Saturday, July 30, 2011

Keep On Walking

I did my usual walk in the park. I started at around 6am and basically spent an hour or so exercising and talking to God about what I wrote in my last blog.

I came back and took up the courage and mooted an idea to my parents and grandma that we go out to one of the coffee shops for breakfast. I am surprised mum and grandma agreed. My parents and I had pratas while grandma had vegetarian bee hoon.

In one segment of our conversation, I shared with them why last night, I decided to go into my room when we were dealing with the rice cooker issue. I told them that God prompted me to step away so that the situation would not worsen. I shared with them frankly that I was on the verge of blowing my top and if I had stayed on and tried to defend myself, it would have become one of those usual quarrels the family have been experiencing for years.

I was not expecting any apologies from grandma and mum for the remarks they made. I just wanted all to know that there are alternatives to solving our differences.

Well, I did not speak at length on yesterday's incident as I felt there was no need to. After breakfast, dad and mum went out and I followed grandma to do some marketing.

My chest feels a little tight but it should be alright after a while.

I was just reflecting on how God has played a major role in the way I have been dealing with my struggles and life lately. One thing I know for sure is that His presence is with me. No more those times when I always acted on impulse and using my human wisdom and understanding in dealing with difficult situations.

That said, it does not mean I do not have my burdens for my loved ones or occasionally still making mistakes while in the process of learning. Like it or not, I will never be perfect because I am still a human.

One thing I can testify to why my outlook in life and attitude in dealing with circumstances that come by way have improved is simply my walk with God.

The past one and a half years I have not really been in step with Him hence I got bitter, angry, disappointed, frustrated, resentful with God, my parents, grandma, brother, sister and even the people in church.

A brother-in-Christ from another church who has been keeping up with my blogs even remarked that suddenly I have so much things to share about my life in my blogs when for the past year or so, my blog-site was as good as dead. He told me, "Andy, welcome back! You are back on track again!"

Thanks be to God for that but I must not rest on my laurels. My pilgrim's journey here on earth will always come to a standstill if I do not constantly make an effort to keep in step. How?

1) Purposefully set aside time to commune with God daily... not with my leftover time but giving the best part of the day to Him which I know my mind is most alert;
2) Read God's Word and putting it to action;
3) Pray - simply crying out to God the struggles I am experiencing;
4) Be still - letting God speak while being quiet;
5) Be accountable to some siblings-in-Christ;
6) Be opened to being rebuked in love by these siblings-in-Christ;
7) Be willing to be broken and vulnerable to God and those whom I am accounting my life to;
8) Be aware of who my enemy is and there is only one - Satan;
9) Asking some siblings-in-Christ to be my constant prayer warriors;
10) Giving thanks to God in all circumstances.

The above-mentioned sounds like there are so many steps to take but they have become so much part of me that I am practicing most of them naturally and daily. Praise God for that. :) I just pray I will be able to persevere on.

Oh yah, another thing I did was to put aside distractions which will lure me away from God. Different people will have different distractions so it is impossible for me to list them out. I guess we all know what are some areas which may draw us away from God. It is not easy to let them go... some we may have to but for others... we need to ensure that they do not take over the top position of our lives where God is supposed to be.

I shall end here. I have loads of clothes to iron and after that I need to sweep the floor.

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