Rude Encounter

I intended to write about the mission trip but decided to relate a sad and rude encounter instead.

I was in Raffles City at around 3pm yesterday. I was taking the elevator to the 5th level from the ground floor. When the lift-door opened, there were several people in it already but there were still room for a few to enter.

I was one of the few who went in and it was here that something unpleasant happened. There was this lady in her twenties behind me who suddenly made some rude comments and this was the account...

Lady: The lift is damn bloody full already and yet this fat shit still want to enter.

(I knew she was referring to me cuz the two other ladies who went in with me were slim. Note also that I was the first to enter, followed by the two ladies.)

Lady: Think you are damn bloody small-size, is it?

(I ignored her.)

Lady: Don't pretend that you do not know who I am referring to.

(It was here I turned and looked at her.)

Andy: Why do you have to make such comments, miss?

Lady: I have the right to say what I want and who are you to tell me what I should or should not say?

Andy: Yes, you have the right to say anything but do spare some thoughts about how some of your words may have affected another.

Lady: Shut up la.

Andy: You had better mind your words, lady.

Lady: What do you want to do to me? Whack me ah?!

(I kept quiet. There was this other lady who asked that rude lady to cool it.)

When the lift reached the 5th level, I got out. So did the lady. She glared at me and I smiled at her.

Why do some have prejudices against horizontally-challenged people? Are they not humans too?

Why did the lady have to comment on my size when there were these two other ladies who went into the lift after me? Shouldn't she make the comments about the two ladies instead who decided to squeeze into the elevator when they knew that it was already almost full?

My conclusion is that the lady just have something against fat people.

This is not the only incident I have encountered about my size. I also had similar incidents when I was in school; in army; in university; in church; in the hospital; and among friends.

I am glad that God taught me to accept my size and not be too affected by what people say. But then, like it or not, I am still affected because I am human and I have feelings too.

What happens if the comments made by the lady were targetted at another fat person who may not be able to take the rude statements? There are many who are big in size but low in self-esteem and the society is to be blamed for such mindset.

As I write the above-mentioned, I am also reflecting on my own views towards others around me. I do confess that I have prejudices too and each time I have them, I would pray and ask God to help me see people with His eyes and not mine. It helped in many occasions as it allowed me to realise that these people are all God's creation. Who am I to think negatively of them? Sad to say, there are times when I fell into the trap and hence look down on others.

Why did I smile at the lady? It was simply because I wanted her to know that I accepted her as who she is. I could have said many unpleasant things to her in anger but what's the point?

Well, life goes on. Whether people accept me or not, I am not bothered. So long as I know God accepts me as who I am, I am contented.

Actually, let me correct what I said in the first line of the last paragraph above. Come to think of it, I am bothered by what people think of me especially if they are my friends. Shouldn't everyone accept a friend as who he is and not have prejudices against him?

I sure hope I, myself, will practise what I have just said.

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31

Bad Day, Mate!

Sometimes I wonder whether an Australian would greet someone, "Bad day, mate!" Hardly do I hear that statement. Most of the time is the infamous greetings of "G'day, mate!"

I guess the perception of whether a day is bad or not is dependent on how one chooses to view it no matter how things may not turn out the way it should have been. If that is the case, then everyday can be a good day.

Most of the time we, humans, let circumstances affect us to the point where it affects everything else: work, relationships, moods, studies, service to God, walk with God, etc. Christians, sad to say, are not spared as well.

Well, today almost everything I do did not turn out the way I hope it would:-

1) I needed to do some banking stuff and have made an appointment. When I went to the branch, I was told the person who was supposed to meet me had food poisoning. So the appointment is now postponed;

2) The back of my body broke into rashes in the afternoon - not that serious but can be quite irritating at times;

3) It was raining when I was at City Hall area. As I was walking along the pavement towards St. Andrew's Cathedral, this bus drove by and splashed water all over the right side of me. I was wearing white;

4) I felt feverish when I got home about three hours ago - took my temperature and it was 37.6 degrees Celsius;

5) I had a tiff with a dear sister of mine and it all started with a suggestion to pray together for tomorrow's mission trip.

Well, one of those days, I guess. I am trying very hard to remind me of the passage from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Tough to practise it at this time but I will try. I cannot let the devil lay a foothold in this or has he?

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Think Before Speaking

Last evening I tried to go for a run and in not even 0.5km into the exercise, I was already struggling. My heart did not feel right physically and till now, it is still a little weird. There is this tingling feeling which I hope will be okay by tomorrow after a night of sleep. I have not been well since yesterday - down with slight flu and sore throat. Anyway, I did not complete the run as I did not want to aggravate my heart.

Anyway, the Mission Team went out to buy all the stuff needed for the trip. We went to Concourse and Beach Road market. Praise the Lord we managed to get everything on the shopping list.

We headed next for church to pack all the clothes and other items to be brought over to Cambodia. Thanks be to God that we managed to contain everything in two luggages and 4 China bags. We weighed all the bags and we were happy that they were not overweight, taking into consideration the personal belongings of every member.

I came home with a heavy heart - nothing to do with the physical condition I mentioned in the earlier paragraphs. :)

I learnt something very important and it was a wake-up call which I am thankful to God for reminding and rebuking me about. I just realised that some comments I made casually affected two of my dearest friends. I did not know how bad it was until we talked about it. Though I did not mean to hurt them, I guess the harm has been done and I pray they will forgive me and allow me to learn from my shortcomings.

I was also reminded not to be too harsh against someone whom I may have prejudice against and I shall endeavour, with the help of the Lord, to be more sensitive.

Well, I am glad that my friends love me enough to correct my mistakes. I guess as I continue with this pilgrim's journey, I will think before I speak - even if it is just a casual comment. :(

May the Lord be my conscience as I press on to be a more sensitive friend to another.

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin."
Proverbs 13:3

Pride & Prejudice

This morning when I woke up, I felt a little unwell. I was sniffing and my throat was uncomfortable. Lethargy was the feel of the day.

I basically pumped myself with lots of Vitamin C tablets and also took some flu tablets. I slept a lot and now as I type this blog, I am thankful to God that I am much better. Hallelujah!

Being home almost the whole day, I was able to read a book and also watch a little bit of TV. I just caught the programme, "America's Next Top Model."

I regretted watching it because I became very judgmental especially against one of the top three contestants, Jade.

Though she said the way she carried herself was one of confidence, I felt it was more of pride and arrogance. Unkind thoughts were running in my mind and sadly, some of them came out through my mouth as criticisms and I did it in front of my brother, who is a pre-believer. :(

This is definitely one of my main struggles and weaknesses and I pray that God will help me change this. Who am I to tell someone of his or her pride and arrogance when the very thought I have against that person makes me PROUD and ARROGANT? Who am I to criticise another of God's creation when I myself am also one of His created works. If God is pleased with His creation, who am I to be feel otherwise?

As I go through the pilgrim's journey, I am going to meet a lot of people of different characteristics, am I going to continue with the attitude of pride and prejudice or am I going to see these unique individuals with the eyes of God? A rhetorical question but putting into daily practice is tough.

May the Lord be my help as I struggle through this. I hope at the end of it all, I will honour and please Him and that I will not be a stumbling block to anyone.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

Thank You

THANK YOU

I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name
You turned and saw this young man
And he was smiling as he came

And he said friend you may not know me now
And then he said but wait
You use to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start
And one day when you said that prayer
I asked Jesus in my heart

Then another man stood before you
And said remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry
You didn't have much money
But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I am here today

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices made
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven now proclaimed

And I know in heaven
You're not suppose to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord
He said my child look around you
Great is your reward

Thank You for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank You for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

The Mission Team met today for the last time and did our final planning before we leave for Cambodia this Thursday.

I was especially moved by the testimonies that every member shared regarding how God touched their lives.

I shared mine to the team. Even though I came to know Jesus Christ 21 years ago when I was just a 13 year old boy and many things have happened since then, I never fail to choke with tears of how different people, who came in and out of my life, have touched me so deeply - for how God had used them to make me who I am today.

If not for them, I really do not know what I would have become and where I would be now. This reminiscence reminded me of a song that spoke to me loads when I was listening to it many years ago when I was a teenager. I managed to find the lyrics which can be found at the top of today's blog. I also managed to find the music file - for those of you who are reading my pilgrim's progress, feel free to let God touch you as you listen to the song. :)

The website is http://www.freedwings.com/thank.html.

I now dedicate this song to the following people whom God had used to bring me to God and help me grow when I was a young Christian:-

1) The late Uncle Chia Kim Teng who brought me to church when he found me feeling bored at home. Though initially I went to church for the wrong reason of looking at girls, God still used that to change my motive and attitude to one of worshipping Him as my Lord and Saviour with the rest of the Christians.

2) The late Aunty Patricia Chia (wife of Uncle Chia) who always made sure I attended church, occasionally persuading my parents to let me go for Sunday School because I was grounded for getting myself into trouble in school.

3) Bobby Phua, the counselor at the Luis Palau Rally in National Stadium on 4 June 1985, for bringing me to the saving knowledge of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

4) Joyce Chew, Mary Chua (I hope I got her surname right) and Goh Swee Eem for teaching me in Sunday School and allowing me to develop my leadership quality by organising camps and outings.

5) Benjamin Goh for being my discipler when I was in Secondary School - nurturing me weekly to grow deeper in my relationship with God.

6) Rev. Melvin Huang for believing in me though I was a failure in school - being in the Normal Stream and then having to repeat my 'O' Level exams after the first attempt failed. Wow! 6 years of secondary school education. Most of my peers did it in 4 years. For being firm with me that I have to glorify God and honour my parents with my studies. If not for his counsel, I would not have entered university even though I had to do my 'A' Level as a private candidate. I found you a nag but now as I look back, if not for those naggings, I would not have passed through 'O' Level.

7) Kevin Lowe, Christopher Ow, Amos Ang, Sunny Loh, Albert Loh and many more from the Methodist Youth Fellowship for giving me opportunities to serve the Lord in this ministry and affirming me of my spiritual gifts. For believing in me to the point where all of you gave me a huge task in leading a Special Night where there were so many people. I literally trembled on stage that day. I even stammered. :)

8) Ng Tze-Yang, my best friend, for being a friend to me when I first attended Sunday School. For guiding me in my walk with God. For the many movies we watched; food we ate; shopping we had; the crazy things we did like taking bus service 217 round Serangoon Gardens.

9) My Sunday School friends since Secondary One: Mabel Goh, Marjorie Lee and Khor Liyan. We planned and led in many camps for Sunday School. Every time I recall those camps, it just brought smile to my face because we saw how God could use us though we were so young then. We had great fun then! Hallelujah!

10) Chong Kim Soon, Peter Loo, Mark Tay, Tan Sue-Ann, Stephanie Fong and Kenneth Chee from the Kawan Kawan Istimewa a.k.a KKIs ("Good Friends' in Malay) small group for supporting me when I was going through the most painful experience of my life. I had a kidney injury which required me to undergo dialysis for a couple of years.

11) Ashley Choo, Noel Goh and Emilyn Tan for affirming me in my musical talents - teaching me to play the drums and guitar and guiding me when I was learning to be a worship leader. For also teaching me ownership and stewardship of God's musical instruments by polishing the drum-sets first before even learning to strike my first beat on the snare-drum.

12) The late Aunty Violet Kwan for giving me vocal trainings. I did not know you well when you offered to teach me and that meant a lot to me.

There are just so many other people whom I want to say "Thank You" to but it will take many more lines to do so. Please do not take offence by omitting your name out. :( You are very much cherished in my heart though you are not mentioned. Once again,

"Thank You for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank You for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave"
- Bobby Michaels -

I prayed quietly just now after the team had finished sharing their testimonies that I will do to others what the above people have done in my life - by simply being a blessing. :) I hope I am and will always be.

Sometimes I may fail - please forgive me when that happens and allow me to try again.

Thanks be to God for my friends!

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

Guilty Or Innocent

I just came back from the Mission Team Retreat held in Sentosa. It was a full day outing. The Lord was very good to us - He gave us super-good weather. So good till the sun became so hot that many of us almost melted under it. :)

Praise the Lord the retreat was a success. Thanks be to Him! We worshipped God with music and song. We played games in which we got to know one another better. We had a simple lunch of just bread, ham and cheese. We had a devotion where the team members were reminded that we are parts of the body of Christ. The members then spent 1 1/2 hours on personal reflection where they had to do a Bible Study, Temperament Test, Knowing Your Spiritual Gift Test, etc.

I enjoyed the group discussion where we shared about the lessons we learnt from the reflection. I praise the Lord that we now understand ourselves and each other better. May this be the platform where the team will be able to grow closer and that we will be able to spur one another on towards love and good deeds. May this also prepare us better for the trip to Cambodia this Thursday.

The team had dinner together with some members of last year's mission team. The bond amongst the team members was so strong that till date, we still do stuff together. Praise the Lord!

Anyway, I want to share something that was in mind since yesterday but did not get the chance to share then as I was busy finishing up my work.

It will be brief. It served as a reminder for me and I hope it will also for whoever is reading my pilgrim's journey.

Now, in a journey, there is always a destination, an end-point. Two incidents in the past two weeks reminded me of this end-point. I attended two court hearings with my God-Sister where she wanted to know more about how the judicial proceedings are like. These are to aid her in a play that she is going to do with her class.

We visited the Subordinate and Supreme Courts. For the former, it was about how a male teacher molested some of his male students. The latter was about a Criminal Breach of Trust involving a foreign company operating in Singapore.

Anyway, I shall not go into details about the two cases. What I wanted to remind us is this - when we have reached the end of our life's journey, we will be facing the JUDGE of all judges and before Him, we have to account everything that we did here on earth.

Just like the two hearings where the accused's past was dug up and closely examined, so will our lives' past be brought before God.

At the end of it all, do we want the verdict to be pronounced as "GUILTY" or "INNOCENT"?

If we strife to live a life of holiness and godliness, I believe there is nothing for us to fear. But I think we need to be realistic that we can never live a sinless life but all of us can definitely sin less, if we choose to do so, with the intention of glorifying God with our lives.

So let us pray daily that God will give us the desire to live right in His sight and when we stand before Him, we have nothing to fear. :)

May the Lord be our help.

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."
Revelation 20:11-12

Treasures or Junks

Today while I was out commuting from one place to another, I encountered several elderly persons.

While I was in the train to Dhoby Ghaut MRT from HarbourFront, an Indian man in his late 60s or early 70s boarded the train at Outram Station. There were two empty seats opposite where I was seated. When the man was walking towards one of the seats, a Chinese man in front of him quickly sat down and reserved the other seat for his wife who was behind the Indian man. The Chinese man in his early 50s refused to budge though the Indian man tried to sit down. He had no choice but to look for another seat which he could not find one. I gave up mine for him. The Chinese man, instead of feeling remorseful, kept staring at the Indian man as if he has done a great sin by wanting to sit next to him.

When I was at Tanglin Shopping Centre, I saw a Chinese lady in her late 70s or early 80s with her husband and maid. The lady apparently just had her tooth extracted as she had a gauze in her mouth. She also had a walking stick. Initially she was on a wheelchair. As her husband needed to flag for a taxi and the maid was busy carrying the wheelchair down the stairs, I decided to help the lady. Slowly she walked down the flight of steps. I helped the trio to load the wheelchair into the trunk of the taxi. They boarded the cab, waved towards my direction and thanked me.

Then in another incident while I was walking along the pedestrian tunnel from Isetan Scotts to Tangs, another lady in her 60s tried to walk up a flight of steps. Her husband needed help to carry the wheelchair up the stairs as he could not do it himself. A young man helped him with the carrying while I helped the lady with the walking. Her husband waited at the top of the steps for his wife. After I ensured that they were okay, I went on my way. I noticed they had a big bag with lots of tissue packets in it. I guess they were on their way to sell them to passer-bys to earn some income for themselves.

The above three encounters with the Indian man and two ladies made me wonder whether it is a scary thing to be old. The Indian man was treated like nothing; the lady with her tooth extracted groaned in every step she took; and the other lady was smiling though she had difficulty climbing up the stairs but the thought of her having to work at such an old age and with her disability saddened me.

I really do not know whether growing old is a scary experience; whether being old makes one a treasure or a junk. But one thing I know for sure is that God still cherish and love this group of people.

I pray that the younger generation (me included) will be the ones to show them love and care and that we will be the ones who will make this group of precious beings know that they are treasures rather than junks in the eyes of many around them.

I am not asking all of us to show pity on them but to be more sensitive. There are many things we can learn from and about them. Just spare some time to understand the elderlies and you will see the beauty in them.

A reminder - one day the young ones will grow old too and I am sure they do not want to be treated the way they are treating the older generation now.

I know what I have shared are not conclusive. They were just thoughts running in my mind. For those who do not know me, I have a soft spot for old people and my heart always goes out to them. :)

"He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy."
Proverbs 19:21

"Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old."
Proverbs 23:22

Masterpiece

Last night I was in church with some of the mission team members. They were trying to paint a picture of Noah's Ark.


Initially they did not really know how to do so as in determining the size of the painting; what colours they were going to use to bring the Ark to reality; and whether to paint animals on the Ark or not.


As time went by, the outlines were drawn. The Ark was beginning to look like one. It was boring initially because there were no colours. Then the paint got onto the canvas and slowly the picture enfolds.


The whole process took a while but the effort taken to finish the painting was worth it.

What the team members did reminded me of the effort God took to create every one of us unique in His sight. There is no one on this earth like you and me. You may say, "What about twins?" Look again, their moles are not at the same spot between them.


There were droplets of paint spilled; some of the bristles of the brushes came loose and got stuck to the paint; insects landed on the wet paint and became part of the picture; the final outlining of the Ark with paint-markers was not done yet.


No matter what the imperfections might be, the picture was still a masterpiece. I dare to say no one will be able to show me another picture exactly like the one my fellow brother and sisters did.


They will be coming together again to do the final touch-ups and I guess the picture will be even more beautiful when the members are done with their work. I guess it goes the same for us - that God is still working on us, touching us up here and there.


One thing is for sure - one day, we will all be beautiful as He had planned us to be.


As I go through this pilgrim's journey, I want to constantly remind myself that I am unique. God created me special and I praise Him for that. If ever I want to know my real identity, I will not find it anywhere else in this world but in Him through the reading of His Word and my daily communion with Him through prayer.


I may have my imperfections and struggles but I will not see these as bad but opportunities for God to beautify me further. The challenge for me is whether I am willing to let Him to. We struggle with that all the time, isn't it? Trying to control the destiny of our lives even though we know deep down it is impossible.


In conclusion, praise the Lord for me! Sounds egoistic, right? But pride aside, I am thankful to God for making me special. :)


May my life be a blessing to others.


"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Psalm 139: 13-16

Compassion

On my way home last night, I witnessed a commotion between three persons: a TIBS bus driver; a mildly retarded man (in the bus); and a woman in her 50s (at the bus-stop). I was also at the bus-stop.

The bus driver refused to leave the bus-bay because he realised that the mentally-challenged man has not paid the fare. From what I heard, it had happened a couple of times already on other days. The driver threatened to call the police but the man refused to budge but I could tell that he was scared as he kept closing his eyes.

After his threats did not work, the driver got out of his seat and went to the man and nudged him to get off the bus. The man started screaming and he was sobbing a little too.

A couple of passengers in the bus and those at the bus-stop wanted to pay for the man but the driver raised his voice and prevented them from doing so, stating the reason that this should not become a habit for the man.

In the end, the lady at the bus-stop got so fed-up, she used the coins she had in her hand and paid the fare for the man. The driver gave in and drove off.

What a scene. Now, many may say that the driver was heartless but let us not forget that he had to do his job to ensure that all his passengers pay their fare. Anyway, we shall leave it as that.

My focus was more on the man and the lady.

How often the society belittles people like the mildly retarded man that God has created - calling them hopeless, good-for-nothing, useless, etc? I believe when he did not pay his bus-fare, the man did not do it on purpose but yet, there are people who think so. How many times do we turn a blind eye to poor souls like him? Well, I am guilty of this on several occasions. Sometimes when I wanted to help, doubts began to pour into my mind as to whether these people are really in need or they are just putting up a show to win sympathies from others.

I know the above-mentioned is debatable because there are cases of syndicates using these people to make money but I learnt one precious lesson tonight from the lady at the bus-stop. She used the money she had and paid for the man. Now, you may say, "What's the big deal?"

I felt it was a big deal because after the driver drove off, she came to me and asked whether I could give her $1.20 as she had used up whatever she had left to pay for the man's bus fare. She also said that it was okay if I do not wish to give.

Well, I think that is what compassion should be - to give without questioning and doing so even when one does not have enough for himself or herself - putting others before self.

The whole drama ended when the lady boarded the bus she was waiting for; smiled at me before she got on. I guess she felt good that she has helped someone in need and I believe that is what is the joy of giving is about.

"The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy. He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Proverbs 14:20-21 & 31

Self-Dependency vs God-Dependency

I am going on a mission trip to Cambodia next week from 23rd to 28th November 2006. Wow, that's about slightly more than a week from now.

Just as much as I am looking forward to the trip, I am also anxious that things will not work out accordingly. In situations like these, I always struggle because the human side of me wants to take over and try as much as I can to make sure things fall in place - SELF-DEPENDENCY. But on the realistic side, I know I cannot control all things and this is where I have to trust God. So, is this GOD-DEPENDENCY?

I asked this question because dependency on God should not only be during times when I cannot handle the situations then I go to Him for help; it should always be even if I know I can handle matters in my own hands.

To me, it makes a lot of difference because it speaks of the pre-eminence of God in my life. God should always come first in all I do and He should take 100% control of my life and the situations I am going through. This then is GOD-DEPENDENCY.

I praise the Lord for this rebuke because many times, God is needed in my life only when necessary. I guess I have to change this mindset.

Well, the mission trip is now in God's hand. The team has prepared all they could and I guess now we will have to let God use us and help us react to situations accordingly. If things do not turn out the way we hope they would, praise be to God! He knows best.

All said and done, I now find peace in my heart. I guess I can leave for Cambodia next week with excitement and great anticipation of the many experiences (good or bad) the team will be encountering.

To God be the glory!

"To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:1, 3 & 9

A Lost Soul Means A Lot

Letter from a Friend Now in Hell

My friend, I stand in judgment now,
and feel that you're to blame somehow.
On earth, I walked with you day by day,
and never did you point the way.
You knew the Lord in Truth and Glory,
but never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim;
You could have led me safe to Him.
Though we lived together on earth,
you never told me of The second Birth,
and now I stand this day condemned
because you failed to mention Him.
You taught me many things, that's true,
I called you "Friend" and trusted you,
but I learn now that it's too late,
you could have kept me from this fate.
We walked by day and talked by night,
and yet you showed me not the Light.
You let me live, and love, and die,
you knew I'd never live on high.
Yes, I called you a "Friend" in life,
and trusted you through joy and strife.
And yet on coming to the end,
I cannot, now, call you "My Friend."

I do not have to say further on the above-mentioned. The message speaks for itself so very clear.

The pilgrim's journey is not just about myself but the people around me. If I do not live out the Great Commission, then who would?

If every Christian shuns this responsibility, then we had better be prepared to receive more of these 'hell' letters.

Am I a friend to another? Time for me to ponder on this more seriously.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Part & Parcel Of A Relationship

This afternoon something I did not hope to happen occurred. In fact I thought it would have been a beautiful day ahead but it started off quite badly.

I had a conflict with a dear sister of mine. All I wanted to do was to show her my concern as I felt she was going through some struggles but I guess I spoke too much and listened too little. In the end, I could have agitated her instead.

This is one area that I am still learning as I go through life's journey. Sometimes showing care and concern need not necessarily mean having to talk. I guess I have failed and will strife to learn from this and be a better brother to another.

The whole day I was asking myself - when I know of someone in need, should I just go to the person and help him or her (as I would do) or should I discern and see first? Then again, if I wait, how long will that be?

I have no exact answers yet (if there are any at all) but I kind of concluded that different approaches need to be taken for different people.

I do not like conflicts because they darken the day which was supposed to be bright but I guess this is part and parcel of a relationship. It takes effort. It takes sensitivity. If I have done something wrong, may I be forgiven by my friend and may the Lord bring reconciliation between us soon.

"My dear brothers (and sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." James 1:19-20

Passion For Soccer

This morning I was watching the soccer match between Arsenal and Liverpool. I could have slept to rest my body before I started work but I made up my mind to stay up so that I will not miss a match by my favourite team, The Reds - Liverpool, that is.

Well, as all supporters of a football club, I was hoping for the team to win but in the end, they lost 3-0 to the Gunners, as Arsenal is known to be.

Of course, I was frustrated and disappointed. Just before I settled down to do my work, I spent some time in prayer. When in quiet, this question came to mind and it was thought-provoking, "Do you have the same passion for God as much as you have the passion for soccer to the point where even you are tired, you will still spend time with Him?"

Sad to say, the answer was no. If given a choice where my body is tired and I needed to read God's Word and pray, I would choose sleep than to spend some time with God.

I guess in my life's journey as a pilgrim, I need to learn what should come first in my priority list and make sure that I do not waver in living it out. I pray that number on the list is God and not soccer.

It is amazing that a soccer match can precede the desire to spend my time with God.

Well, it was a good kick on my butt to rethink about my priorities in life.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

Life Is Not Bad

This is my first time blogging and it is definitely a new thing for me altogether. I have seen and read many blogs but never had I the desire to create one till today.

I write my journal daily (into my 10th year now) but I have never thought of sharing them publicly. What made me want to do so now after so many years? Though some things remain private, there are many that I can share with others because I was reminded of a goal in my life to "Bless Others What God Has Blest Me With."

In my years of growing up as a Christian since 1985, I have learnt and believe that my life is like that of a pilgrim. This life I live here on earth is not permanent and that I am just passing through. My final destination is somewhere beyond this world.

Though this is so, it does not mean that this life I live now has no meaning whatsoever. I believe that there are many things that God wants me to learn while I go through this adventure. Thus it is my prayer that He will teach me more and more of Him and myself and use the lessons learnt and blessings bestowed to bless others.

I want to share God's goodness with the people who read this blog and I want to remind myself that the Lord's goodness will also see me through the struggles of my life as a human.

Go through this journey with me and may we all grow to be more positive in how we live and through it all, we will grow into God's likeness in which our lives brings glory to His name and blessings to all around us.

The pilgrim's journey begins here and the pilgrim's progress will be reported as regularly as I can. :)

God Is Good

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1