be with and gather with loved ones!
The family reunion of Hsu Chao's descendants is held every two to three years, and this year we happened to catch it. For the first two days, 80 people gathered in Kaohsiung. Whether it was the self-introductions of each branch, testimonies of faith inheritance, child dedication ceremonies within the family, ceremonies honoring the elderly, or memorial services for the deceased, everything was filled with strong family bonds and a deep sense of faith inheritance.
The descendants of Xu Chao also visited the Southland Business District, which was promoted and constructed by family member missionary Tsai Wei-Hsin and his team (see this magazine's issue 72, "Come, This is Your Home Too!," https://e-krc.org/article/this-is-your-home-too/). They also visited the Qihou Presbyterian Church, located at the site where Dr. James Maxwell landed in Taiwan in 1865, and listened to the Siraya people tell the story of their encounter with the Gospel, allowing relatives to understand that the family's faith inheritance has its roots and can be extended and shared. Afterwards, they moved to the China Evangelical Seminary in Taichung, where the family team led a "Christian Family Faith Inheritance Workshop," sharing the wondrous grace the family has received from the Lord with nearly two hundred fellow believers.
Daily Practice of a Goal-Oriented Life
Entering the so-called "year of rare old age," I also reflect: In the past 45 years of busy full-time ministry, I have experienced many struggles and trials. Afterwards, I realized that family is the most fundamental and important mission field and pastoral ground, and I must reserve time for family. To achieve this, it is necessary to first practice the following three basic skills:
1. Simplicity: "How little is enough" (how less), rather than "How much is enough" (how much). To save money, time, and energy, deliberately adding treasures to the "Family Memory Museum."
2. Regularity: A regular lifestyle can make routine tasks more efficient. Besides work, it's easier to balance daily exercise, spiritual devotion, prayer, and parent-child activities. Adhering to regularity may seem rigid at times, but it can actually add flexibility to family life.
3. Autonomous living: Based on life goals, knowing what one should do today, what can be approximately accomplished, proactively planning and taking action, rather than always being chased by work or pressured by others, which leads to daily frustration and exhaustion.
For many years, I've developed the habit of listing in detail the tasks for the next day or the current day, either before leaving work or before starting work in the morning. This includes activities like exercise, breakfast, sermon preparation, family devotions, work-related to-do items, and so on. I list them one by one and cross them off as they're completed. If the Lord grants grace and everything is finished early, I can then call authors, family, or friends, or spend time in meditation, writing, lesson preparation, or handling unexpected events. This way, I avoid struggling all day under work pressure and external demands, and also prevent giving my family only the "leftovers" of my emotions, spirit, and energy after work.
I know, of course, it's impossible for every day to go so smoothly and perfectly; I can only say that I'm constantly striving towards the aforementioned goals
Get a New Tire, Embark on a New Path
On May 16, 2004, I was ordained as a literary pastor, symbolizing that the role of full-time literary ministry was recognized and supported by Chinese churches. At that time, I gave a speech titled "Infinite Gratitude, Endless Thanks, Incomparable Emotion," presenting the journey and sense of mission of a literary pastor and missionary work.
Over the years in literary ministry, I often remind students and colleagues, and of course encourage myself in this way: Literary work is a total war; every elite soldier involved must constantly break through various bottlenecks and weaknesses in their personal lives, validating the message they want to convey with a life that pleases God. At the same time, it is even more necessary to unite with a group of co-workers who share the same vision and burden, and to work hard for the long term with the self-awareness and expectations of a literary pastor/missionary. It's not just about producing literary products, but also about forming a movement that sparks renewal in life and culture.
"The worker precedes the work, the author is more important than the work, sincerity surpasses all"; any student who has taken my writing class will surely recite this 18-character motto. In fact, this applies not only to writers but to all Christian workers. The words I was inspired to write down many years ago are still the beliefs I hold today, and I believe that no matter how old I am now, God still values who I am as a worker.
Through writing, editing, training, preaching, publishing books, and teaching, God has allowed me to reach many people. I think, if there were any small achievements in any ministry in the past, I can only say: I planted, I watered, but it was the Lord Himself who made them grow!
I think that 70 to 80 years old might be the last stage in life where I can still walk steadily, see clearly, and hear distinctly. Therefore, I must cherish every single day of these 3,000 plus days and live each day with gratitude. Most importantly, I must move forward, hurdling towards the goal that God has tailor-made for us!
Some say age is just a number. However, I also realize that Lishan and I have reached the time to "change to new wheels and embark on a new path." Retirement, the word "retire," when a small hyphen is added in the middle, becomes "re-tire," which can be interpreted as "changing to new tires" - taking different roads, seeing different scenery. Therefore, after "re-tire" comes "re-route" (resetting the route). Of course, "changing to new wheels and embarking on a new path" cannot exempt us from illness, setbacks, or accidents. But we can overcome or bypass all those things by relying on the Lord, preventing us from losing our way in this current evil age and becoming discouraged or hopeless.
I know that it's not that I have already done well, but rather that we should encourage each other. Lishan and I often remind ourselves that in life, what matters in the end is not "achievement," but "relationship" - our relationship with God; our relationship with ourselves; our relationship with our spouse and children; our relationship with fellow believers and friends.
Andrew's Prayer at 70 Years Old
Heavenly Father, thank You for making Lishan my closest life partner in 1983! It is she who, for 41 years, has been of one heart, walking and working with me, accompanying me to share in laughter and harvest, and to endure struggles and challenges. Thank You for blessing me with my lovely children Panquan, Zhenquan, and Enquan, who, in the inescapable years of family life, have become my first audience and most honest respondents in practicing faith inheritance. Thank You for allowing Lishan and our three children, with their never-ending genuine love and affection, to accompany me through the long and narrow path and wilderness, making my life's scenery rich and colorful.
Heavenly Father, I want to offer thanks for Elder Tong Chung and Mrs. Hsieh Shou, my parents who returned to Your kingdom in 2007! During my formative childhood and teenage years, it was they who shaped my worldview and values through Bible stories, allowing my tree of life to take root in the fertile soil of truth. They also nurtured their eight children to become talents for God's kingdom, passing on the Lord's grace and teachings to the ends of the earth.
Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing me with my four older brothers Wilfred, Daniel, Edwin, and Timothy, my two older sisters Gloria and Susan, and my younger sister Esther! During my immature and restless years of growth, as well as the winding journey of learning how to conduct myself and serve in various ways, it was they who, with their deep and selfless sibling love, consistently supported and reminded me, never ceasing
Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to respond to the call of full-time ministry in Taiwan in 1979! For 45 years, whether in campus ministry, literary ministry, family ministry, teaching ministry, or pastoral ministry, the teachers, friends, co-workers, volunteers, students, readers, listeners, and congregations I have met along the way have accompanied me with tolerance and patience beyond what I could ask or imagine, allowing me to continue renewing, growing, and breaking through. Lord, I sincerely hope that one day when I face You, I will be worthy of being called a faithful, good, and insightful servant by You.
Loving Father God, on this day celebrating my 70 years in this world, I come before You on my knees in worship and earnest prayer for myself, my entire family, and the ministry teams I am involved with—
Where there is corruption, please cleanse; where there are transgressions, please forgive;
Where there is failure, please restore; where there is weakness, please strengthen;
Where there is lack, please provide; where there is tearing, please mend;
Where there is sickness, please heal.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
