20101231: Crossing over to 2011!

Looking back at 2010...giving thanks to the Lord for all that He had done!

20101208: John 10:27 Even a 4-year old can hear God's voice!

John10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me"

John10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me"

Amen!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Jerry shows us what grit and spirit is, and he is 4 years old

Jerry shows us what grit and spirit is, and he is 4 years old

4 year-old Jeremiah Liauw "Jerry" was born with spina bifida, a spinal defect which causes his lower body to be especially weak.

The Club Rainbow member's goal was to crawl his way to the finish line for the 750m Kids Dash event.

You can watch this video on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150099593506414&oid=120040444682776&comments&ref=mf

Watching him finish what must have been a really tough 750m on his hands and knees in the hot sun was inspirational enough.

But what brought tears to my eyes was was what his mother shared in the comments section:

…Jerry wanted to crawl and refused to be carried when everyone was telling me to carry him coz for those of you who knows and are there, the weather was super duper hot and the ground was really radiating IMMENSE HEAT as it was approaching noon but Jerry kept diving for the ground.

If he could have it his way, he would not allow me to carry him at anytime at all. And a last note to share which may sound unbelieving to unbelievers, as I was changing Jerry yesterday, Jerry said, yes Jerry said, these are his exact words which took me aback too…

Jerry: "Actually when i saw the many people, I didn't want to crawl but God told me to crawl."

Me: "God told u to crawl?"

Jerry: "Yes. God told me to crawl."

Me: "Huh? What do you mean God told you to crawl?"

Jerry: "Yes, in my heart, I heard God's voice telling me to crawl."

Me: "Huh? you mean you heard God's voice?"

Jerry: "Yes. I heard God telling me to crawl."

Me: "Huh? What do you mean? How did you know it's God's voice?"

Jerry: "You will know it when He talks to you."

20101201-Something cost more than the other?

Subject: STORY OF APPRECIATION (a forward in an email rec'd)

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview, the director who did the last interview, had the final decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research,never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".

The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked, "Where did your mother work?" The youth answered,

"My mother worked as a laundry woman. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to

study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me."

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and wash your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When hewent back, he happily requested his mother to let him wash her hands.

His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to her son.

The youth washed his mother's hands slowly. His tears fell as he didthat. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were washed with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the washing of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, "I washed my mother’s hand, and also finished washing all the remaining clothes'

The Director asked, "Please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, "Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship."

The director said,"This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired."

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team.

The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents,are we really showing love or are we destroying the child instead?*

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your child learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

Reflections:

I happen to chance upon this video from another blog. Then I went back to read the email story above "Story of Appreciation". Life is a bit of a paradox.

2 different worlds for a child simply just because he was born in a different country, place , family and time.

SOMETHING COST MORE THAN THE OTHER?

Why not? Is life unfair? Why not?

Perhaps after watching this and reading the above story, you may have many things to wonder about or become more reflective.

I did.

1. Life is unfair? - we better acknowledge it & come to terms with it, simply because we live in a very fallen world right from the beginning of Adam and Eve being chased out of the Garden of Eden. Gen 3:24" After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life" - Gone...no turning back...through no fault of ours but that of Adam and Eve's disobedience.

2. What is life? - Affluence in society does not equate to happiness and joy in the real world. The poor has their own set of problems and so do the affluent ones. Some wear Crocs sandals that cost more than S$40 while others may wear a similar pair that cost S$4 (for all you know, they came from the same factory). Could be the same item just with a different external label. ha Ha Ha.

3. Life unfair but God is just. - While God had put the flaming sword and cherubim on the East side of the Garden preventing us from going back, He still wanted to provide a way back for us to the Garden again. But how? Well, this is the month of the Christmas celebration. A baby was born in a manger, not at the KK Hospital. God sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die for our sins. It cost Him his precious life as He died on the cross so that we may live. It is a paradox. Whoever believe in Him for what He has done will gain the eternal life. Our names can be written in the Book of life. It is just a question of choice. We cannot choose where we are born and into what kind of family. But whatever it is wherever we are, in poverty or in wealth, we can choose.

4. What am I here on earth for? Or what on earth I am doing?? - One may be so privileged to receive the education whilst the other may have to slog it out by working in the shoe factory at a tender age. Some may have to work night shifts while some just the normal 8 hour day shift. Some may be lying in the hospital bed while some are still active playing golf. etc etc etc. At the end of the day 1 Thess 5:16 is available to all, not some. "Be joyful always, pray continually; GIVE THANKS in ALL circumstances, for this is God's WILL for you in Christ Jesus"

Needs and wants? Necessity or luxury? The video is entitled "ALL I NEED" What do you need this Christmas? Your two front teeth?

TIS THE SEASON OF APPRECIATION - TO THE GIVER OF LIFE, OUR FAMILY LOVED ONES & FRIENDS. GOD BLESS YOU!