More to Come

This week was crazy busy. And it just reached the end of a long day. Funny how God drives home a point. Morning – We learnt about Godly people persevering and fulfilling God’s vision
Afternoon – We learnt about the stress tests when we have a Godly vision

Then vision night.

For now, just one thought I have that’s still stuck in my half-shutdown mind. And I don’t mean to sound arrogant in any way.

The way we’re living life, we’d be barking mad if it’s not for God.

So the real question is, is it for God?

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

~ John 10:11-18~

I was really struck by how Bill Hybels viewed this passage from the point of being hired-hands or owners of God’s vision.

When it comes to God’s vision, we can be hired hands, who take off running when bad times come because it’s only a job. Or we can be owners, who’ll risk their life to protect it. Today, we talked quite deeply about it as an east CL team and we’re going to commit to diving even deeper over the next week because it’s so important that we get this right.

The regional vision of the NS group was birthed and announced about 2 years ago, with a group of like-minded people owning it and spurring each other on towards it. Basically giving it their best shot. Today, almost all of those people have moved on to other ministries, and the people to bring it further forward is us.

My question to us is this: Are we just giving assent to the vision or are we truly willing to own it?

Vision needs to be incubated. Much like a seed.

You don’t throw a seed onto a block of ice. Then proceed to heap soil over it and find a fire to melt the cold away.

No one does it that way because it just doesn’t make sense.

I’m praying for God to do a heart job in us as we approach vision night. Plough, burn, uproot, nourish, whatever You please. We want to be ready.

Missing by a mile

I stood at the elevator landing today

and listened to the sound of the rushing air, punctuated by the chimes emanated from the metal boxes below me. Commands echoed up the hollow shaft. “Doors opened”, it told them.  I imagined the exodus of students eagerly bursting out of that steely cage, anxious to continue with life. Perhaps to their hunt for seats in the crowded library or to home in on the photocopy machines on that level.

“Doors closing,” it forbade them. I imagined the awkward silence falling upon the chamber as it’s doors drew shut, broken by the monologue of the self-conscious girl who edges closer to the minuscule gap between the lift doors as she continues to stage her disconnected phone conversation. I imagined how the familiar tiled floors must look like. I imagined the lift doors beaming in their new coat of shine, perhaps shiny enough to reflect the faces of those it trapped within. Would it help them see into their thoughts, I wondered; the adventures that lay before the dreamer or the enforced introspection for the ever-busy soul.

I stood at the elevator landing today. Dreaming of the adventures that awaited, outside the confines of those gleaming walls.

I stood at the elevator landing today.

Irock

Today, the Ipod nearly became about as useful as a rock. But nonetheless, I still believe that the title of this post refers to more than just the near fate of my purple companion. (hur hur)

I awoke from my evening nap to the awkward empty space on my desk, between my handphone and my wallet. Thinking that I’d left it downstairs, I descended to the living room but it was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t in my bag either. Maybe I forgot to take it out of my pocket, I thought. So I went to the laundry basket, and there were no clothes inside.

Mad dash to the washing machine.

I open the top of the machine to see it half full (see, I’m still being positive!)of water, and filling. I dive through the pile of clothes, shoving every unsuspecting article of clothing aside. My fingers stained and soaked in the murderous waters. I soon spot the familiar sight of my bermudas and I yank them out to safety. Only to notice most parts of it already viciously attacked by the torrent that is my washing machine. I grope about the pockets, desperately hoping to find dryness and my Ipod. I only succeed in finding my Ipod.

My faithful companion, who although has only been with me for 2 months, has already suffered much (including residing in my jeans pocket together with a melted bar of chocolate). I bring its lifeless form up to my room and perform CPR in the form of a hairdryer. I pray.

After 3 cycles of 15 breaths, I turn the tiny knob on it’s top to check it’s pulse. The song title of the last song I listened to flashes to life on the screen. Still by Hillsong, it says. Oh the irony. I insert my set of amplified stethoscopes in just to be doubly sure. I am greeted by the strong beats of a brave fellow.

Now, you’re either thinking my life is really exciting. Or that it’s so boring that I have to resort to writing this. No matter, I’m really happy that I saved my purple friend today.

I’m so thankful for my ‘traveling companion’. Well he probably won’t know that I wrote this. Our meet-ups just ‘happen’ at regular random intervals, but they refresh me greatly.

Somehow, I always end up meeting him at the bus stop on Saturday nights or after combined church activities, and we’ll spend the trip back having meaningful conversations. It’s funny how I’m usually all ready to spend my 45 minute journey sleeping when I spot him at the bus stop! But I always realise that my dismay at my loss of sleep (yes, unspiritual I know) is more than made up for by the sharing that ensues.

This is the person who, after my first ever music practice for service, prayed for me immediately at the back of the bus the moment I told him I had a cough. (I really cannot recall the last time someone spontaneously did this for me, other than the usual ‘rest well, drink more water’). This is someone who just shares openly although I don’t know him very well. Who teaches me what he’s been learning from his quiet time even if it’s probably something I already know. Who patiently gives me his advice and earnestly guides me as a fellow servant of God’s kingdom. Who never fails to encourage me to continue serving God, as the bus comes within a few hundred metres of my home.

Although I only knew him for 2 months while serving in the same ministry, that simple faith of his never fails to amaze and encourage me.

So, no complex or witty/cheesy taglines to end this post. Thanks God, You’re amazing.

I’m even more certain now that God will test our convictions.

Just two days ago, I was on the bus to school early in the morning, feeling good about myself and being reassured that God was going to provide me with enough for the day.  In fact, I felt so good that I told myself that I would send some messages of encouragement to people once I got off the crowded bus.

Well, God has a way of making sure I mean what I think. So the moment I got off the bus, this guy who gets off together with me taps me on the arm and accuses me of being a fare cheat! (I was going, “God, I knew it!” in my mind. Maybe that explains my slightly amused look at that time, which probably gave my accuser more hope that he caught me red-handed).

So I really don’t know if that person was trying to fleece me or if his brother was indeed a ticket officer (as he claimed) and he was a civic-minded citizen, but I had to spend time at 8am explaining to a stranger about

1) why I don’t need to tap out of the bus when I’m on concession.

2) And why in a bus packed at rush hour with him wedged between other bodies, there was a ’slight’ possibility that he wouldn’t notice me paying my fare.

Oh well.

Actually, as I’m writing this now. I have a new realisation. If I’m more convicted now that God will test my convictions, then my life is about to get very interesting.

Write it down

I just flipped through my sermon notebook from five years back and I noticed the trend of what I copied goes like this:

#1 ….
- [insert Bible verse here]

#2…
- [insert Bible verse here]
- [insert Bible verse here]
- [insert Bible verse here]

#3 …
– [insert Bible verse here]

I’m staring at it in half-amusement right now. Why did I even bother wasting paper for that? I’m pretty sure that there were things that struck me during those sermons. There were probably countless moments where I made a mental note to do something about my life with regard to what was being taught.

But, I clearly remember telling myself that since it struck me, I would remember it. Well, it’s sad that I don’t now.

So I’m going to make it my lifelong quest to write-it-down. It’d be exceedingly sad if I were to live to an age of 80 and couldn’t even remember much about what I’ve experienced in life before 75. So much for being a faithful steward of my thoughts.

Day 1

According to most SMU students, today is Day 1 of Week 2. A typical term is counted in Weeks, and as the Weeks go by, dates will be of lesser importance. The greater the number of the Week, the increased stress and the decreased concern with most other things.

I’ve become more convicted that in order to claim Psalm 118:24 in my life, I need to put aside time seeking out God’s plan for each of my days. Only then will I be able to keep my head above the water, to even notice what He’s leading me on to.

It’s a new day. Let’s do this.

Upgrade!

For a variety of reasons, today’s first ever Upgrade meeting was a difficult one for us to pull off. We tried many new things and we had little choice over the location of the place. But I am really thankful to God that it came through successfully.

We arrived earlier at Istana Park only to find the place occupied by dance groups with loud music. Not that this was unexpected, but I was praying hard that somehow we could use the place because we needed a water source.

But thank God the dancers left the place just when we were about to start our sharing. Not only that, we had the whole park to ourselves for the rest of the time. No filipinos having picnics, no other church groups having meetings, absolutely no one other than one man sleeping on the benches at the far corner. God is faithful indeed.

Anyway, today’s meeting was a humbling one for me. Not just because we had to wash each other’s feet, but we also had the chance to affirm and encourage the people in the unit who play a HUGE part in moving things, our shepherds. And even as we learnt about Faithfulness, Availability, Teachability and Submissiveness, I realise that I need to grow much more in these areas.

I’m really proud to be serving God in this unit and I’m praying hard that as we commit to expanding our character, God will pour it as much as they can contain. And I’m really proud to be serving in my team as well! Jie Xun, Joel and Yong Sheng, you guys have been key to today’s success, I can’t imagine doing this together with any other group of people. Thanks.