A tale is told of a young man who grew up in a well-to-do family. A young man hungry for excitement and bright lights. You don't get a lot of those living in a ranch. So he grew impatient with the mundane life he felt was beneath him. He went up to his dad, demanded his share of the inheritance, packed up and left.
Where else would he go? Why, Vegas of course! A fat bank account. A life of indulgence awaited. Parties night and day. Enough lights to light up the Arctic circle like a carnival on the darkest of winter nights. Who could resist?
As you can probably imagine, he had the time of his life. Girls, gambling, cars, suites, booze. Life just went from pleasure to pleasure. No responsibilities. Total freedom. He was surrounded with friends. Life in the fast lane. Fame and fortune.
Money, unlike fruits, don't grow on trees, and it certainly didnt' grow on trees back then either. Money, like any other liquid items, eventually run low. Our prince eventually had to *gasp* find a job. But no one would hire him. There was no way he could pass for a Vegas showgirl after all, and he wasn't really big enough to be a bouncer. His friends couldn't or wouldn't help him. They just simply melted away the minute they smelt trouble.
Finally he got a job taking care of the show horses. He suffered mistreatment from a cruel, greedy employer. And it didn't pay much, obviously, certainly not enough for any of the fine dining he was so used to. Not even enough for a regular cheeseburger and coke from McDs. He spent hours upon hours with smelly, sweaty horses. It's certainly no fun cleaning up after horses, no matter how beautiful they are.
It was hot and hungry work. It finally came to a point where he was driven to eat from the same trough the forses ate from. Did he think, "Hmm, a dash of salt is all it needs to make this a fabulous dish"? Certainly not! It brought back memories of his father's house, where even the lowest servant had better fare then this.
"But how can I go back?" he wonders. After snubbing his father and family and walking out the way he did.
In time his need overcame his shame. He left without looking back and began the journey home. As he approaches home he sees his father standing outside. He hanhs his head in shame, not daring to even look at his father. He's already planned to beg his father for mercy and ask to be accepted as a servant. He's prepared for the worst.
He hears running footsteps.
He gets hit by what feels like an oncoming train. Then he realises it's his father. And his father is hugging him. "My son, my son," he says, "You've come home!". He opens his mouth, his carefully rehearsed speech on the tip of his tongue. He starts to say he's sorry, but his father would not hear a single word of it. He calls his servants and asks them to bring out the finest robe in the house. He drapes that around his son. He pulls off the ring on his finger and puts it on his son's hand. The father orders a feast to be prepared and declares a day of celebration, for his son has come home.
Does that sound unrealistic? Would you do the same if your son did the same thing? I know someone who would - God.
That's our story really. We've been seduced away. An entire generation, an entire world drawn away from their Creator by the temporary pleasures of our Vegas'es.
But here's the truth. Like that father in the story, He awaits us. Standing each day on the doorstep scanning the horizon for our return. And He waits because He is a gentleman, Because it is a choice we make whether to come home or not.
Sooner or later, we all realise that life isn't the bed of roses we wish it would be. Challenges come our way. Financial problems, relationship problems, career problems, you name it. But do we know that there is better fare in our Father's house? Oh no, He doesn't take away our problems. He carries us through them.
Who is this Father? Is the father in the story a fool? No, he just loves. And likewise with God. He loves us. This God who created the stars in the sky and knows them by name (Psalm 147:4). This Father who knows the number of hair upon all our heads (Matthew 10:30). He who preserves our coming in and going out (Psalm 121:8).
He knows us, better than anyone. Better than we know ourselves. Do we know Him?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
One Life pt. 2
This post is a continuation from pt 1 (duh). And if I may, I suggest reading that first before this.
So, in Part 1, I told the story of Srey Mom, a child sex worker, who was forced into the heinous trafficking trade. Was that her fault? Certainly not, and I'm sure anyone would agree with me. And yet, there are many children out there who are suffering the same fate she suffered years ago. There are many others who live from hand to mouth and have too little to eat. Others with no clean water. Others who have lost parents to disasters, accidents, murders and so on.
Doesn't that make you think how fortunate we are here in Malaysia? To be born in a place where we have enough to eat. Where there's hardly any chance we'd lose our parents or siblings in wars. Where its generally safe and peaceful.
Oh sure I know this country isn't perfect. No country is. Yes there's crime and corruption. But don't you think as a whole we're a pretty fortunate lot? But no, we don't really, do we? A lot of us complain and grouch about our jobs, and the petty dissatisfactions we have. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to judge others or be condescending. Too many times I'm like that too.
But this One Life exhibition brings to mind about how blessed we are to be here. Do we know that? I'm sure we do, subconsciously. But let's take a minute to reflect here. We've been blessed so so much. We've got jobs. We've got homes. We've got enough. We've got education. We've got so many other things which we take for granted every single day.
You know, there's a saying that goes "You never know what you've got till you lose it". Let's not wait till we lose what we've been blessed with. Let's reflect on the very fact that we have enough for a moment. Maybe not very much, but enough. Yes some of us may have to work 2 or 3 shifts to earn enough to feed ourselves and our kids. But we have enough. Many people out there don't.
Let's give a little out of what we have. I've mentioned this in previous posts. I once got flamed by a guy who said "if you're oprah or someone like that then you'll be rich enough and only then can you make a difference". Here's my take on it. You don't have to be Oprah. You don't have to be rich. Surely a person who has enough can give some to someone who doesn't have enough.
We don't have to give the clothes off our backs or quit our jobs and all become Mother Theresas. We can all make a difference. Small differences, but big differences are made up of small differences. Did you know a single pebble can start an avalanche? Why don't we start an avalanche?
All we need to do is realise how much we have been blessed. And when we've realised that, let's appreciate that. And then let's move towards a better future. We have the power to make a difference in our small ways. The little time or money or whatever that you and I can give can and will make a difference. In the Bible, Jesus multiplied a little boy's lunch to feed 5,000 people. All it took was one boy to be willing to start something. To give something of himself. God did the rest.
Try it, and let's be amazed at the results.
And I quote here the One Life Revolution motto: "You've got one life. Do something"
So, in Part 1, I told the story of Srey Mom, a child sex worker, who was forced into the heinous trafficking trade. Was that her fault? Certainly not, and I'm sure anyone would agree with me. And yet, there are many children out there who are suffering the same fate she suffered years ago. There are many others who live from hand to mouth and have too little to eat. Others with no clean water. Others who have lost parents to disasters, accidents, murders and so on.
Doesn't that make you think how fortunate we are here in Malaysia? To be born in a place where we have enough to eat. Where there's hardly any chance we'd lose our parents or siblings in wars. Where its generally safe and peaceful.
Oh sure I know this country isn't perfect. No country is. Yes there's crime and corruption. But don't you think as a whole we're a pretty fortunate lot? But no, we don't really, do we? A lot of us complain and grouch about our jobs, and the petty dissatisfactions we have. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to judge others or be condescending. Too many times I'm like that too.
But this One Life exhibition brings to mind about how blessed we are to be here. Do we know that? I'm sure we do, subconsciously. But let's take a minute to reflect here. We've been blessed so so much. We've got jobs. We've got homes. We've got enough. We've got education. We've got so many other things which we take for granted every single day.
You know, there's a saying that goes "You never know what you've got till you lose it". Let's not wait till we lose what we've been blessed with. Let's reflect on the very fact that we have enough for a moment. Maybe not very much, but enough. Yes some of us may have to work 2 or 3 shifts to earn enough to feed ourselves and our kids. But we have enough. Many people out there don't.
Let's give a little out of what we have. I've mentioned this in previous posts. I once got flamed by a guy who said "if you're oprah or someone like that then you'll be rich enough and only then can you make a difference". Here's my take on it. You don't have to be Oprah. You don't have to be rich. Surely a person who has enough can give some to someone who doesn't have enough.
We don't have to give the clothes off our backs or quit our jobs and all become Mother Theresas. We can all make a difference. Small differences, but big differences are made up of small differences. Did you know a single pebble can start an avalanche? Why don't we start an avalanche?
All we need to do is realise how much we have been blessed. And when we've realised that, let's appreciate that. And then let's move towards a better future. We have the power to make a difference in our small ways. The little time or money or whatever that you and I can give can and will make a difference. In the Bible, Jesus multiplied a little boy's lunch to feed 5,000 people. All it took was one boy to be willing to start something. To give something of himself. God did the rest.
Try it, and let's be amazed at the results.
And I quote here the One Life Revolution motto: "You've got one life. Do something"
Sunday, July 13, 2008
One Life pt. 1
Most of you've probably never heard of the One Life Revolution. I'll tell you about it. It was an exhibition that was held in Monash Uni, Mid Valley and finally in DUMC, a church in PJ. It told the stories of 3 children's lives and invited visitors to walk in the shoes of those children for 20 minutes. I only managed to visit 2 so I will tell both those stories. And I invite you to walk in their shoes even as I tell the stories. Please note the details might be very slightly different as I'm writing from memory.
Srey Mom, Cambodia
Imagine your father dying suddenly when you are 12. You don't understand it. One moment he's fine, and the next, he's dying of a disease you don't even know. Things get harder after he dies. Your mother has to work extra hard to support you, your 2 brothers and your aging grandmother.
One fine day, your mother abandons you. She leaves with your 2 brothers, leaving you with your grandmother. You don't know what to do.
You decide to go to the city to look for her. A neighbour makes exciting promises about the city. Opportunities. Money to be made. Ahh..Money. You swallow the bait and follow him. And then surprise surprise. He abandons you as well. Left on your own in a city you know nothing about at the tender age of 14.
You start to sell fruits to make a living. Not much, but some. You haven't managed to locate your mother and brothers.
Someone approaches you one day. Offers you a different life. And that magic word again; money. You follow her. You end up in a house. Several other girls are out front, dressed scantily. The owner of the house then tells you that money was paid for you, and you have to work off your debt, gaining a meagre salary in the process.
You are taken to your room. There's a dress hanging on the wall, and you are told to put it on. You start to protest, saying "There must be some mistake'" but you are beaten. Finally you give in. That's when the hell starts.
You are forced to have sex with many men a day. Cambodians, Thais, labourers, workers. They ask for a young girl. Again and again, you are brought out to be shown to 'customers'. They are rough with you, and none of them use condoms.
It starts to take a toll on you. You try to escape, but you are caught and beaten senseless.You start to feel sick. It scares you. You've heard of this disease called HIV. You've seen other girls at the house who have been diagnosed with HIV mysteriously disappear. You suspect they are turned out on the streets or worse.
Finally, you get to sick to work one day. The owner takes you to the hospital. You sense a chance of escape and you run out a door and hide in a garbage bin. You can see the house owner looking for you everywhere, but thankfully not the garbage bin in which you are hiding. Exhausted, you drop off to sleep.
You wake up screaming, when a nearby shopowner opens the bin and pours hot soup in. Your scream draws curious onlookers. They jeer at you and mock you, calling you a thief.
Finally you are reunited with your mother and brothers. Your mother operates a food stall in the city. But your happy reunion does not last long. Your sickness worsens. Spots and sores cover your body. People stop coming to your mother's food stall, afraid that they might contract the dirty and deadly disease you have. And so, your mother turns you out again.
You end up in a hospital to be tested for HIV. You are hoping you haven't got it, because you've seen the way people treat those who have HIV. But your hopes are once again dashed when the tests confirm you are HIV positive. You're still young. Perhaps 20 years of age. You are HIV postive...
How does this story end? Sree Mom eventually met a social worker from World Vision. Through this worker and World Vision, she has received help and care. She has been reunited with her family again, and they've been educated about HIV.
Now she is an active worker with World Vision working against child trafficking and prostitution in Cambodia.
To be continued in Part 2..
Srey Mom, Cambodia
Imagine your father dying suddenly when you are 12. You don't understand it. One moment he's fine, and the next, he's dying of a disease you don't even know. Things get harder after he dies. Your mother has to work extra hard to support you, your 2 brothers and your aging grandmother.
One fine day, your mother abandons you. She leaves with your 2 brothers, leaving you with your grandmother. You don't know what to do.
You decide to go to the city to look for her. A neighbour makes exciting promises about the city. Opportunities. Money to be made. Ahh..Money. You swallow the bait and follow him. And then surprise surprise. He abandons you as well. Left on your own in a city you know nothing about at the tender age of 14.
You start to sell fruits to make a living. Not much, but some. You haven't managed to locate your mother and brothers.
Someone approaches you one day. Offers you a different life. And that magic word again; money. You follow her. You end up in a house. Several other girls are out front, dressed scantily. The owner of the house then tells you that money was paid for you, and you have to work off your debt, gaining a meagre salary in the process.
You are taken to your room. There's a dress hanging on the wall, and you are told to put it on. You start to protest, saying "There must be some mistake'" but you are beaten. Finally you give in. That's when the hell starts.
You are forced to have sex with many men a day. Cambodians, Thais, labourers, workers. They ask for a young girl. Again and again, you are brought out to be shown to 'customers'. They are rough with you, and none of them use condoms.
It starts to take a toll on you. You try to escape, but you are caught and beaten senseless.You start to feel sick. It scares you. You've heard of this disease called HIV. You've seen other girls at the house who have been diagnosed with HIV mysteriously disappear. You suspect they are turned out on the streets or worse.
Finally, you get to sick to work one day. The owner takes you to the hospital. You sense a chance of escape and you run out a door and hide in a garbage bin. You can see the house owner looking for you everywhere, but thankfully not the garbage bin in which you are hiding. Exhausted, you drop off to sleep.
You wake up screaming, when a nearby shopowner opens the bin and pours hot soup in. Your scream draws curious onlookers. They jeer at you and mock you, calling you a thief.
Finally you are reunited with your mother and brothers. Your mother operates a food stall in the city. But your happy reunion does not last long. Your sickness worsens. Spots and sores cover your body. People stop coming to your mother's food stall, afraid that they might contract the dirty and deadly disease you have. And so, your mother turns you out again.
You end up in a hospital to be tested for HIV. You are hoping you haven't got it, because you've seen the way people treat those who have HIV. But your hopes are once again dashed when the tests confirm you are HIV positive. You're still young. Perhaps 20 years of age. You are HIV postive...
How does this story end? Sree Mom eventually met a social worker from World Vision. Through this worker and World Vision, she has received help and care. She has been reunited with her family again, and they've been educated about HIV.
Now she is an active worker with World Vision working against child trafficking and prostitution in Cambodia.
To be continued in Part 2..
Friday, July 4, 2008
Live For? Die For?
I'd be willing to bet that a whole lot of people in the world today haven't got the slightest clue what to live for. And because of that, most of us just take the easier alternative; not to think and just live for ourselves. What does that mean? It means Me First. Everything else is second. Yeah, in today's culture aren't we all taught to take responsibility of our lives and careers? And isn't it "difficult" to get ahead in life unless we climb all over each other?
Me First.
You know what's interesting? Many a time we'll see in movies or in dramas about wars in olden days. And a common theme will always be patriotism. And we'll think of just how "patriotic" we Malaysians are and snigger.
Me First.
For some of us, we get "lucky". Our parents can afford education overseas for us. Or perhaps we get the opportunity to work overseas or migrate. And thus we go, leaving this country for greener pastures. Its easier elsewhere, they say. Politically stable. Better pay. Better standard of life.
Me First.
And for others, we just have to make do with what we have. We work longer hours at the office, hoping to impress the boss. We make snide manipulative remarks behind our colleagues backs, trying to get ahead. We "decorate" the financials at month and year ends, hoping for some credit. We keep silent when we see something wrong happening, hoping we'll be seen as "trusty" employees.
Me First.
Friends are not spared. We choose our friends carefully, don't we? They've got to be the elite. The same "social status" as us. We don't want to be seen with the geek in class or the plain looking girl at the office. We shudder to even think of shaking hands with the girl in class who's got AIDS and tremble at the thought of talking to the deformed guy sitting up front.
Me First.
We rationalise all the wrongs that take place in the world. Yes we do. With ignorant indifference we say that its ok to be gay and its ok to be promiscuous. Its all "perspective". We say this without even a moment's thought. I wonder how many of us would react if our own kids came home and told us "Hey Dad, I'm pregnant" or "Hey Mom, I'm gay". We hear every single year about how younger and younger children are starting to experiment with sex and various perversions. What do we do? Shrug, of course. Maybe a vague "What is this world coming to?" and we turn the page, more interested in Britney's latest adventure or something else.
Me First.
I could go on, but that would be beside the point. Yes I'm sure this is a highly controversial post. A lot of what I've just said is debatable. But I write from my heart. And I don't write without having thought a tad bit as well =) I probably might get flamed somewhat even but I don't mind.
There's a phrase that goes like this "You never know what you're alive for until you know what you would die for"
What would you die for? Perhaps when we've asked ourselves that and thought a bit, we'd see things in a different light. Maybe we'll even start to stand for something.
I stand for righteousness. I stand for making a difference. I stand for the morals and principles that our world was built on. I stand for love. I stand for peace. I stand for doing the right thing even when everyone around is doing the wrong thing. I stand for truth. I stand for putting others before myself.
I stand for Christ, the One who gave me freedom and the One who is the reason I am who I am.
Those are the things I would die for.
Me First.
You know what's interesting? Many a time we'll see in movies or in dramas about wars in olden days. And a common theme will always be patriotism. And we'll think of just how "patriotic" we Malaysians are and snigger.
Me First.
For some of us, we get "lucky". Our parents can afford education overseas for us. Or perhaps we get the opportunity to work overseas or migrate. And thus we go, leaving this country for greener pastures. Its easier elsewhere, they say. Politically stable. Better pay. Better standard of life.
Me First.
And for others, we just have to make do with what we have. We work longer hours at the office, hoping to impress the boss. We make snide manipulative remarks behind our colleagues backs, trying to get ahead. We "decorate" the financials at month and year ends, hoping for some credit. We keep silent when we see something wrong happening, hoping we'll be seen as "trusty" employees.
Me First.
Friends are not spared. We choose our friends carefully, don't we? They've got to be the elite. The same "social status" as us. We don't want to be seen with the geek in class or the plain looking girl at the office. We shudder to even think of shaking hands with the girl in class who's got AIDS and tremble at the thought of talking to the deformed guy sitting up front.
Me First.
We rationalise all the wrongs that take place in the world. Yes we do. With ignorant indifference we say that its ok to be gay and its ok to be promiscuous. Its all "perspective". We say this without even a moment's thought. I wonder how many of us would react if our own kids came home and told us "Hey Dad, I'm pregnant" or "Hey Mom, I'm gay". We hear every single year about how younger and younger children are starting to experiment with sex and various perversions. What do we do? Shrug, of course. Maybe a vague "What is this world coming to?" and we turn the page, more interested in Britney's latest adventure or something else.
Me First.
I could go on, but that would be beside the point. Yes I'm sure this is a highly controversial post. A lot of what I've just said is debatable. But I write from my heart. And I don't write without having thought a tad bit as well =) I probably might get flamed somewhat even but I don't mind.
There's a phrase that goes like this "You never know what you're alive for until you know what you would die for"
What would you die for? Perhaps when we've asked ourselves that and thought a bit, we'd see things in a different light. Maybe we'll even start to stand for something.
I stand for righteousness. I stand for making a difference. I stand for the morals and principles that our world was built on. I stand for love. I stand for peace. I stand for doing the right thing even when everyone around is doing the wrong thing. I stand for truth. I stand for putting others before myself.
I stand for Christ, the One who gave me freedom and the One who is the reason I am who I am.
Those are the things I would die for.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Victory Over Death
Strange title, isn't that? For most of us, death is the end. For a lot of Chinese folks, it's a taboo to even speak about death. It's a subject that arouses fear in them. Now, I'm not one who knows much about traditions and feng shui and stuff,except what I hear from people around. Apparently its bad to give a Chinese a clock because it symbolizes time is ticking towards death or something.
And they also believe that death is 'dirty', for want of a better term, of course. Imagine this. Apparently one day back in 1988, my grandad just happened to fall down dead on the kitchen floor. And get this. None of his children even dared to go near his body. Apparently it was superstition.
So we come back to the subject of Death. Let's face it. We're all gonna die someday. It could be tomorrow for all we know. Or even today. Or 40 years down the line. Life is short. Life is fragile. Like Shakespeare put it, life is a brief candle. We can eat as healthily as possible and still die of liver failure. We can be careful and cautious and still die in a freak accident.
My whole point is : Death is a constant. We all will face it someday. So let's stop playing games and skirting around the issue as if not talking about it will give us an additional 20 years lease of life.
So how do we face it? What's next? Heaven? Hell? Are those myths? Nothingness? Reincarnation? Nobody can say for sure can they? And isn't that why death is feared so much? Isn't that why there are so many deathbed conversions? People at the very end of the rope finally trying to secure their afterlifes.
Jesus promised us life after death. You may not believe in Jesus but there is no way you can ignore His claims. Jesus said that all who believe in Him will find life. Not just life after death but an abundant life here on earth. Abundant, of course, not meaning luxuries and wealth, but a complete and whole life. One in which we find peace. One in which we find joy. But more importantly is His claims about the afterlife. Cuz He claims there's an eternity beyond the grave. Not a few days or years or even decades. Eternity. Infinite. Period.
What will you do? Are you someone who has never considered what's beyond the grave? Have you shrugged it off, thinking you've got so many years ahead of you? Or are you someone who's searching for answers about this? Whatever category you fall in, there are answers. There is truth.
Read this blog post. I found it last night and I think it would do us all good. It sure did me good.
And they also believe that death is 'dirty', for want of a better term, of course. Imagine this. Apparently one day back in 1988, my grandad just happened to fall down dead on the kitchen floor. And get this. None of his children even dared to go near his body. Apparently it was superstition.
So we come back to the subject of Death. Let's face it. We're all gonna die someday. It could be tomorrow for all we know. Or even today. Or 40 years down the line. Life is short. Life is fragile. Like Shakespeare put it, life is a brief candle. We can eat as healthily as possible and still die of liver failure. We can be careful and cautious and still die in a freak accident.
My whole point is : Death is a constant. We all will face it someday. So let's stop playing games and skirting around the issue as if not talking about it will give us an additional 20 years lease of life.
So how do we face it? What's next? Heaven? Hell? Are those myths? Nothingness? Reincarnation? Nobody can say for sure can they? And isn't that why death is feared so much? Isn't that why there are so many deathbed conversions? People at the very end of the rope finally trying to secure their afterlifes.
Jesus promised us life after death. You may not believe in Jesus but there is no way you can ignore His claims. Jesus said that all who believe in Him will find life. Not just life after death but an abundant life here on earth. Abundant, of course, not meaning luxuries and wealth, but a complete and whole life. One in which we find peace. One in which we find joy. But more importantly is His claims about the afterlife. Cuz He claims there's an eternity beyond the grave. Not a few days or years or even decades. Eternity. Infinite. Period.
What will you do? Are you someone who has never considered what's beyond the grave? Have you shrugged it off, thinking you've got so many years ahead of you? Or are you someone who's searching for answers about this? Whatever category you fall in, there are answers. There is truth.
Read this blog post. I found it last night and I think it would do us all good. It sure did me good.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Giving
How much can we give? And I'm not just talking about money. I'm talking about time, energy, money, prayers and whatever else. I'm not just talking about charity. I'm talking about relationships too.
How much can we give?
Dont we look to protect ourselves only too often? Ever heard of this?
"Why should I give when I already have so little?"
Pertinent question, isn't it? Why should we give? We already have so little time. We're working 8 hours or 10 hours or 20 hours a day. We don't earn that much. Inflation's starting to get annoying. We're already so tired out when we get home from the day's activities. Weekends are treasure chests of rest. Why should we give that up?
I guess sometimes we don't count our blessings. We don't know how much we really have. We immerse ourselves in our own lives and clutch everything to ourselves as though we own them. But do we? Do we really 'own' the money we earn or the time we're given?
By now, I bet you're scratching your head wondering what in the blue blazes am I talking about, right? Patience, dear friends, I'm getting there, and for those of you who know me, you know Suspense is my middle name.. Yeah right, who am I kidding lol.
Back to the point at hand. Do we really 'own' what we receive here on earth when it can be taken so easily? I'll point out an example, and this is actually a parable from the Bible written from my memory.
There was once a rich man with a lot of land and crops. He stockpiled all his riches in warehouses and was obviously pretty proud of it. He was confident in his riches. And he made plans to live a luxurious life with the riches he had gathered. In his own words he said he would "eat, drink and be merry". By all appearances he was set for a long luxurious life.
But God said to him, "You foolish man, this very night your life will be taken from you. How then will you spend all the riches you've hoarded and enjoy your luxuries?"
Truly enough, we can all identify with this man. What excess or what little we have can be taken away just in the blink of an eye. Whether its our money or our time or our energy. These are things over which we don't have very much control of. Yeah we can go and invest our money in diversified portfolios to minimise risks, but who's to say all of those portfolios won't crash?
We can eat healthy and still get cancer (Of course I'm not advocating unhealthy eating lol). One fact of life is that we can be taken anytime. We can die anytime. And no I'm not afraid to use the word die. I could die today or tomorrow. And that's the truth.
So then why do we bother so much with hoarding? Interestingly, we hoard and yet we complain. We complain about rising prices and inflation and too little time and too tired and everything, but we fail to see how much we've been blessed. There are a lot of people out in the world who are living hand to mouth. There are a lot of people out there who have much bigger problems than a small paycheck.
Millions of people live on the brink of starvation. There are entire communities who do not have the basic amenities of schools and playgrounds and books. Multitudes of people live under the shadow of death each and every second of the day.
And we ask why we should give?
I ask in return. Why should we NOT give? What we have was given to us anyway. I don't believe we should be saving for our future when our brothers and sisters are dying from not having enough to even sustain themselves for tomorrow.
Of course I'm not asking everyone to give up jobs and go give your life working in Africa or donate evry single cent you have in the bank. It's just that as a society and as a community in general we have more than we need. We have more money than we need. We have more time and energy that we really need.
Let's give to those who need it more than we do. And its not limited to children in Africa or Myanmar. All around us we see people starving emotionally. We see people who are broken. Broken lives and broken hearts. These people need our time and our energy. They need our love.
Let's give. I believe that one does not know what love is until he's able to give without hoping for anyting in return. Let's give because we love.
After all, we're surrounded by people who have given to us. We've had parents who gave all they had for us (for some of us perhaps not). We've had teachers who sacrificed to make us better people. We've got a God who gave His all for us.
So let's open our hearts to give of ourselves to others. Life does not revolve around us. Never did and never will.
How much can we give?
Dont we look to protect ourselves only too often? Ever heard of this?
"Why should I give when I already have so little?"
Pertinent question, isn't it? Why should we give? We already have so little time. We're working 8 hours or 10 hours or 20 hours a day. We don't earn that much. Inflation's starting to get annoying. We're already so tired out when we get home from the day's activities. Weekends are treasure chests of rest. Why should we give that up?
I guess sometimes we don't count our blessings. We don't know how much we really have. We immerse ourselves in our own lives and clutch everything to ourselves as though we own them. But do we? Do we really 'own' the money we earn or the time we're given?
By now, I bet you're scratching your head wondering what in the blue blazes am I talking about, right? Patience, dear friends, I'm getting there, and for those of you who know me, you know Suspense is my middle name.. Yeah right, who am I kidding lol.
Back to the point at hand. Do we really 'own' what we receive here on earth when it can be taken so easily? I'll point out an example, and this is actually a parable from the Bible written from my memory.
There was once a rich man with a lot of land and crops. He stockpiled all his riches in warehouses and was obviously pretty proud of it. He was confident in his riches. And he made plans to live a luxurious life with the riches he had gathered. In his own words he said he would "eat, drink and be merry". By all appearances he was set for a long luxurious life.
But God said to him, "You foolish man, this very night your life will be taken from you. How then will you spend all the riches you've hoarded and enjoy your luxuries?"
Truly enough, we can all identify with this man. What excess or what little we have can be taken away just in the blink of an eye. Whether its our money or our time or our energy. These are things over which we don't have very much control of. Yeah we can go and invest our money in diversified portfolios to minimise risks, but who's to say all of those portfolios won't crash?
We can eat healthy and still get cancer (Of course I'm not advocating unhealthy eating lol). One fact of life is that we can be taken anytime. We can die anytime. And no I'm not afraid to use the word die. I could die today or tomorrow. And that's the truth.
So then why do we bother so much with hoarding? Interestingly, we hoard and yet we complain. We complain about rising prices and inflation and too little time and too tired and everything, but we fail to see how much we've been blessed. There are a lot of people out in the world who are living hand to mouth. There are a lot of people out there who have much bigger problems than a small paycheck.
Millions of people live on the brink of starvation. There are entire communities who do not have the basic amenities of schools and playgrounds and books. Multitudes of people live under the shadow of death each and every second of the day.
And we ask why we should give?
I ask in return. Why should we NOT give? What we have was given to us anyway. I don't believe we should be saving for our future when our brothers and sisters are dying from not having enough to even sustain themselves for tomorrow.
Of course I'm not asking everyone to give up jobs and go give your life working in Africa or donate evry single cent you have in the bank. It's just that as a society and as a community in general we have more than we need. We have more money than we need. We have more time and energy that we really need.
Let's give to those who need it more than we do. And its not limited to children in Africa or Myanmar. All around us we see people starving emotionally. We see people who are broken. Broken lives and broken hearts. These people need our time and our energy. They need our love.
Let's give. I believe that one does not know what love is until he's able to give without hoping for anyting in return. Let's give because we love.
After all, we're surrounded by people who have given to us. We've had parents who gave all they had for us (for some of us perhaps not). We've had teachers who sacrificed to make us better people. We've got a God who gave His all for us.
So let's open our hearts to give of ourselves to others. Life does not revolve around us. Never did and never will.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Brokenness
Ah that word.. Brokenness.. Do we hear it often? Probably not. What comes to mind? Broken families? Broken marriages? Break ups? Hmm.. Well it means a whole lot more to me. It means all of us.
Oh yes, you heard me right. All of us are broken in some way or another. We don't need to come from a broken home to be broken. We live in a generation of broken promises, broken values, a broken culture and that results in brokenness.
Ever wondered why we get so hungry for accomplishments and achievements when they're really nothing more than pieces of paper? Of ever wondered why we work so hard and long to hoard all that money and at the end of the day find that it wasn't worth it? Or why we've all started living for ourselves and ourselves alone? Or why crime and corruption and adultery have risen so much? Or why depression and suicide rates never seem to go down? Or why every other week you hear about bombs exploding everywhere?
That's brokenness for you.
Brokenness, not just on a personal level, but on a national and worldwide level. Let's face it. We ARE broken. We're a broken society. We've forgotten how to love and how to hope and how to care. We've forgotten how to live. Am I painting a bleak picture here? That's probably because most of us don't really know what goes on outside the 4 walls of our lives. I mean no offence of course.
We live in times where every major institution has crumbled and lies in shambles. The Governments are corrupted. In some parts of the world people have lost faith in marriage. Our moral system has changed to become something "subjective" rather than absolute. The judiciary systems are for the most part mere plays. The list goes on.
So is this the kind of world we want to hand down to our future generations? Do we want them to suffer from the mistakes of their forefathers? I for one say NO. I for one want to make a difference. And there are people all over the world today praying and hoping and living for that difference.
Every so often you hear a gem of a story. Perhaps it could be an old couple still very much in love after their 60th year of marriage. Or a story about a hero running through a burning house to save a stranger. Or a story of people giving up luxury and comforts to help the poor and needy of our world.
There seems to be a common theme or common denominator within all the above; the willingness to give. The willingness to put others before themselves. Yes, goodness and righteousness still exist in this world. And it is our duty to ensure goodness and righteousness will still exist, and indeed even be more prevalent in the future.
It's not that difficult really. It just needs a radical shift of our mindset away from ourselves to others. We just need to acknowledge that we are not perfect, no matter how perfect we look on the outside. We need to acknowledge our brokenness. Only then can healing for this generation take place.
Wouldn't it be cool if on one hand we could acknowledge we are all broken in some way or another; that we are still incomplete, and on the other still be able to pull our attention and concern away from ourselves to others? Try it. See how everything will change.
Oh yes, you heard me right. All of us are broken in some way or another. We don't need to come from a broken home to be broken. We live in a generation of broken promises, broken values, a broken culture and that results in brokenness.
Ever wondered why we get so hungry for accomplishments and achievements when they're really nothing more than pieces of paper? Of ever wondered why we work so hard and long to hoard all that money and at the end of the day find that it wasn't worth it? Or why we've all started living for ourselves and ourselves alone? Or why crime and corruption and adultery have risen so much? Or why depression and suicide rates never seem to go down? Or why every other week you hear about bombs exploding everywhere?
That's brokenness for you.
Brokenness, not just on a personal level, but on a national and worldwide level. Let's face it. We ARE broken. We're a broken society. We've forgotten how to love and how to hope and how to care. We've forgotten how to live. Am I painting a bleak picture here? That's probably because most of us don't really know what goes on outside the 4 walls of our lives. I mean no offence of course.
We live in times where every major institution has crumbled and lies in shambles. The Governments are corrupted. In some parts of the world people have lost faith in marriage. Our moral system has changed to become something "subjective" rather than absolute. The judiciary systems are for the most part mere plays. The list goes on.
So is this the kind of world we want to hand down to our future generations? Do we want them to suffer from the mistakes of their forefathers? I for one say NO. I for one want to make a difference. And there are people all over the world today praying and hoping and living for that difference.
Every so often you hear a gem of a story. Perhaps it could be an old couple still very much in love after their 60th year of marriage. Or a story about a hero running through a burning house to save a stranger. Or a story of people giving up luxury and comforts to help the poor and needy of our world.
There seems to be a common theme or common denominator within all the above; the willingness to give. The willingness to put others before themselves. Yes, goodness and righteousness still exist in this world. And it is our duty to ensure goodness and righteousness will still exist, and indeed even be more prevalent in the future.
It's not that difficult really. It just needs a radical shift of our mindset away from ourselves to others. We just need to acknowledge that we are not perfect, no matter how perfect we look on the outside. We need to acknowledge our brokenness. Only then can healing for this generation take place.
Wouldn't it be cool if on one hand we could acknowledge we are all broken in some way or another; that we are still incomplete, and on the other still be able to pull our attention and concern away from ourselves to others? Try it. See how everything will change.
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