Christmas Lights

Have you ever wondered
as you wandered through the aisles
 of all the stores we love to shop ~

the discount stores, the dollar stores, 
the lumber yards, and the drug stores.

Have you ever wondered 
what the Chinese factory workers 
think about all this stuff on our shelves?
 Especially the Christmas Decorations.

 99.9% of the items on those shelves bears a
Made in China sticker.

Made
in
China

Bob Fu of CHINAaid,
based in Midland, Texas,
 was imprisoned in China for "illegal evangelism",

 and later fled China because
 his wife had become pregnant
 without proper permission from the government. 

She would have faced forced abortion had she not left. 

Mr. Fu tells a story in his book,

God's Double Agent

of a woman, newly rescued from China,
 being at his home

during the Christmas season.

He tells of her walking to the Christmas tree

 and touching the lights.

 

Thinking that she had never seen a Christmas tree 
or the beautiful twinkling lights,
he explained them to her,

 then showed her an unopened box of Christmas lights.

He says, that quick as a flash,

she opened the box, disassembled the string of lights,

 reassembled them, 
and placed them perfectly back in the box.

**********

Her explanation was that she had 

spent four years in a prison
referred to as a

Re-Education Through Labor Camp

...assembling Christmas Lights.

The horror of it takes my breath away 
and clouds my vision. 

I 
don't 
have 
words.

Just 
breathe.