陪伴的力量 The Power of Companionship

   

    狗是人類忠實的朋友，可惜我從小就怕狗。也許，曾經被狗追的經驗令我害怕；也許，我不知道狗兒在想什麼的不確定感令我擔心。每當看到前方有狗迎面而來，我都會莫名的擔憂，此刻的牠心情好嗎？牠是否會看我不順眼想要攻擊我？所以，我總是想盡辦法繞道而行。

   

    A dog is a man's best friend. Unfortunately, I grew up afraid of dogs. Maybe it's the experience of having been chased by a dog that makes me afraid. Maybe the uncertainty of not knowing what a dog is thinking worries me. Every time I see ahead that there's a dog approaching head-on, I always have an inexplicable fear: is it in a good mood? Is it going to dislike and attack me? So I always try to find a detour.

    某天下午，我帶孩子出門，要前往淡水竹圍的玩具圖書館。在往圖書館的路上，我們喜歡走一條山路捷徑，那是一條用石塊鋪成的階梯小徑，伴著潺潺流水聲，通過這條愜意的階梯小路，就會到達目的地。我和五歲的孩子手牽著手，快樂地向前行！沒想到走到一半，竟然有一隻大狗出現在前方階梯上，我實在不想和牠正面衝突，正想掉頭就走，可是孩子卻用充滿信心的口吻對我說：「男生都不怕狗狗的，女生才會怕，我要保護媽媽！」聽孩子這麼說，當下真是感動極了！這麼小小年紀就會保護媽咪！因著孩子的勇氣，我也變得勇敢些。我鼓起勇氣向前邁進，我們並肩同行，那是一種陪伴的力量。當我們繼續向前走，那隻大狗竟然還讓開路，讓我們順利通過，成功抵達目的地！

   

     One afternoon, I took my child out to DanShui's Zhuwei Toy Library. On the way to the library, we like to take a mountain path shortcut, a lane of stairs paved with stones, accompanied by the sound of a murmuring stream. Walking through this cozy stepping stone path will lead to our destination. Me and my five year old son walked hand in hand happily on our way! We didn't think that half way in, a large dog would suddenly appear on the steps ahead. I did not want to have a head-on collision with it, but just as I was about to turn my head and go, my child said to me with a voice full of confidence, "boys aren't scared of doggies, only girls are scared. I'll protect you mama!" When I heard my child say this, I immediately felt extremely moved! Even at such a young age he'll still protect his mommy! Because of my child's courage, I also became a little braver. I gathered the courage to move forward, both of us side by side: now that is the power of companionship. As we continued to walk forward, that big dog actually made way, allowing us to carry on smoothly and successfully arrive at our destination!

    這個經歷讓我聯想到「牧童大衛與巨人歌利亞」這個著名的聖經故事。同樣是小小年紀的大衛，在饒勇善戰的軍人眼中，他只是一個身材矮小的牧羊童。但誰能料到小小的大衛，有大大的心志。他出去迎戰歌利亞，向這位大巨人說：「你來攻擊我，是靠著刀槍；我來攻擊你，是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名」（撒母耳記上十七45）。小大衛就用機弦甩出一塊小石子，打倒大巨人。他信靠神的大能，相信神與他同在，就戰勝了強敵歌利亞。

    This experience makes me think of the famous biblical story "David and Goliath". Similarly, the young David, in the eyes of the Philistine soldiers, was nothing more than a puny shepherd boy. But who knew that little David had such great will. He went out to face Goliath, and said to the giant: "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty." (1 Samuel 17:45) Little David only used a stone and sling to bring down the big giant. His faith in the power of God, believing that God was with him, allowed him to defeat the powerful enemy Goliath.

    什麼是你心中的巨人歌利亞？那可能是你生命中難以克服的困難，是某種巨大的恐懼、憂鬱、孤寂、哀傷……我們都需要一種陪伴的力量，來伴我們前行！在聖經中說到，神的名字叫「以馬內利」：「必有童女懷孕生子，他的名要叫『以馬內利』。『以馬內利』就是『神與我們同在』的意思」（馬太福音一23）。祂時刻與我們同在，這是多麼寶貴的應許啊！

    What is the Goliath in your heart? It might be a hardship in your life that is difficult to overcome, a kind of great fear, depression, loneliness, sadness....We all need the power of companionship to stay with us as we carry on! The Bible mentions that God's name is "Emmanuel": “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”)" (Matthew 1:23). He is with us always, what a precious promise this is!

    有時候，你似乎感到全世界沒有一個人真正瞭解你，還好親愛的天父上帝總是陪伴著你，祂瞭解你一切的需要，祂與你的內心深處對話，並賜你力量，破繭而出，成為美麗的蝴蝶，自由飛翔！

    Sometimes, you get a feeling like there's no one in the whole world who really understands you. Fortunately, Dear Heavenly Father is always with you. He understands all your needs, He can have a conversation with you in the back of your mind, giving you strength to break through the cocoon to emerge as a beautiful butterfly, flying free!

    神陪伴我們，也賜給我們陪伴他人的力量，就如神差派我的孩子像小天使一般，陪伴我勝過對狗兒的恐懼，我們今天也能成為他人的天使，去適時地陪伴關懷他們，因著我們的陪伴，讓我們週遭少一份孤寂，多一份溫暖。你今天想多陪陪誰嗎？

    God accompanies us, and gives us the power to accompany others, just as God sent my child, like a little angel, to accompany me through my fear of dogs, we today can also become the angels to others, swiftly accompanying and caring for them, because our companionship makes our surroundings a little less lonely, and a little more warm. Have you thought about who you'd like to accompany more today?

作者:譚亞菁 Dec. 13, 2012

Translated by Parker Gadbois