Tightrope

For me, there’s nothing more exciting to watch than a live circus. I have been to several ‘Cirque du Soleil’ shows and their acrobat acts are just simply the greatest. It's always a thrill watching their acrobats fly across the big dome with such dramatic performances. Even though I have a great fear of heights, I still do enjoy watching them from the ground. There’s the fire-eater, all sorts of jugglers, the flying trapeze, contortionists, and of course, the tightrope artists. Looking back, Karl Wallenda was probably the best-known tightrope artist of all time. He was the patriarch of a family that thrilled the world with their acts on the high wire back in the late 1960’s. But in 1978, Karl was crossing a tightrope 75 feet high above the ground stretched between two buildings when he lost his balance and plummeted to his death. After that incident, his wife talked about his career and that fateful tightrope act, “All Karl thought about for three straight months prior was falling. It was the first time he had ever thought about falling, and it seem that he had put all his energy into not falling rather than walking the tightrope.”

A lot of people fall because they’ve consumed all their time and energy thinking about not falling rather than accomplishing the task before them. Similarly, focusing only on the results could bring unpleasant consequences. Many people do their responsibilities and focus mainly only on what benefits they could get even if it would cause them their obedience to God.

When Samuel brought the message to Saul that God had sent him to anoint Saul as king of Israel, he also gave God’s message to Saul to smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, spare none but slay both men, women, infants, ox, sheep, camel, donkeys and their fatlings. So Saul gathered his people, numbered them and came to a city of Amalek and waited in the valley. He warned the Kenites to go since they had been kind to all the children of Israel. As soon as the Kenites departed Amalek, Saul and his army attacked the Amalekites. He took Agag, the king of Amalekites alive and destroyed everything with sword. But Saul and his people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, the calves, lambs, and other animals; and all that was good were not destroyed. God was saddened for Saul did not performed according to what He commanded. When confronted by Samuel, Saul reasoned that the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to offer as sacrifice unto God, and the rest had been utterly destroyed as the Lord had commanded. Samuel responded that the Lord had no delight in the burnt offerings and sacrifices if this causes you to fail obedience unto God for to obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15: 1-23). Saul walked on the tightrope. However, he missed out big time the process of doing what God had commanded Him to do. Instead, he became stubborn and later rebellious that God finally rejected Him and took away his kingdom. How ironic since we often behave like Saul and fall. We actually need to focus on the reasons for making the sacrifices rather than the sacrifice itself.

What does it take to successfully walk the tightrope, whether it’s 75 feet above the ground, or the tightrope of life? First is, perspective. When walking the tightrope, there is no fooling around. It’s strictly serious concentration and focus – your head up and eyes on the goal, staying alert.

Second, must have balance. Without it, you’re dead! This is where you learn to handle between business, social, family and peer pressures, church, managing finances, home affairs, giving and so on. Become a workaholic and you’re liable to burn out. I know because I do. This may cause you your family, but if you fail your family suffers.

Third, is tension, usually considered an enemy but you’ll need it. Without tension a violin sounds sharp, the wings of an airplane will sag, the tire on the cars go flat, and the tightrope walker will not get across the wire. But too much tension can also destroy you. Having not enough of it can keep you from being at your best.

There is one more crucial element needed to succeed in crossing the tightrope: courage! You may have all the above elements but without courage you’ll never step out and give it a go. Don’t just concentrate on not falling but instead, concentrate more on walking the tightrope.

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding great joy.” Jude 24 (KJV). We Christians have the assurance that Christ keeps us from falling prey to many things – although many of these are widespread and dangerous, there’s no need for us to be afraid if we trust Him and we are deeply rooted and grounded in Him.

Bible passage to read: Jude 24

“CONCENTRATE ON THE WALKING,

NOT THE FALLING IN TIGHTROPE OF LIFE”

The Christ of Christmas

Are you aware that even Christians today can miss the point of the Christmas story if they are not careful? There is a warning of the danger that we can become so charmed with the story of the baby that we have become so sentimental about and it does not demand any vital change in our way of thinking and living.

Now here’s the question: Is Christmas only a story about a baby born in a manger? Or is there more to Christmas than just a newborn child? Christmas is an undying story about a baby born in a manger that later grew up and redeemed the world from its sins and calls us into partnership with His great and mighty purposes.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he said, “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 (KJV). We are able to grasp the full meaning of Christ’s coming only when we see His birth in the light of His crucifixion and resurrection.

If Christ is the essence of Christmas, how does it affect our lives today? Did Christ’s birth made any difference at all? Many people come to a point of discouragement by saying “Christ’s coming to earth has made a little difference in one’s life because we still have so many problems.” As the world celebrate Christmas today, many shops and places remove ‘Christ’ in their Christmas by using the words “Merry X’mas” and “Happy Holidays”. “X” means the unknown factor. Thus, eliminating Christ as the center of their Christmas and their hearts.

But when you sit down and think about the difference Jesus’ life has made, you can reflect on these four truths:

1. Jesus did not remain a baby. He grew up to be strong in spirit (Luke 1:80) and had an effective ministry of teaching and healing (Matt. 9:35).
2. Jesus when He was crucified did not remain in the grave. He arose to be our living Savior (Matt. 28:1-7; Rev. 1:18).
3. Our risen Savior did not remain on earth. He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us and to send the Holy Spirit to indwell us (John 14:2, 25-26; Acts 1:9).
4. Our ascended Lord will not remain in heaven. He will come back to take us home to be with Him (John 14:3).

In fact, the birth of Jesus Christ has made a difference, but it does not mean we will have a trouble-free life. We will have tribulation in this world but because Christ Himself have overcome the world is one good reason enough for us to be of good cheer (John 16:33). Because Christ’s presence and power is within us, we can triumph over trials. That’s grounds for good cheer! Instead of being overwhelmed by trials, we can face them confidently because Christ does make a difference.

With your eyes wide open this Christmas; respond to God with love and commitment for the gift of His Son. Focus your thoughts, actions and motivations toward honoring the Baby who grew up and died for all our sins. Christ the Savior is born!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Bible passage to read: Matthew 1:18-25

“THE MISSION OF THE CROSS IS HIDDEN
IN THE MESSAGE OF THE CRADLE.”

Second Chance

It was the night of my first big surgery and I was in the operating room at 9pm. The surgery was an hour and a half behind schedule. The sights of the huge surgical lights, the operating table and equipments; the neurosurgeon and his staff in their deep green gowns (to conceal the color of blood stains); the thought of being shaven bald while under anesthetic; going under the knife and drilling four holes on my skull are all nothing but like scenes in a slaughter house. It’s not my idea of fun and would have send chills down anyone’s spine. What would be on your thoughts if you were me? It was cold that night. Very cold! And I’m only wearing the hospital gown and a flannel blanket on top. But I was so calm and all smiles as the anesthesiologist talked to me for a while asking how I was doing while preparing me for the 3.5-hour ordeal. In the back of my mind, it is just another surgery. I know I am not alone. I’ve been through this three times before and I'm surely going to make it. The first one was, when I was as young as 8, for an appendectomy, then another major in 1996; and a right elbow injury a couple years back. Is there such a thing as being a pro when going under the knife? I wouldn’t like to think so.

My elder brother left his family behind, took (emergency) week off from work and flew in from Manila the day before, was waiting just outside the OR accompanying my 2 other good friends, Maggie and Paul. At about half past midnight, I regained consciousness. “Breathe! Breathe deeply! Inhale!” the Neurosurgeon said. I heard murmuring and sounds of metal equipments clanking on metal trays. I can feel the top of my head throbbing like it would explode as the effects of anesthetics lessen. As they wheeled me out of the OR on the way to ICU my eyes were still closed. A lady was jumping and screaming, “He’s alive, he’s alive!” And I heard my brother said, “Maggie and Paul are here waiting all night.” As I opened my eyes slowly, I uttered in my scruffy voice, “Wh…who’s Maggie? Who’s Paul?” Suddenly there was complete silence! For nearly half-a-minute all I got were stares from people surrounding me. The Neurosurgeon look puzzled. Then I smiled and said, “I was just kidding!” He gasped and exclaimed, “Oh he’s making a joke. That’s a very good sign.”

My first real taste of excruciating pain did not sink in until that night. But I don’t have to succumb to it. I believe that you must be able to take your pain and play with it in order for you to turn such situations around. Veteran comedian, Bill Cosby of the 'Cosby Show' was quoted as saying, “You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.” This holds true to those who survive such situations by turning them around and looking at the brighter side of life instead. For me, I prefer to laugh at myself and my own mistakes as I learn from it.

The second surgery the following night was even more agonizing than the first. I was awake all night just like the first, savoring every single minute in pain. In these moments, I experienced nearly my entire life flashed before my eyes. I was immobilized from the shoulder up as my head was too heavy and felt lifeless. My neck wound was too sharp and I was laying heavily on it. 4 days later, I had third surgery to remove my gallbladder which was highly inflamed and toxic. A few days had passed and one of my dear friends asked me during one of his visits, “So do you still believe in God after all these things that have happened to you?” In fact, it made me just draw nearer! The bad things that happen to us are perhaps allowed by God as a wake up call. From what? From abusing ourselves, excessive madness, being stubborn, or perhaps just to teach us an unforgettable lesson?

When David took census of Israel and Judah, he did it for pride and ambition in counting the people so that he could glory in the size of his army rather than putting his faith in God’s ability to protect them. This has angered God. For his punishment, God gave David 3 choices: 3 years of famine; 3 months of fleeing from your enemies; or 3 days of severe plague throughout the land. David chose the latter. So God sent a plague to Israel which lasted for 3 days where 70,000 people died. But as the death angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, God relented and told the angel to “Stop! That is enough!” (2 Samuel 24:16). David chose his punishment wisely. He knew how brutal his enemies were if he were to fall in their hands, and also knew God’s great mercy. To be punished by God is far better than to take chances without Him.

Every day people make mistakes, commit offenses or just simply become victims and you get to hear about it on the news. There are those who pay huge price for their wrong deeds while others are either punished harshly or disciplined. But what about those who are pardoned and become repeat offenders? Are there such valid excuses? Our God is a loving God He gives us another chance and sometimes, even choices to begin new life and become better persons. When you confess your sins to Him it is forgiven and thrown into the deepest seas. But sometimes we abuse the chances and often the consequences are devastating. Bad things are mostly the fruit of our disobedience. There are those who question God and turn their backs on Him. Others draw nearer! And there are those who chose to wait for their punishment before they learn their lessons. But because of God's unfailing love He gave me back my life, my strength and health to honor and glorify Him. I live to tell the wonders of His miracles and learn to accept whatever He sends my way and just simply put my trust in Him. This alone gives me good enough reason to live my second chance. One day after my third surgery that week, I stood up and was later discharged from the hospital.

Bible passage to read: 2 Samuel 24:1-25

“LIFE IS 10% WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU
AND 90% HOW YOU RESPOND TO IT.”

Few weeks had past my friends and I finally decided to put the pain behind for a moment and enjoy a bit more of fun doing a little “Break Dancing”. And so we did as you can see from the following clip. (See below post).

Break Dancin'

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The Gift Nobody Wants

For many years I have been complaining of severe headaches, dizziness, nausea and eventually migraine attacks that caused me to suffer much bodily pains. Several practitioners prescribed me pain relievers in the hope that I get cured of all these ailments. One doctor dig deeper into the root of the problem and has prescribed me to see a physiotherapist. The result was effective and I was in very good condition for a couple of years. I also did practiced Yoga as part of my stretches. But just recently my condition began to deteriorate. I've had postural headaches with pounding, throbbing pains. I did have head rush whenever I change my posture. Dizzy spells came in and out most of the days and migraine has heightened my other senses. Spasms and stiff neck has taken its toll slowly and had limited my mobility. I could not take it anymore. My productivity has lessened dramatically and I was always in bed, in a bad mood caused by stress. It has affected my daily life including work, friends, family and personal time.

Symptoms and illness are not the same thing. The illness do exists long before the symptoms, and symptoms are the beginning of its cures. However, they are all unwanted! So, does pain really represent God’s greatest gift? Or was it God’s one great mistake? Are there certain times in your life you wish there were no pains? Have you ever thought what would it be like if there are no pains?

In his book, “Where Is God When It Hurts”, author Philip Yancey talked about Dr. Brand of Louisiana who lived among people with leprosy where he came to appreciate pain. In his works, he discovered that leprosy patients are suffering because they have a very defective pain system. Also known as Hansen’s disease, it is infectious and characterized by disfiguring skin sores, nerve damage and decreasing of one’s strength. Skin lesions decrease its sensation to touch, heat, or pain and do not heal after several weeks or months. He started following around patients at a leprosarium in India wondering how else they damage themselves. During one of his studies, pieces of fingers and toes disappear while patients are sleeping. He learned that rats were coming into the open-air wards and nibbling on unsuspecting patients. Without feeling pain, the patient is undisturbed until they wake up the next morning to find missing parts of their limbs. Then it became mandatory that each patient released from the hospital must have a cat for nocturnal protection. There were many other causes that contribute to patients’ deteriorating conditions in their daily lives. In short, leprosy works like an anesthetic, attacking the pain cells in our body producing numbness – hence, the absence of pain! The same is true in advanced cases of diabetes.

On Sept 8, 2008, I had CT scan of my brain. There was an evidence of severe increased intracranial pressure and was diagnosed with subdural hematoma with suspected intracranial hypotension due to spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. Two major surgeries were performed 10 days after I was admitted at the hospital – they drilled four holes on the top of my skull to release the hematoma, and a laminectomy (the day after) which left more than 7-inch of surgical scar at the back of my neck to prevent the recurrent of hematoma. Lumbar puncture tests and a series of MRI scans were also further performed in between two surgeries to determine the cause and take preventive measures of the first ailment. Now that's a lot of torture! If not for the pains, I could have damaged my senses with either blurry visions, slur in speech, or worst, become paralyzed or fall into a coma if actions weren’t done soon enough. Can you tell how much pain I have been through in order to put my suffering to an end? Even though I cannot stand being awake since the pain is too much for me to bear, life must go on.

Just imagine how amazingly God created our body with minute details: The brain and spinal cord are covered by a tough, translucent membrane called the Dura matter due they are fragile and need extensive protection from being infected by disease organisms, from being crushed and other forms of harm. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounds the brain and spinal cord and cushions the brain and spinal cord from jolts. The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from any chemical intrusion from the rest of the body. The blood flowing into the brain is filtered in order to prevent harmful chemicals from affecting the brain. The absence of pain will make it hard to detect a single symptom of anomaly in the nervous system alone. Just two nights after surgery, I felt this strange sensation in my head as my brain gets fully hydrated. The top of my head which felt like a deflated ball suddenly came to rise slowly. I felt every square inch of my scalp hardening and the shape of my skull turned back in its full roundness again. Simply amazing! Now how many of you have ever experienced that kind of sensation ever?!? This is something you don’t get to see or experience every day, unless you are the neurologist yourself!

Through my experience, pain is not God’s mistake. It is simply the body’s way of alerting us of danger. The sensation of pain is a gift. It is a gift that nobody wants. To the victims of leprosy, pain defines life and God’s greatest gift! However, pain is never permanent. The world is full of pain and suffering. But it is also full of overcoming it. The deeper sorrow it carves into your being the more joy you can contain. “How is that possible?” you may ask me. You see, life is 10% of what happens to you and it is 90% how you respond to it.

Just imagine how many of us are recovering either from illness, a bad relationship, heartaches, and other pain-related matters. Well, I am sure everyone has their shares of pains and sufferings at some point of their lives. While pain is thought of as an unwanted gift, the fact that it is unwanted makes it more of a phenomenon of grace, a message from the unconscious to initiate self-examination and repair. We must embrace and burn it as a fuel for our life’s journey. Pain allows us to live active lives. If you are in doubt, why not visit a leprosarium and observe a world without pain. Pain, anyone? (To be continued…)

Bible passage: Job 7:1-21

"Life is simply full of surprises.

In the end, some of your greatest pains

become your greatest strengths."

The Darkroom

When I was in college back in the eighties, we had photography class that taught us how to take great pictures. We took photos under broad daylight pointing at various subjects from portraits to landscapes, and from still life to moving objects. There were also subjects taken at night like city lights and moving lights. The images, however, were all captured in a roll of film hidden inside my camera. During those days, the technology has not yet evolved to the digital age. Therefore, digital computer images were not yet in existence. And don’t try to count back and calculate my age either!

To develop photographs, the film must be taken into a darkroom. Only after the chemicals have done their work in the dark is it safe to expose the negatives to light and produce the final prints. The light, which would have destroyed the film, now brings out the beauty within the film.

In the same way, God takes us through “darkroom” experiences to develop our spiritual life. Many factors contribute to our developing process and are considered the chemicals that work on us while in the darkroom. Trials, disappointments, frustrations, and sorrow prepare us in the process. As we pass through all these, the image of Christ is produced in us. Only then we are ready to be displayed in the light.

Whenever we go through our dark tunnels of despair and frustration, we often blame people or circumstances. Although they may be the secondary causes, we need to realize that the hand of the heavenly Father momentarily shades the light from our pathway. He graciously takes us through such experiences because He wants to provide us the benefits of darkness; the way photographs are developed in the darkroom. So when it comes to life’s trials and frustrations, do you consider yourself inside God’s darkroom? If so, what would your response be? There are incidents when we question God’s presence or motive at times of adversity. If there is really a God, why am I suffering like this? Why does He allow bad things happen to such good people? For whatever reason, His ways are not our ways. And there is no doubt whatever He is doing; rest assured it is always to our best advantage. The only difference is the angle of how we look at it. After spending some time in the dark, then you will learn to appreciate the light even more.

Do not despair for God is developing the beauty of Christlikeness within you for display in His art gallery of eternity. Do not seek to get back into the light too soon. “The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3: 25-26 (KJV). You must wait for His perfect timing or you’ll spoil the imprint of His love on the film of your life!

Bible passage to read: Lamentations 3:1-6; 22-26

“GOD TAKES US INTO HIS DARKROOM

TO DEVELOP US INTO HIS LIKENESS”

Seeing Or Remembering?

There’s this story of a man who was slowly losing his memory. After an examination, the doctor said that an operation on his brain might reverse his condition and restore his memory. However, there is a risk involved. The surgery would be so delicate that a nerve might be severed, causing total blindness. “What would you rather have,” the doctor asked the patient, “your sight or your memory?”

In such life’s emergency situation where you can only choose either sight or memory, which one for you is more valuable? If you were the man in this condition, what would you choose? To have your sight retained to go on living, or your memory? You have all what you’ve got in the past with your memory. Your sight will keep you in the light. But sometimes, in order to see the light you have to risk the dark. And often, those who have never experienced darkness at some point in their lives do not appreciate the light. If I were in the shoes of this man, I probably would take a lot of time to put things in consideration before making my final call.

But this man pondered only for just a few moments and then replied, “I’d prefer to have my sight because I would rather see where I am going than remember where I have been.” Why? Is the future more interesting than the past? Does this man mean he do not want any of his past remembered?

In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul made the same choice spiritually. His past, with both its success and shame, he chose to forget. What mattered to him most was keeping his eyes on the goal of gaining Christ’s approval. It is what we call the priceless gain of knowing Christ. In this chapter, Paul expressed about how successful he was in the beginning being a real Jew. His achievements included being a member of the Pharisees who demanded the strictest obedience of the Jewish law. So strict he was, in fact, he persecuted the church and obeyed the Jewish law so carefully he was never accused of any fault. To the apostle Paul, before he became a follower of Christ, those things were so very important until the time he had to travel from Jerusalem to Damascus to track down the fleeing Christians and bring them back for execution (Acts 9). That was when Saul, the persecutor, became Paul. Since his conversion, everything else was worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ and became one with Him. Anyway, Paul had reason to turn his back on his past and choose not to remember them.

We all have done things for which we are ashamed of. And still there is this tension in our life of what we have been and who we wanted to be. Since our hope is in Christ, we can let go of the past guilt and look forward to growing in the knowledge of God by concentrating on our relationship with Him. We are forgiven. When we confess our sins, they are buried in the deepest seas. Let’s not dredging them up. Therefore, we can move on to a life of faith and obedience. That kind of mindset is one sure mark of Christian maturity. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you (Philippians 3:13-15).

We can’t forget our past, of course, but certainly we do not have to live in it either. Surely we cannot change what has passed. And our past is what made us who we are. Any good we may have done is from God, so we can only be thankful. Like the Apostle Paul, his goal was to know Christ, be like Christ. This is a good example for us – not allowing anything to take our eyes off our goal, which is to know Christ. But if you are like that man who had to undergo a brain surgery and make a choice between sight and memory, you must really have a valid reason for choosing sight rather than memory, or vise versa. So finally, what would be your choice? Do you prefer to see or to remember?

Bible passage to read: Philippians 3:12-21

"WE CAN'T CHANGE OUR PAST.

WE DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN IT EITHER."

Big Men Don't Cry

Would you believe men don’t cry? What is your impression of a man who does? There must be many reasons why a person would cry but can you think of a reason why a man should not? Crying is defined as any expression of distress, or grief, accompanied with tears or sobs; a loud sound uttered in lamentation.

Nearly sixteen years had past, I recall when one of my elder brothers used to beat me up almost everyday for no known apparent reason. Physically, I was no match to him. He was big and I was not. I’ve made a decision to go home very late at nights when most of them were asleep since I used to share the room with him during those days. But the unpleasant things used to occur in the early mornings. When I woke up he will strangle me, kick me and verbally abuse me. This went on for about a month without the knowledge of my parents. That was the time when I felt completely lost, restless and confused. I turned to my friends but not a single individual could give me answers to the questions I was longing for. “What have I done to deserve this?” “Why am I being treated this way?” “Should I fight back?” But I never did, nor even questioned him on his cruel behavior. Until the time came I was so anxious to go back home and had planned to run away. One night, just about a couple of weeks before we moved house, both my parents finally noticed the gap between my brother and me. They waited until I came home. We had a family devotion and talked about it that night. Several months had passed but I felt unhappy still thinking it wasn’t fair. I bid farewell to my parents and moved out to live on my own. It was then I made a vow I would revenge! But how? I was a skinny young man and the best place to build me up was the gym and so I did spent hours after work in the gym just to get what I wanted.

If an ambulance siren is the signature of an injury that needs immediate attention, what would be the signature for the silent injuries that do not get anyone’s attention? It seems that every day people get hurt and everyone has to hear about it when they are rushed in an ambulance. What about those injuries that don’t get a siren? How long would the injured remain wounded and a victim? Do we have a choice? Of course, in life we can decide whether or not to leave fear behind and move on, or remain a victim. I chose the first option and decided to move on. Days, months and even years had passed and vengeance remained in my mind. Somehow, the fun seems to have faded away as I lost my sense of direction. I ended up going to the wrong places and hanging out with the wrong people. Yet, there were no answers to my questions, “Why God, why?” “What are You trying to tell me?” If only my hands are long enough to reach heaven I could have boxed with God! The Bible has bountiful answers to any kind of injuries that we sustain in life. And it is the signature cure for anyone who needs guidance and direction.

So I turned to David, who became king of Israel and one of the prominent figures in the Bible, and studied about his character during his hard times and learned many things:
1. David became a threat to Saul’s kingship at a young age (1 Samuel 18). When King Saul started to hunt down David, the young man fled to be out of King Saul’s sight.
2. David was at peace – with God. Instead of retaliation (1 Samuel 24 & 26), he wrote Psalm 18. David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. (2 Samuel 22)
3. David was prayerful – Psalm 13 & 17
4. David kept on praising God – Psalm 19
5. David put his trust in God – Psalm 25
6. David forgives his enemies and found joy - Psalm 32
7. David poured his heart out - Psalm 40

And now I turned to the pages of my days and found I was no match to him:
1. David has a pure heart. Mine was not.
2. David was peaceful. I was bitter and sought revenge.
3. David cried his heart out to God. I was questioning Him.
4. David wrote his Psalm. I did not even have one.
5. David went to the right direction. I took the wrong path and lost my sense of direction.
6. David was mature at a young age. I still need to grow up!

So I fell flat on my face and learned the hard way. However hard it was for me, I got up through the ‘Word of God’ and I look at those injuries as nothing but hurdle because they made me what I am today. Then I learned that the “why” questions may not really have definite answers. But it gave me hope to an extent that made my pains an easier pill to swallow because they were used to display God’s work. There are times when God’s work is manifested through dramatic miracles. Some of you may even ask how is that possible? But such pains and hurdles do magnify the presence of God. You see, when we are all so busy, content, and all happy we tend to forget about God. But our pains and injuries offer opportunities for us to display His works. As for my resentful plans to my brother, it all faded out gradually over the years as I learn, understand and forgive him. After all, big men do cry.

Bible passage to read: Psalm 17

“I’M GLAD GOD HAS ALL THE ANSWERS,

BECAUSE I BARELY UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS”

All About Time

According to a Greek philosopher, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” At the end of the day, no matter how hard we try, many of our tasks remained undone. Our energies all burned out and our minds exhausted. At work, no matter how much we try and complete a day’s workload, there are always new tasks popping up even before the next day begins. People who really get things accomplished move without much furor and dither. They have discovered the secret of making time work for them.

How valuable time really is? It is so valuable that when it is spent or wasted not a single second can be taken back. A lost time can never be found again. The clock ticks on and on and will never wait for you. In a race or even when making tough decisions, every single second counts! But can anyone really stop the time? This is a story of two brothers in their early thirties who are twins and wanted to put time to a test. So the elder twin decided he would fly to the space and the younger twin would stay on ground and see what would happen. On that day, the twins went on to their journey. The elder twin went to the space and the younger brother moved on to live his life on earth. Fifteen years had past and their test had finally come to an end. The elder brother returned to earth and met his younger counterpart. Upon meeting each other face-to-face they were in for some surprise. You know, time can be a great healer but it is a lousy beautician! The younger brother, who got married and has raised his family, has aged 10 years older while his elder brother did not aged as much as his younger twin did. But who do you think is more happy? The elder twin who flew to space who did not aged much or the younger twin who remained footed on earth and aged 10 years more?

If you are to trade place with one of these twins which one would you choose and why? “To every thing there is a reason, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV). God definitely has plans for everyone. That is why He provides cycles of life and the works in its cycles are for us to do. We may be facing many problems that seemingly contradicting to God’s plans. However, these should not become barriers to believing in Him but rather opportunities to discover and realize that without God, life’s problems have no lasting solutions.

Timing is very important. To a pianist, every single push of a finger on the keyboard must be in perfect unison to produce that awesome melody. To a vocalist, timing is essential in order for his voice to blend audibly with the accompaniment. The same principle applies to a sprinter, a farmer, a patient, a fisherman, an inventor, and even to a child. Their experiences are all appropriate at certain times. Their achievements, success and failures all come at perfect timing. And nothing is more perfect than discovering, accepting, and appreciating God’s perfect timing. But it will require you a lot of patience to do that! Since He is the author and finisher of our faith, there’s no doubt He knows every single one of us even before we were born. Simply put your trust in Him.

So have you decided whom you want to trade place with? If you choose to be in space because you do not want to age a bit and keep that youthful look, you better think twice! What is your youthful looks for when there’s nobody out there in space but massive body of gases, asteroids and aliens from other planets who would do nothing but bother you to take them to your leader? Who’s going to look at you in space for 15 years except your command base from a monitor screen in Houston when you’ve got problems? Who’s going to laugh at your stories or cry with you? Who’s going to drink the other half of your glass of orange juice and share your bowl of cereal in the morning? Who will you share your love with? I’m pretty sure you’ve got my point taken here. On the other hand, the younger brother had his own test of time by experiencing most of what life has to offer. He has faced his problems, found solutions, made tough decisions, become more patient, and has learned to move on. He’s got most of the things his elder twin did not have for the past 15 years. He’s for sure a lot happier than his elder twin who has learned that time may stop in space. But the younger twin learned that life is for us to face head on no matter what, for there is a reason and time to every purpose under heaven.

Bible passage to read: Ecclessiastes 3:1-15

“HOW WE SPEND OUR DAYS IS, OF COURSE,

HOW WE SPEND OUR LIVES.”