Yan. Malaysian. At work, a journalist. At home, mother, wife, daughter-in-law. In my space, a friend, a child of God.
God is not done with me yet! The best is yet to come.
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I picked this little wisdom from one of my executives’ office –
Think of life as board game:
For every kind word, you move one space forward
For every loving deed, you jump two spaces forward
For every grump, grouch, or unkind word, you go back one space
Now, play to win
Will you win?
I had coffee with a very senior lawyer (here senior does not imply age, but his status and standing in his profession) , also a dear friend, in town this morning. We have not met for quite a while.
“You look good. You slim down. Your face radiant. Your complexion is good. Tell me your secret.”
It is within this very senior lawyer to say things good at any time, any place, any situation.
It’s menopause, I talked to myself, but still loud enough to be heard.
Does menopause make you look that good? He exclaimed, loud enough to pierce through the four walls.
We laughed.
I remember this hymn, In The Garden –
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.
I never knew the meaning of this hymn, until I heard such pleasant compliments over coffee this morning with this lawyer. For the past three months, He walks with me, He talks with me, He tells me I am His own – menopausal complications can give you that ‘radiance’ too.
The secret? My dear friend, the senior lawyer,
Because I was In The Garden with Him!
God can make a garden out of the menopausal conditions you are in, if, only if, you take Him with you.
Lifted this from “Alice in the Wonderland” –
Alice laughed: ‘There’s no use trying,’ she said.
‘One can’t believe impossible things.’
‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen.
‘When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.'”
– Lewis Carroll
When motivators, whether in a seminar or in their books, ask people to believe in impossible things, they always use “six impossible things” and “before breakfast”. I always wonder why six not seven or even ten. Why before breakfast, not the moment you get out of bed.
Re-visited Alice in the wonderland recently, it was the queen who practised to believe in six impossible things before breakfast when she was younger!
Probably tomorrow when we get out of the bed instead of just stretching our body, think, plan and pray for six things that we require God’s involvement in the day ahead!
You are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. – Matt 5:48
A good friend comments that I am a perfectionist, while musing that he is one, too.
That was few months ago. I thought, why not? The Bible commands us “Be perfect as God is perfect”.
So, I continued to put very high expectations on myself while also expecting high from others around me too.
But my three-months’ sickness reduced me to my very being. There were many times when “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”. My efficiency dropped by 50 percent. I left many things undone. I did many things less than perfect…
I wrote to the good friend few days ago –
I am less of a perfectionist. I learn to slow down. I let go and let down. I am less demanding on myself. I also see more good in people around me…
Yes, I have learnt it the hard way that when God ‘commands’ me to be perfect, He has not commanded me to be without flaw. So, what is this amazing expectation in the Bible?
When God told his people to be perfect as He is, He meant “be fitted for your purpose, to fulfill your ultimate design, as fully as God is.”
The meaning is found is Hebrews 5. It says Jesus learned obedience by the things that he suffered. Jesus was sinless and flawless, therefore, the process of perfection is not removing sins and flaws in his life. It is shaping his life to fulfill the purpose of God.
Be perfect. Be more perfect than perfect to suit my design, which is God’s design.
Be perfect. Be more perfect than perfect to fulfill the dream of God for my life.
Be perfect. Be more perfect than perfect to be what God has made me to be!
When was the last time I watched a movie? I could not remember. But, I remember the good old days when my late dad was the manager of a theatre that I enjoyed a weekly movie during weekend. However, all movies, English, Chinese, Hindu, were approved by dad. Probably because it was free, I preferred reading books over watching movies.
Last night I watched “The Protege”, a Hong Kong Production. Probably, if my late dad would have to give approval, this movie should be the ‘forbidden one’ because of some violent scenes.
The story is nothing new. It is about a drug lord (played by Andy Lau) at the onset of his health problems realized that it is time to find a successor. He chooses a protege, someone whom he trusts and loves, to take over his drugs business. However, the protege (played by Daniel Wu) turns out to be an undercover narcotics agent. The drug lord is being betrayed.
The drug lord takes his own life. And life for the protege is never the same for the thoughts of the betrayal of someone who has loved and trusted him haunted his life.
The movie is surely more than just a story. The question of “meaning of life” raised is profound. Is it the destructive power of drugs that was fearful? Or is it the emptiness of life that was fearful? That was the beginning questions of the movie and the movie ends with the same questions.
What does life mean to you?
Browning said, “Life is an empty dream!”
Shakespeare said, “Life is a walking shadow.”
R. Campbell said, “Life is a dusty corridor, shut at both ends!”
Colton said, “Life is the jailer of the soul in this filthy prison, and its only deliverer is death.”
What empty commentaries! Surely life is more than that!
Hear the inspired words of Paul, “For to me to live is Christ!”
For Paul, his joy, his strength, his all is found in Christ. What thrilling watchword for our heart!
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven …
a time to heal. Eccl 3:1,3
Yes, it’s the healing touch of Jesus in His own Time.
From December to February – there were no clear days. There were not a day that I felt completely good. Just before Chinese New Year, I was, I think, only 20 percent myself. Indeed, His grace is sufficient for me.
Today, I am 99 percent myself – the radiant, the cheerful with a ready smile and on the move! I feel like I am ‘made new’.
I remember the leper who turned and ran to Jesus, fell at his feet, and thanked Jesus. All the lepers had been healed, but this tenth leper was “made whole” – the ruts in his soul, the agoneies of his heart were removed with the ravaged flesh.
How could I forget to remember to give thanks to the One who heals?
How could I forget to remember to thank loved ones who were there all these 100 days or so?
If you are reading this post, you are also one of them whom I could never thank enough.
I bought this CD recently in Kuala Lumpur. There are two songs that I especially like, probably because both songs are about the “Seniors”.
Here is the first one – Trouble In The Amen Corner
It was a stylish congregation you could see they'd been around And they had the biggest pipe organ of any church in town But over in the Amen Corner of that church sat Brother Ayer And he insisted every Sunday on singing in the choir. His voice was cracked and broken age had touched his vocal chords And nearly every Sunday he'd get behind and miss the words Well, the choir got so flustered the church was told in fine That Brother Ayer must stop his singing or the choir was going to resign. So the pastor appointed a committee. I think it was three or four And they got in their big fine cars and drove up to Ayer's door They find the choir's great trouble sittin' there in an old arm chair And the summer's golden sunbeams lay upon his snow white hair. Said York we're here dear Brother with the vestries approbation To discuss a little matter that affects the congregation Now it seems that your voice has interfered with the choir So if you'll just lay out are you listening Brother Ayer. The old man raised his head a sign that he had hear And on his cheek the three men caught the glitter of a tear His feeble hands pushed back the locks as white as silky snow And he answered the committee in a voice both soft and low. I wonder if beyond the tide that's breaking at my feet In that far off heavenly temple where my Master and I shall meet Yes, I wonder if when I try to sing the song of God up higher I wonder if they'll kick me out of there for singing in heaven's choir. A silence filled the little room and the old man bowed his head The committee went on back to town but Brother Ayer was dead The choir missed him for awhile but he was soon forgotten A few church goers watched the door but the old man entered not. Far away his voice is sweet and he sings his heart desire Where are there no church committees and no fashionable choirs. Let me hide myself in Thee...
The next One – Where We’ll Never Grow Old
I have heard of a land On the faraway strand This a beautiful home of the soul Built by Jesus on high There we never shall die This the land where we'll never grow old. Never grow old, never grow old In the land where we'll never grow old Never grow old, never grow old In the land where we'll never grow old. When our work here is done And the life's crown is won And our troubles and trials are o'er All our sorrow will end And our voices will blend With the loved ones who've gone on before. Never grow old, never grow old In the land where we'll never grow old Never grow old, never grow old In the land where we'll never grow old...
