In 1972 I met a small statured Korean American chef named Mimi who taught me one of the best lessons I ever learned from anyone.
She and another lady worked preparing meals at a sorority at the University of Oklahoma. I’m guessing that Mimi stood no more than about 4’10” tall. She was a pleasant person and prepared tasty dishes, but she didn’t say a lot because her English wasn’t very proficient at that point. But three words she said to me on one particular day made a big impact on me.
I found an ideal job
It was the beginning of my senior year at OU and I needed a job to pay for my tuition and living expenses while I finished my degree. At the beginning of the semester I checked the want ads in the student newspaper and found a sorority seeking “house boys” at their house on campus. The job entailed serving food to the girls living there, cleaning up, and washing dishes after the meals. The hours were flexible and, best of all, meals were provided. It seemed like a win-win-win situation. I could earn money, didn’t have to pay for food or cook, and maybe even meet some new girls!
I applied for and got the job along with four other men who were also students. We became pretty good friends over that fall semester as we donned coats and bow ties to serve at formal dinners and then banged pots and pans in cleaning up afterwards. At times we had fun harmonizing on some Ray Charles’ tunes and serenading the girls which they found amusing.
Lively discussions turned into a shouting match
The other four guys and I got along pretty well except in one area. I was excited about my new faith in Christ and had a zeal to tell others about him. They, on the other hand, did not share my enthusiasm and were equally zealous in telling me why they had no interest in knowing and following Christ.
At that point I believed that if I could just “prove” to people about the claims of Christ, they would be convinced to become his followers. And, I thought that if I could do it forcefully and loud enough, there was no way they could resist.
So, I set about speaking to these guys with unbridled vigor. We had some lively discussions that eventually turned into boisterous arguments. But no matter how much evidence I offered, and no matter how forcefully I presented it, they just wouldn’t budge in their unbelief.
This all escalated to the point that one day, in the middle of our clean up activities, we got into a shouting match. The more heated the discussion became I eventually found myself backed up against a wall with the four of them surrounding me. We were yelling at each other and I was so exasperated that they just couldn’t understand what I was so forcefully trying to tell them about the love and grace of Jesus!
Mimi stunned us all!
Over the weeks of our escalating arguments Mimi hovered in the background. She never said anything about our discussions. But, on this particular occasion I saw her walking toward our group with a long industrial cooking spoon in her hand that probably was about half her height.
In the middle of our ranting, she elbowed her way into the middle of our circle with an angry look on her face. This was so unlike her normal mild and quiet manner that we all stopped mid sentence and stared at her with stunned looks on our faces.
As she entered our circle she turned her back to me and faced my opponents. Then she lifted her big spoon, pointed at each one of them and firmly said, “You read Bible!”
“Ah,” I thought to myself. “Thank God that I have an ally. She has come to my defense to aid me in my fight against my unbelieving opponents!”
But then, after she had her word with the other four guys, she turned abruptly to me with a stern look on her face. She waved her big spoon in my face and then stunned me with these words: “And you! YOU SHUT UP!”
She rendered me speechless. My mistaken idea that she was coming to defend me was quickly corrected. Upon hearing her rebuke for me, the other four guys burst out laughing and then walked away to continue their chores. I stood there mystified at what I had just heard from little, mild Mimi.
Mimi taught me an invaluable lesson from the Bible
I was initially embarrassed and hurt, but over the following days I realized what a good gift Mimi’s rebuke was to me. I began to figure out then, and have continued to do so over the years, that I can never argue anyone into believing and following Jesus. Later on I came across this truth in the Bible that Mimi had so eloquently translated for me: “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.” 2 Timothy 2:24-25 NLT.
I greatly needed to learn this lesson and God sent Mimi the Korean chef to help me begin learning it. It’s a lesson that I feel that many of my fellow Christians need to take to heart as well. Too many times we have the deserved reputation of being “in your face” and shouting at to those who oppose us. This vitriol only matches the uncivil discourse going on in our society and does little good to further the cause of Jesus.
I am no less eager today than I was then that people know and follow my wonderful Lord. I still seek to tell others about the difference he has made in my life and how they also can know his love and grace. Though I try to explain and reason as clearly as I can who he is and the amazing life and hope that he offers, I’m not shouting or arguing with anyone these days. I’ve realized that approach doesn’t convince anyone.
And I always have the image of Mimi’s spoon looming before my face and hear her wise rebuke ringing in my ears to remind me.
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