I want to praise the Lord for today due to several reasons. I will share them as I write on. Plans made did not go the way they were intended to but I think there was a purpose for that.
I was supposed to represent the church leadership to attend the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) Special Session at Toa Payoh Methodist Church at 2.00pm. If you are clueless as to what I have just mentioned... well, it is about all the Methodist Churches' pastors and appointed leaders coming together to deliberate on some important matters concerning the churches.
I was all set to go but I received a call-up to be at the National Education show in Marina Bay - it was actually the National Day rehearsal. I was in church when the mobilisation came and thank God, a dear sister-in-Christ fetched me home so that I could change into my uniform and headed for the parade ground in time for the briefing.
I will not go into the details of my assignment but I was stationed at a place where there was a rather big number of spectators. From the time the parade commenced to the closing segment I was mingling with the crowd as I did not want to create that divide.
Anyway, I got to know a young Australian Chinese couple, Peter and Alix, who arrived in Singapore a couple of months back on a work assignment. They have never witnessed an event of this sort so I decided to give them a running commentary. I also told them the highlights of the event and interestingly they decided to stay on though it was past their dinner time.
I got to know them better as we spoke and they basically love Singapore especially the food and the shopping. I asked them whether they have visited all the places of interest and they said not really. Well, we exchanged numbers and I will probably meet up with them soon just to bring them around and introduce them to some popular local dishes.
They were quite interested in my Peranakan heritage as they have heard of it when they were still in Sydney, Australia. I guess I will bring them to the Peranakan Museum and then after to a Baba restaurant in Katong for a meal. I am looking forward to that as they are a very friendly couple. :)
Actually I was switching conversations between the couple and another brother-in-Christ whom I last met in the 1990s. Yup, that many years ago. In fact when I first saw him where I was stationed, I could not really confirmed whether he was the guy I knew when he was still worshipping in my church. After a couple of minutes, I took up the courage to ask him. He was unsure initially but as I gave him more information, it jolted his memory.
Melvin is his name and he is wheelchair-bound. He was not when he was still in my church. He suffers from epilepsy attacks regularly but that was not the cause of his immobility. A couple of years back, he had an accident at his workplace and he was diagnosed of another ailment which causes his legs to be paralysed. He told me the medical term for it but I cannot really recall now.
I wanted to pray with him there and then but it was too crowded to do so. We exchanged numbers and he told me he is living alone. I am curious to know why because for his condition it is not good to be on his own. Anyway, he invited me to come visit him and I will because I still want to pray with him and to see whether I can be of any assistance to this long-lost brother-in-Christ.
He apologised that he could not recall much of the past due to his condition but I told him it was totally fine because it is the now that matters.
I asked God, as I bade Melvin farewell, whether this was His plan. I mean I could have gone for the TRAC session and totally not have the chance to meet Peter, Alix and Melvin but now I have. For that I will make full use of the opportunity to reach out to them... hopefully God can use me to offer hospitality to the Australian couple and encouragement to Melvin.
Actually the above three individuals were not the only ones I got to know. There was a fourth person and his name is Joshua. Well, he is a fellow brother-in-Christ, I guess. I had to say "I guess" because he comes from the Central Christian Church where they are known for their questionable doctrines. Anyway, I still regarded him as a brother-in-Christ. He is a very nice guy in his 50s and he is into photography. I was telling him where to aim his camera for the fireworks display but he seemed to always go off-course but I guess that was fine. :)
We exchanged tips on this hobby. I basically gave him some pointers on how to capture nice fireworks shots. He took up my suggestion and used it and he was pretty impressed with the result. Phew! At least the shots turned out well. Haha.
Well, it is such a joy to be able to make use of every opportunity to know the people around me though most of them are total strangers. I think there is a reason why God placed me there and now I will follow up on these persons and see how our friendships may develop.
It has been a very uplifting day for me... I do not know whether that is the right word to use but my spirit was lifted after many many days of being down and discouraged. I am not saying that I am totally fine because I am still burdened but two very dear sisters-in-Christ prayed for me in the earlier part of the afternoon. That time spent with them really turned my focus on God rather than the burdens. I sought for the Lord's forgiveness and I totally surrendered the people I am troubled for to Him.
Again, I was reminded of the evil one using people close to my heart and circumstances I am experiencing now to put me down. I also prayed for my loved ones whom I am burdened for that God will also protect them. I commanded the work of the devil in their lives to be destroyed so that they can live their lives the way God intended them to be.
I left that session with this assurance that my loved ones are now under God's care and I know they will be safe. I do not know how else to explain this but there was simply this peace in my heart. Praise the Lord!
I will still be their prayer warrior. Even it means having to keep praying for days or weeks or months or years, I will. They have my word for that. :)
Okay, I have written too much but I just have to share all these. :)
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5-6
"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:13-16
I was supposed to represent the church leadership to attend the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) Special Session at Toa Payoh Methodist Church at 2.00pm. If you are clueless as to what I have just mentioned... well, it is about all the Methodist Churches' pastors and appointed leaders coming together to deliberate on some important matters concerning the churches.
I was all set to go but I received a call-up to be at the National Education show in Marina Bay - it was actually the National Day rehearsal. I was in church when the mobilisation came and thank God, a dear sister-in-Christ fetched me home so that I could change into my uniform and headed for the parade ground in time for the briefing.
I will not go into the details of my assignment but I was stationed at a place where there was a rather big number of spectators. From the time the parade commenced to the closing segment I was mingling with the crowd as I did not want to create that divide.
Anyway, I got to know a young Australian Chinese couple, Peter and Alix, who arrived in Singapore a couple of months back on a work assignment. They have never witnessed an event of this sort so I decided to give them a running commentary. I also told them the highlights of the event and interestingly they decided to stay on though it was past their dinner time.
I got to know them better as we spoke and they basically love Singapore especially the food and the shopping. I asked them whether they have visited all the places of interest and they said not really. Well, we exchanged numbers and I will probably meet up with them soon just to bring them around and introduce them to some popular local dishes.
They were quite interested in my Peranakan heritage as they have heard of it when they were still in Sydney, Australia. I guess I will bring them to the Peranakan Museum and then after to a Baba restaurant in Katong for a meal. I am looking forward to that as they are a very friendly couple. :)
Actually I was switching conversations between the couple and another brother-in-Christ whom I last met in the 1990s. Yup, that many years ago. In fact when I first saw him where I was stationed, I could not really confirmed whether he was the guy I knew when he was still worshipping in my church. After a couple of minutes, I took up the courage to ask him. He was unsure initially but as I gave him more information, it jolted his memory.
Melvin is his name and he is wheelchair-bound. He was not when he was still in my church. He suffers from epilepsy attacks regularly but that was not the cause of his immobility. A couple of years back, he had an accident at his workplace and he was diagnosed of another ailment which causes his legs to be paralysed. He told me the medical term for it but I cannot really recall now.
I wanted to pray with him there and then but it was too crowded to do so. We exchanged numbers and he told me he is living alone. I am curious to know why because for his condition it is not good to be on his own. Anyway, he invited me to come visit him and I will because I still want to pray with him and to see whether I can be of any assistance to this long-lost brother-in-Christ.
He apologised that he could not recall much of the past due to his condition but I told him it was totally fine because it is the now that matters.
I asked God, as I bade Melvin farewell, whether this was His plan. I mean I could have gone for the TRAC session and totally not have the chance to meet Peter, Alix and Melvin but now I have. For that I will make full use of the opportunity to reach out to them... hopefully God can use me to offer hospitality to the Australian couple and encouragement to Melvin.
Actually the above three individuals were not the only ones I got to know. There was a fourth person and his name is Joshua. Well, he is a fellow brother-in-Christ, I guess. I had to say "I guess" because he comes from the Central Christian Church where they are known for their questionable doctrines. Anyway, I still regarded him as a brother-in-Christ. He is a very nice guy in his 50s and he is into photography. I was telling him where to aim his camera for the fireworks display but he seemed to always go off-course but I guess that was fine. :)
We exchanged tips on this hobby. I basically gave him some pointers on how to capture nice fireworks shots. He took up my suggestion and used it and he was pretty impressed with the result. Phew! At least the shots turned out well. Haha.
Well, it is such a joy to be able to make use of every opportunity to know the people around me though most of them are total strangers. I think there is a reason why God placed me there and now I will follow up on these persons and see how our friendships may develop.
It has been a very uplifting day for me... I do not know whether that is the right word to use but my spirit was lifted after many many days of being down and discouraged. I am not saying that I am totally fine because I am still burdened but two very dear sisters-in-Christ prayed for me in the earlier part of the afternoon. That time spent with them really turned my focus on God rather than the burdens. I sought for the Lord's forgiveness and I totally surrendered the people I am troubled for to Him.
Again, I was reminded of the evil one using people close to my heart and circumstances I am experiencing now to put me down. I also prayed for my loved ones whom I am burdened for that God will also protect them. I commanded the work of the devil in their lives to be destroyed so that they can live their lives the way God intended them to be.
I left that session with this assurance that my loved ones are now under God's care and I know they will be safe. I do not know how else to explain this but there was simply this peace in my heart. Praise the Lord!
I will still be their prayer warrior. Even it means having to keep praying for days or weeks or months or years, I will. They have my word for that. :)
Okay, I have written too much but I just have to share all these. :)
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5-6
"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:13-16
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