I had a very good rest after a long night at work. Took a hot refreshing bath before I went into Slumberland. I basically slept for about 4 hours. Praise the Lord for the much needed sleep.
I went out after that as I needed to be at Tan Tock Seng Hospital to collect my Glucosamine Sulphate capsules to last me for the next three months. So far this medication has been doing my knees good. Both yesterday and today I experienced a little pain on my left knee but it should be fine after a while. Sometimes it can be quite frustrating to have this pain come on and off.
Since August 2005 when the doctor gave me the green light to exercise after a few years of not being able to do so (due to my kidney injury), I have always wanted to work out my body to keep fit and also to lose the excess weight. Then this pain has to surface and it sometimes breaks the momentum of my exercise regime as I needed to rest my knees.
There were moments when I wished God could give me a new pair of legs but I know it won't happen. He will heal but to detached my legs from my body to have them replaced with new ones is impossible and outrageous, for that matter! I am not saying He is incapable of doing it, since He is God, but I think it is not what He had planned it to be when He created limbs for us humans. :)
Anyway, talking about legs, this afternoon I had an interesting encounter with a one-legged bird perched on one of the branches of a tree next to Orchard Paragon. I was waiting to cross the road when I suddenly heard an interesting chirping. I looked around but could not see any birds. Then as I intently listened and scan the branches again, I saw it! It is a Javan Myna, very common in Singapore. It is a black bird with a yellow beak. Sometimes you can see some bald-headed ones that look like mini vultures (hmmm... never knew birds have receding hair-line and balding problems too). Anyway, it was perched on the branch with just one leg.
The wind was quite strong when I saw the bird but yet it was able to stand firm against the forces of nature. The pedestrian light turned green but I decided not to cross as I wanted to observe the behaviour of this extraordinary bird.
There were other Javan Mynas flying around but this one bird chose to stay on the branch and it was chirping happily away. I have never heard such beautiful music created by a bird and I was mesmerised by its singing. I basically stood where I was for a good 10 minutes just watching every movement it made. I did attract some attention from passers-by who also looked up at the direction where I was focusing on. I hope no one thought I was doing a Candid Camera stunt. :)
Well, I learnt two things just by watching this one-legged Myna:-
1) Though handicapped, it did not stop itself from doing what other birds do - flying; chirping and perching on branches of trees. It was also not shaken by the forces of the wind blowing against its puny body. It stood firm and could still sing happily - in fact it sang more than the rest of the birds around it. Though different from the other birds of the same species, it still lives on.
Putting it in human context, I was basically reminded that though sometimes I am faced with adversities, I should not see my life as hitting a dead-end. Instead I should press on by travelling other alternative routes that God would surely provide.
That bird could have given up and die but it did not. God still fed it and I think the bird was not the least worried about food as it probably knows they are somewhere so long as it keeps searching for them. This is how God created the Myna to be.
It goes the same for us humans, God created us not to choose the road of death or discouragement when faced with trials of life. Instead He created us to trust in Him so that we can continue with our life's journey and be strengthened by the lessons we learnt from the obstacles we face along the way.
If God can help the one-legged winged creature, why should He not help us even more?
2) The handicapped Myna chose to be different from the rest of its species. The other birds were frantically flying around or against the wind because the branches were swaying violently for them to perch on. Yet this one creature was able to stay calm and be undeterred by its surroundings, chirping happily away. If that same Myna chose to fly around like the rest of the birds, then I would have crossed the road long time ago without noticing it at all.
The above-mentioned reminded me that as a Christian, I need to stand out though sometimes it is easier to blend in. Just like the bird, I need to set an example or be a good testimony to the people around me by being different in the way I live out my life. Only when I choose to do that, will others be able to notice me. It then gives me the opportunity to share my faith to them.
Well, it is amazing how God can teach me precious lessons through the one-legged Javan Myna.
I shall attempt to practice them from here onwards. The pilgrim's journey carries on.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I went out after that as I needed to be at Tan Tock Seng Hospital to collect my Glucosamine Sulphate capsules to last me for the next three months. So far this medication has been doing my knees good. Both yesterday and today I experienced a little pain on my left knee but it should be fine after a while. Sometimes it can be quite frustrating to have this pain come on and off.
Since August 2005 when the doctor gave me the green light to exercise after a few years of not being able to do so (due to my kidney injury), I have always wanted to work out my body to keep fit and also to lose the excess weight. Then this pain has to surface and it sometimes breaks the momentum of my exercise regime as I needed to rest my knees.
There were moments when I wished God could give me a new pair of legs but I know it won't happen. He will heal but to detached my legs from my body to have them replaced with new ones is impossible and outrageous, for that matter! I am not saying He is incapable of doing it, since He is God, but I think it is not what He had planned it to be when He created limbs for us humans. :)
Anyway, talking about legs, this afternoon I had an interesting encounter with a one-legged bird perched on one of the branches of a tree next to Orchard Paragon. I was waiting to cross the road when I suddenly heard an interesting chirping. I looked around but could not see any birds. Then as I intently listened and scan the branches again, I saw it! It is a Javan Myna, very common in Singapore. It is a black bird with a yellow beak. Sometimes you can see some bald-headed ones that look like mini vultures (hmmm... never knew birds have receding hair-line and balding problems too). Anyway, it was perched on the branch with just one leg.
The wind was quite strong when I saw the bird but yet it was able to stand firm against the forces of nature. The pedestrian light turned green but I decided not to cross as I wanted to observe the behaviour of this extraordinary bird.
There were other Javan Mynas flying around but this one bird chose to stay on the branch and it was chirping happily away. I have never heard such beautiful music created by a bird and I was mesmerised by its singing. I basically stood where I was for a good 10 minutes just watching every movement it made. I did attract some attention from passers-by who also looked up at the direction where I was focusing on. I hope no one thought I was doing a Candid Camera stunt. :)
Well, I learnt two things just by watching this one-legged Myna:-
1) Though handicapped, it did not stop itself from doing what other birds do - flying; chirping and perching on branches of trees. It was also not shaken by the forces of the wind blowing against its puny body. It stood firm and could still sing happily - in fact it sang more than the rest of the birds around it. Though different from the other birds of the same species, it still lives on.
Putting it in human context, I was basically reminded that though sometimes I am faced with adversities, I should not see my life as hitting a dead-end. Instead I should press on by travelling other alternative routes that God would surely provide.
That bird could have given up and die but it did not. God still fed it and I think the bird was not the least worried about food as it probably knows they are somewhere so long as it keeps searching for them. This is how God created the Myna to be.
It goes the same for us humans, God created us not to choose the road of death or discouragement when faced with trials of life. Instead He created us to trust in Him so that we can continue with our life's journey and be strengthened by the lessons we learnt from the obstacles we face along the way.
If God can help the one-legged winged creature, why should He not help us even more?
2) The handicapped Myna chose to be different from the rest of its species. The other birds were frantically flying around or against the wind because the branches were swaying violently for them to perch on. Yet this one creature was able to stay calm and be undeterred by its surroundings, chirping happily away. If that same Myna chose to fly around like the rest of the birds, then I would have crossed the road long time ago without noticing it at all.
The above-mentioned reminded me that as a Christian, I need to stand out though sometimes it is easier to blend in. Just like the bird, I need to set an example or be a good testimony to the people around me by being different in the way I live out my life. Only when I choose to do that, will others be able to notice me. It then gives me the opportunity to share my faith to them.
Well, it is amazing how God can teach me precious lessons through the one-legged Javan Myna.
I shall attempt to practice them from here onwards. The pilgrim's journey carries on.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:25-34
1 comment:
Hi chillintanka.
Thanks for recommendation of the Glucosamine combo with MSM. I'll go to the website very soon.
Where are you from, if I may ask?
God bless!
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