人生不設(shè)限·即使是盜版，上帝依然做工

南非驚奇之旅過后幾年，一位小名叫韓韓的男士邀請我到印尼演講，他是華裔，在澳大利亞的印尼人教會擔(dān)任牧師。我先前也曾應(yīng)他之邀去過印尼，這是第二次。

A few years later Han-Han invited me to return to Indonesia for another speaking tour. This time I provided my own caregiver and stuck to bottled water with no ice. A businessman in Indonesia, whom we knew as Pa Chokro, arranged for me to speak to nearly forty thousand people at stadium appearances in five cities. The events were also broadcast on television.

某個星期天上午，在一家教會辦完三場演講之后，我們休息了一下，因為當(dāng)天晚上我還有三場活動。我又餓又累，但決定先處理餓的問題，填飽肚子再說。我們在附近找到一家中國餐廳，于是我的看護(hù)寶漢抱著我，跟當(dāng)?shù)匾恍┥鐖F(tuán)領(lǐng)袖和本次巡回演講的贊助者一起走進(jìn)去。

One Sunday morning, after I had done three speaking engagements at a church, we took a break since I had three events that evening. I was hungry and tired but decided to address the hunger first. We found a Chinese restaurant near my last speaking venue. A group of local leaders and sponsors of our tour accompanied us. We walked in, with my caregiver Vaughan carrying me.

餐廳是混凝土的地板加上木質(zhì)桌椅，看起來挺陽光的。我們剛坐下，一個年輕女人就走了過來，倚在門邊。她流著淚，并用印尼語對我說話。我不知道她在講些什么，但看得出來她在對我打手勢，似乎想要一個擁抱。我對她的同情如浪涌出。

The restaurant was not fancy, little more than a concrete floor with wooden tables and chairs. Just as we were seated, a young woman came up to the door and leaned against its frame. She was weeping and speaking in Indonesian directly to me. I felt a wave of compassion for her. I had no idea what she was saying, but I could see that she was gesturing at me and in need of a hug.

在場的商人和社團(tuán)領(lǐng)袖似乎都被她的言語打動了。他們解釋說，這個女人——以斯帖——和母親及兩個兄弟住在垃圾場旁邊一個以紙板搭建的破爛小屋里，他們每天在垃圾場覓食，并挑揀出塑膠賣給回收工廠。她對上帝有堅定的信仰，但是當(dāng)父親遺棄他們時，以斯帖絕望到打算自殺，她認(rèn)為自己的人生已經(jīng)不值得活下去了。

The businessmen and community leaders with me seemed to be touched by her words. They explained that this woman, Esther, had grown up in a tin-roofed shanty made of cardboard. She lived with her mother and two siblings at the edge of a garbage dump, where they foraged for food each day and collected bits of plastic to sell to the recycling factory. She had a strong faith in God, but when her father left the family, Esther despaired and considered suicide. She believed that her life wasn't worth living.

某次聚會時，以斯帖禱告，跟上帝說她以后沒辦法再到教會了。但就在那一天，教會的牧師讓會眾看我的DVD。那是盜版片，我的盜版DVD在印尼已經(jīng)賣了15 000張。

Upset over the departure of her father, she considered taking her life. She prayed, telling God that she could no longer go to church. That same day her pastor showed the congregation one of my DVDs. It was a black-marketed copy, one of 150,000 made illegally and sold in Indonesia.

當(dāng)我第一次從韓韓口中得知我的DVD在印尼被盜得這么嚴(yán)重時，我說：“不要擔(dān)心，要贊美上帝!”我關(guān)心的是有多少人可以聽到我的信息，而不是獲利。以斯帖的故事證實，即使是不合法的盜版，上帝依然做工。

When I'd first learned from Han-Han that so many of my DVDs had been pirated and sold, I responded, "Don't worry about it, praise God." I cared more about people hearing my message than about making profits. Even on the black market, God was at work, as Esther would confirm.

通過翻譯，以斯帖告訴我，我的DVD讓她抵制絕望，找到了生命的目的，并心懷盼望。她認(rèn)為：“如果力克能夠仰賴神，我也可以。”以斯帖為了能有份工作禁食禱告了六個月。之后，她在這家中國餐廳找到工作，于是我們見到了彼此。

Through an interpreter, Esther told me that my DVD had inspired her to reject despair. She came to find a purpose and to have hope. She felt that "if Nick can trust in God, then I can too." She prayed for a job and fasted for six months. She'd found the job in that same Chinese restaurant, which brought us together!

聽完她的故事之后，我給了以斯帖一個擁抱，并問她未來有什么計劃。她說，盡管她沒什么錢，而且一天工作14個小時，但她想要成為一個以兒童為對象的傳道人。她想去讀神學(xué)院，然而以她的情況來說，她也不知道要如何實現(xiàn)這個愿望。因為沒錢，租不起房子，所以她住在餐廳里，睡在地板上。

After hearing this story, I gave Esther a hug and asked her what her plans were. She had decided that even though she had little money and worked fourteen hours a day, she would prepare herself to be a children's minister. She hoped to attend a Bible college, even though she wasn't sure how that could happen given her situation. She was living in the restaurant, sleeping on the floor because she couldn't afford a place to live.

聽到這兒，我差點沒從輪椅上跌下來。我在那家餐廳吃得不太舒服，所以真的無法想象這個可憐的女人天天睡在這種地方。我鼓勵以斯帖另外找個地方住，追尋夢想，為了向兒童傳福音而努力。

I nearly fell off my chair at that revelation. I hadn't felt really comfortable about eating in the place. I couldn't imagine this poor woman sleeping there. I encouraged her to find a different place to live and to pursue her dream to be a children's minister.

在場的人里面有一位牧師，在以斯帖回去工作后，他告訴我，當(dāng)?shù)氐纳駥W(xué)院學(xué)費(fèi)很貴，而且光是要參加入學(xué)考試就要排隊等上12個月，然后只有少數(shù)幾位申請者可以過關(guān)。

One of the members of our group was a pastor. After Esther returned to her work, he told me that the local Bible college was very expensive, and it had a twelve-month waiting list just to take the entrance exam, which very few applicants passed.

一盤熱騰騰的食物擺到我眼前，但我已沒了食欲，一直想著這個睡在地板上的可憐女人。當(dāng)其他人在作謝飯禱告時，我為以斯帖祈禱，結(jié)果我的禱告幾乎立刻就有了回應(yīng)。坐我旁邊的牧師說，如果我能付點押金，他的教會可以提供以斯帖住的地方。我問他以斯帖是否付得起那里的租金，牧師向我保證一定在她的能力范圍內(nèi)，于是我同意了。我興奮地想告訴以斯帖這件事，但是在她回到我們這桌之前，在場的某位商人說他愿意支付這筆押金。

A steaming plate full of food was placed in front of me, but I'd lost my appetite. I kept thinking of this poor woman sleeping on the floor. As the rest of the group prayed in thanks for the meal, I prayed for Esther. My prayers were answered almost immediately. The pastor seated next to me said that his church could provide Esther with living accommodations if I contributed the security deposit. I asked if Esther could afford to pay her rent, and the pastor assured me that she could handle it. So I agreed. I was very excited to tell Esther, but before she returned to our table, one of the businessmen said that he would make the down payment himself.

我告訴他，我想盡一份心力，但還是謝謝他的好意。

I told him I wanted to do my part, but I appreciated his offer.

就在此時，另一個人開口了：“我就是神學(xué)院的董事長。”他說，“我同意讓以斯帖在這個星期參加入學(xué)考，如果她通過了，我會讓她拿到獎學(xué)金。”

Just then another of our party spoke up. "I am the president of the Bible College," he said. "I will allow Esther to take the entrance exam this week, and if she passes, I will see that she gets a scholarship."

上帝的計劃在我眼前展開。以斯帖以極為優(yōu)異的成績通過入學(xué)考，并于2008年11月從神學(xué)院畢業(yè)。她目前在印尼最大的教會之一做事，負(fù)責(zé)青年部，并計劃在她的社區(qū)設(shè)立一家孤兒院。

God's plan unfolded before my eyes. Esther scored 100 percent on the entrance exam. She graduated from the Bible college in November 2008. She is now the youth director for a children's ministry in one of Indonesia's largest churches, and she has plans to create an orphanage in her community.

在這本書里，我一直在談人生目的所擁有的力量，而以斯帖的故事就是那份力量的證明。這個年輕女人別的沒有，只有對自己生命目標(biāo)的強(qiáng)烈感受，以及對上帝的信心。而她的目的與信心創(chuàng)造出強(qiáng)大的磁場，把我和她的圓夢團(tuán)隊吸引了過來。

Throughout this book I've been telling you about the power of purpose. Esther's story is a testament to that power. This woman had nothing but a sense of purpose and faith in God. Her purpose and her faith created a powerful magnetic field that attracted me and an entire team of people willing to buy into her dream.