Kuan-Der (Gary) Chen

Mrs. Carpenter
British Literature
November 22, 200
!rust"orthy #nsuran$e
%&'( but the )roun* is )oo* "hen they are on$e )ot in at the Gate.+ (Last senten$e,
%,rom the -i.)rim/s -ro)ress+, 0ohn Bunyan, p. 111) !his short se$tion o, the Pilgrims Progress
"as probab.y my ,avorite story unti. no". !his .itt.e phrase "as most impa$tin) to me be$ause it
is so $om,ortin) an* he.ps me en*ure the har*ships an* *i,,i$u.ties p.a$e* be,ore me.
2hi.e # rea* %-ara*ise Lost+, # ha* re,.e$te* on my .i,e. # %a$$epte*+ 0esus as my savior
,or the ,irst time be$ause o, he... Death s$are* the .ivin) .i)hts out o, me be$ause # 3ne" that i, #
*i* *ie, #/* be in a ,orever burnin) ,urna$e ,or eternity. 0ohn Donne says %&'( some have $a..e*
thee &*eath( mi)hty an* *rea*,u.,+ (.ines -2, %4o.y 5onnet 0+, 0ohn Donne, p. 678) an* it "as
true ,or me then.
9p unti. probab.y 0une o, this year, # have not ta3en my spiritua. "a.3 serious.y. #
a$$epte* Christ as my savior "hen # "as in 7
th
)ra*e, but it "as rea..y har* ,or me to ,o..o"
Go*/s path. # remembere* that # trie* to *o my best in everythin) an* *o a.. the %to *o+ .ists in
the %Christian .a"s+, but $onstant.y ,ai.e* at it. # *i*n/t 3no" that %Go* *oth not nee* either
man/s "or3 or his o"n )i,ts.+ (Lines :-0, %5onnet ;#;+, 0ohn Mi.ton, p. 12<) Neverthe.ess, my
,aith starte* )ro"in) .itt.e by .itt.e. Go* sent me ,rien*s that he.pe* me put my .i,e ba$3 to)ether
pie$e by pie$e, an* eventua..y, # ,e.t that # ha* a ne" heart.
2hat rea..y $han)e* my .i,e "as the trip to =ma>onas. Go* simp.y poure* himse., into
me there an* # ha* the most "on*er,u. ten *ays o, my .i,e. #t is in$re*ib.e to see Go*/s han* at
"or3 an* the e?perien$e "as ama>in) as a "ho.e. !hrou)h har*ships, # .earne* ho" to )ro"
stron)er an* # even mustere* up the $oura)e to )ive my testimony in ,ront o, a $ro"* ,or the ,irst
time.
No", my .i,e is simp.y Carpe Diem @ ,or the Lor*. %Gather ye rosebu*s "hi.e ye may.
A.* time is sti.. a-,.yin)B an* this same ,.o"er that smi.es to*ay tomorro" "i.. be *yin).+ (Lines
-6, %!o the Cir)ins, to Ma3e Mu$h !ime+, Dobert 4erri$3, p. 10) # .earne* that .i,e is on.y
"orth .ivin) i, you ta3e ris3s an* trust that my ,ather in heaven "i.. be there ,or me an* )ui*e
me. # "a3e up every*ay as3in) Go* to he.p me ).ori,y him in everythin) # *o. 2ith this ne"
base, # am a."ays rea*y to ta3e the ne?t step an* move ,or"ar*, $on,i*ent that Go* is ri)ht
behin* me, rea*y to $at$h me "hen # ,a...