It's funny how sometimes God tests us on what we commit so blatantly. I was reading the passage about the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus told the people to give an eye for an eye, but instead to go the second mile when people make you go one mile. Just today at work, I had a scuffle with a colleague early in the morning. This colleague of mine made me go one mile with her on something that I thought wasn't my job. I was quite annoyed by it as I had a lot on my plate as well.

It was until later when another colleague came to tell me that I had answered that particular colleague quite loudly that I remembered what I read last night. There and then, I decided I would help her. But it didn't mean that I was all happy to go the one mile too! After performing what she requested, I was told to do more. My anger flared up instantly and I had to quickly fan myself out quickly before I blow at her face again. Thank God for His strength to control myself and also His favor, to be able to complete all the tasks without any more trouble. Going the extra mile isn't easy. But there is still work to be done, and I am just hoping that tomorrow will be a better day!

Reflection

Little is said when life throws you a tough ball. To appear strong, we would rather bury ourselves further in our misery, to which we know at some point will lay us bare and probably kill us (not literally, but perhaps emotionally), rather than face the truth and proclaim it out loud. If there’re no secrets of the past, the past can’t haunt you.

I just watched a TV show that made me realize how much I belittled a thing of the past. Now this thing did not happen to me, but to a friend of mine. Back then, there were those who were angry and hurt and sad about it, but I couldn’t seem to have such strong emotions within me regarding that. Perhaps my mind is wired in such that I have to see it to fully understand it. I usually rely on graphical images when I study, so maybe it’s the same way too when it comes to other things. After watching the show, I am now filled with anger and wish those people responsible for my friend’s predicament will rot in hell.

And to my friend, I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to feel what I was supposed to feel for you when you needed me to. But I’m glad you did not choose to hide it from me.

The Battle in My Mind

A friend of mine recently sent me an email with an interesting story that went like this:

In a small town, a person decided to open up a brothel, which was right opposite to a church. The church and its congregation started a campaign to block the brothel from opening with petitions and prayed daily against his business.

Work progressed. However, when it was almost complete and was about to open a few days later, a strong lightning struck the brothel and it was burnt to the ground.

The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, till the brothel owner sued the church authorities on the grounds that the church through its congregation and prayers was ultimately responsible for the destruction of his brothel, either through direct or indirect actions or means.

In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection that their prayers were reasons for the act of God. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork at the hearing and commented:

"I don't know how I'm going to decide this case, but it appears from the paperwork, we have a brothel owner who believes in the power of prayer and we have an entire church that doesn't."

It’s interesting to note how this story speaks to me as a Christian, I often pray to my Father for something but when it turns out to be something more than what I had bargained for, I begin to question if it was actually a result of my prayer or mere coincidence. I have prayed for many things, big and small in my 24 years of life, and often God gives them to me, sometimes as I had hoped for , and sometimes not as I had hoped for. It is often these times that I accept my answered prayers with reluctance. And who’s to blame, for I was the one who asked for it. There were times when I even rejected it out of fear.

In one of the seminars in the course Battlefield of the Mind, the speaker, Joyce Meyer, urged her listeners to ‘think about what you are thinking about’.  Often we have thoughts running through our minds, but not all these thoughts are necessarily healthy and promote a sound mind. Therefore we’ll have to constantly pause and think about what we are thinking about, and figure out if that thought is from our own critical thinking, or our own imagination, or whether it is from God, or from the devil.

When I think about the times when I chicken out of God’s promises because I let fear get the better of me, I regret it. But it’s not to say I don’t battle with negative thoughts or fear anymore. I still do. Everyday, actually. And each day is a tough battle.

 

 

Life Ponders

The past week has a been a rather eventful one... firstly because it was also Chinese New Year, and I got to experience working in the office with just a few people and was really tempted to just sit back and relax and enjoy the air cond... but alas, my conscience said otherwise! I am proud to say I did work as much as I could under the circumstances :D Secondly, I revisited KK and am once again convinced that I wouldn't mind going back there again! Thirdly, an incident happened that made me realize how unpredictable life can be. But over the mountains and the sea, I saw the magnificent hand of God at work in my life and those around me, and in Mother Nature.

 Life is short... one day u're fine, the next u're not... whatever life throws at us, live it to the fullest.

 Be like the rock that stands firm in adversity and the water that adapts its path to find its way to sea.

Here's a toast to better days.