The Christmas season is here. Bright colourful lights have changed Orchard Road into a sea of precious stones. Stores everywhere are having sales of up to 75%. Almost every one is putting up his or her wish-list. People are buying gifts for their friends. Christmas trees are being decorated with different ornaments. Parties are being planned. Turkeys and honey-baked hams are being roasted. Wow! Super-magical, isn't it? Wonderland!
Just this morning, I was brought back to the realities of life and I realised Christmas may not be as magical as the stores made it to be, especially for some groups of people whom the society has forgotten amidst all the hustle and bustle.
I, along with some colleagues of mine, went to visit some poor and needy families, to interview them and it brought tears to my eyes that on the outskirts of all the lights and festivities, at the corners of this land of the blessed, there are darkness in some homes.
The families do not have lights because they do not have the money to pay for their monthly utilities; they do not even have the means to travel to places like Orchard Road (though Singapore is so small - a tiny red dot as some politicians remarked) to see all the lights and participate in the sales because the bus or train fares could have been used to meet their other needs; their wish-list is probably not for a new pair of Adidas shoes or Crumpler bag or Zara clothes but that they can just have the minimal to last them through each day. That itself is already a bonus. They dare not think about tomorrow because it is just too painful to look so far ahead; they do not even have a few cents to buy small gifts like sweets for each other during their birthdays; they do not have Christmas trees. The closest to that is a few pots of withering plants in their homes; luncheon meat in place of turkeys and honey-baked ham and that can of meat is to last them, sometimes, up to a week for a family of five.
I was humbled. Humbled to the point where I cannot even move, literally. The Springfield polo-T and Levis jeans I wore, the Canon camera I held, the Seiko watch on my wrist, the Crumpler bag I carried, the Bum Equipment shoes on my feet, the Braun Buffel wallet I held, the Oakley shades hung around my neck. I wished there and then I was naked because all these items are luxurious commodities that the families saw me wearing and yet many times, I took these stuff for granted and even covet for more when I know deep down that I already have more than enough. The sad part is that sometimes I even complained to God that my life is so miserable because I do not have some things that others own.
Lunch time for me after this. It is just so easy for me to order a plate of rice with a few dishes and chomp them down in a matter of minutes. To those needy families, I wonder whether they even have that same plate of rice and dishes to feed not one mouth but five.
I had $52 in my wallet and I thank God that they were all in smaller denomination of notes. We visited five families in all. I gave $10 to each family before we left. $10 x 5 families = $50 but I had $52. What did I do to that $2? I kept it for myself so that I could use it for my own needs... in fact I clearly remembered I wanted to use it to buy myself a drink. I regretted keeping that $2 because I could have easily gone to an ATM machine to draw out some money for my usage later.
I do not know how long $10 will last for each of the families. That $2 could have made a bigger difference to them.
I was not informed of these visitations and only came to know about them when I reported to work. I thank God for this surprise because it was a wake-up call for me.
The mission team came back last Tuesday from Cambodia reaching out to the Khmer-people. Today, almost one week later, it brings to my attention that ministry to people need not be done just overseas like that of the mission trip I just participated. Ministry can start here in Singapore where there are needy families whom Christians can reach out to and make a difference in their lives.
When I came back to the office after the visitations, I went up to the rooftop to pray. The first thing I asked God was to help me to be contented. All these while, my life is too bogged down with the wants of this and that. Does it make a difference once I have them? Nope. Because after that, I will want more and after that, even more and it goes on and on and on.
Thank You, Lord, for what I have now. Thank You.
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Just this morning, I was brought back to the realities of life and I realised Christmas may not be as magical as the stores made it to be, especially for some groups of people whom the society has forgotten amidst all the hustle and bustle.
I, along with some colleagues of mine, went to visit some poor and needy families, to interview them and it brought tears to my eyes that on the outskirts of all the lights and festivities, at the corners of this land of the blessed, there are darkness in some homes.
The families do not have lights because they do not have the money to pay for their monthly utilities; they do not even have the means to travel to places like Orchard Road (though Singapore is so small - a tiny red dot as some politicians remarked) to see all the lights and participate in the sales because the bus or train fares could have been used to meet their other needs; their wish-list is probably not for a new pair of Adidas shoes or Crumpler bag or Zara clothes but that they can just have the minimal to last them through each day. That itself is already a bonus. They dare not think about tomorrow because it is just too painful to look so far ahead; they do not even have a few cents to buy small gifts like sweets for each other during their birthdays; they do not have Christmas trees. The closest to that is a few pots of withering plants in their homes; luncheon meat in place of turkeys and honey-baked ham and that can of meat is to last them, sometimes, up to a week for a family of five.
I was humbled. Humbled to the point where I cannot even move, literally. The Springfield polo-T and Levis jeans I wore, the Canon camera I held, the Seiko watch on my wrist, the Crumpler bag I carried, the Bum Equipment shoes on my feet, the Braun Buffel wallet I held, the Oakley shades hung around my neck. I wished there and then I was naked because all these items are luxurious commodities that the families saw me wearing and yet many times, I took these stuff for granted and even covet for more when I know deep down that I already have more than enough. The sad part is that sometimes I even complained to God that my life is so miserable because I do not have some things that others own.
Lunch time for me after this. It is just so easy for me to order a plate of rice with a few dishes and chomp them down in a matter of minutes. To those needy families, I wonder whether they even have that same plate of rice and dishes to feed not one mouth but five.
I had $52 in my wallet and I thank God that they were all in smaller denomination of notes. We visited five families in all. I gave $10 to each family before we left. $10 x 5 families = $50 but I had $52. What did I do to that $2? I kept it for myself so that I could use it for my own needs... in fact I clearly remembered I wanted to use it to buy myself a drink. I regretted keeping that $2 because I could have easily gone to an ATM machine to draw out some money for my usage later.
I do not know how long $10 will last for each of the families. That $2 could have made a bigger difference to them.
I was not informed of these visitations and only came to know about them when I reported to work. I thank God for this surprise because it was a wake-up call for me.
The mission team came back last Tuesday from Cambodia reaching out to the Khmer-people. Today, almost one week later, it brings to my attention that ministry to people need not be done just overseas like that of the mission trip I just participated. Ministry can start here in Singapore where there are needy families whom Christians can reach out to and make a difference in their lives.
When I came back to the office after the visitations, I went up to the rooftop to pray. The first thing I asked God was to help me to be contented. All these while, my life is too bogged down with the wants of this and that. Does it make a difference once I have them? Nope. Because after that, I will want more and after that, even more and it goes on and on and on.
Thank You, Lord, for what I have now. Thank You.
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:6-10
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