As an immigrant to this country, it is sometimes easy to forget that I have a huge family of over 40 cousins back home, and to imagine that I am utterly alone.
I have lived in America for almost 15 years and have made many good friends.
I appreciate them all. But the reality of being alone in a foreign land often hits me during the holidays - when my friends return to their own families - and even on the weekends and moments of disappointment.
I bought mom a bunch of roses this morning for Mother’s Day, and she gave me a hug. It was nice… atypical of her as Asian mothers do not give hugs. But in that gesture she reminded me that I am her son and that we are connected.
I have to remember that no matter where God has allowed me to live, He has blessed me with a godly mother who took her vocation seriously.
To all you mothers and soon-to-be mothers, Happy Mother’s Day!
She wakes up before I do, and every morning as I hear her bustling around in my little kitchen, fixing breakfast, I’m filled with gratitude to God for blessing me with a mother and these precious months that we have together.
Dad left our family when I was 15, and mom has been our strong tower since. She is small in stature, yet such amazing person.
I love watching her sit on the edge of the bed every morning as she wrestles with God in prayer - her eyes closed tight in concentration as she pounds her little fists in the air, giving to God her petitions with an unwavering trust that He listens and takes her seriously.
I also find the sounds of Mom’s morning rituals oddly comforting - they take me back to a simpler time, when all I had to deal with was my 10PM curfew, homework and the horrible breakfast of half-boiled eggs she forced on me daily before the schoolbus picked me up. Food, clothing, shelter was provided and I came home everyday to unconditional love. Some mornings as I lay in bed, I imagine I were back there in time.
If my posts are few and intermittent - please bear with me. I’ll be back soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll be busy enjoying mom’s company and home-cooked meals. Hope you are doing well!
As you dive into your day and deal with the usual stressors, timelines, workplans, people, bosses, co-workers, etc., here’s a reminder that puts every single thing of this world in its proper place and perspective.
1 Peter 1:23-26
All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the LORD endures forever.
Jonathan shared a good message at Bible study today. He asked an important question: how do we apply the reality of the Cross to the minutiae of our daily lives. How do we continually make Christ’s death a reality that changes us?
Listening to Fernando Ortega’s “Sing To Jesus” tonight I am once again struck by the love of Christ who chose to die in my place.
The lyrics of this song brought me to a place of tears and gratitude, reminding me that Jesus - God of the Universe - once hung on the Cross and took upon Himself such intense pain and anguish so that none should perish but that ALL should have life and hope for eternity.
The Cross is a story of Jesus’ love and determination, and His stubborn refusal to allow my wretchedness to damn me to hell.
Such love I cannot comprehend. But it compels me to make the reality of His sacrifice my focus so that I may be changed in little and big ways, every day.
————————– Sing to Jesus by Fernando Ortega
Come and see, look on this mystery
The Lord of the Universe, nailed to a tree
Christ our God, spilling His Holy blood
Bowing in anguish, His sacred head
Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.
Sing of His faithfulness, pouring His life out unto death
Come you weary and He will give you rest
Come you who mourn, lay on His breast
Christ who died, risen in Paradise
Giver of mercy, Giver of Life
Sing to Jesus His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown.
Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.
Sing to Jesus His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown.
But she sent me gifts - a pretty scrapbook with pictures of Josie she found on my website, decorated with stickers and paper confetti; two Halloweens ago - a silly reindeer’s antlers for dogs; on Josie’s birthday - a printed lithograph of a Giant Schnauzer, a breed we both loved; and every year - pretty Christmas cards, carefully signed, “Diane, Claire, Beth Anne and Nina.”
Her’s was the only name in the signature line that belonged to a human. The rest were her Schnauzers - her faithful companions that kept her company during those lonely hours.
Diane was a grandmother - that I knew for sure. Her husband had died a few years ago, but she continued to use his email address to correspond. I was one of 12 members on her Giant Schnauzer Yahoo Group that she started a few years ago as a break away from another group that became increasingly negative.
Her intention was to create a group where members could offer mutual support, trade tips on how to raise our dogs and get to each other. And all that we did. She often referred to herself as our “second Mom,” and her expressions of care were welcomed and appreciated. It was a fun group, and I looked forward to reading updates and sneaking short breaks at work.
Over the past few years, the members got to know each other well. As I look back at the archives, I revisit threads of genuine concern during the various busy hurricane seasons. When our dogs got sick, we checked in, sometimes even made phone calls to find out if they’re ok.
I once spoke to Diane on the phone, and she came across as a warm southern lady with good old common sense. Read More…
I found a new singer/songwriter on Pandora today - interestingly, she’s a fellow Singaporean who sings poignant songs of faith: Corinne May.
If you need encouragement today, here’s “Everything in Its Time” to remind us that God has a reason for it all. Hang in there… it will work out in the end.
——————————————————————————————
Corrinne May - Everything In Its time
Sometimes I wonder what lies ahead
How long til my hunger is fed
They say it’s hard to make it in this part of town
So many people on this merry-go-round
Some folks try astrology
Some turn to crystal balls
To find an answer
To get through it all
I just fall on my knees and I try to pray
In the silence I can hear Him say
The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience and watch for the sign
Everything in its time
I often feel like that I’m two steps behind
Somebody must have moved that finish line
There are a thousand reasons
Why I should give up
But I’m stubborn in the things I believe
The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to the patience and watch for the sign
’cause maybe there’s another plan
One I still cant see
A little surprise, like your love in your life
Funny how time changes how we see
The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to the patience and watch for the sign
I’m at my desk, and I can hardly sit still. I love my job, but today I feel restless and bored.
There’s a quiet storm brewing inside but I know not the cause. Perhaps it’s my wanderlust kicking in again. I want to travel, see new places, experience new cultures, a whole different life.
It is raining, but I’d rather be hiking in the Shenandoahs or floating down a river in Blacksburg as I did last Summer with Josie.
If I could only focus and get my projects done! Humph! Back to work!
I heard a great message at church recently. The speaker exhorted us to serve others. In the same way that Christ washed the feet of His disciples, we are to put on the same cloak of humility and look to the needs of those around us.
I reflected on that thought as I drove in to work today. How will I serve my co-workers?
For today, I will try my best to serve the people around me by:
1. Not always insisting that I am correct
2. Backing down from arguments and letting others have the last word
3. Letting go of the need to constantly prove that my way is best
4. Giving others the benefit of the doubt
5. Not constantly seeking the approval of my superiors and clients. While it is my duty to do my best, I will keep in mind that God gives the final approval. It is His nod that I am seeking
6. Where necessary, choosing to forgive and let go
7. If I notice a co-worker’s mistakes, quietly working around it. Not giving in to the need to make a statement or pointing it out to him or his superiors if my intentions are not to build him up
8. Not striving with people who have meant me no harm
9. Giving people my undivided attention if they need to talk
10. Providing a listening ear with a genuinely caring spirit
Lastly, I will remember that in obedience, my testimony could plant a very important seed, i.e., the realization of one’s desperate need for the Savior.
Mom called two nights ago from Singapore while I was at the grocery store. The doctor had put her on a cholesterol lowering drug - Simvastatin. Apparently her levels were so off the charts (in the 500s range) that she was at risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack if she didn’t get started on it right away.
My mom is 5 feet tall, in her 60’s and is the most petite lady you’ll ever meet. She weighs 95 pounds, and eats like a rabbit. She has never taken long-term medication, so this is a huge shift for her.
On my drive home from the store, mom’s health was all I could think about.
I have to be thankful though, that God is in control. He wasn’t blind sighted by the diagnoses of her cholesterol levels, and He definitely doesn’t want me to worry about it.
I’m praying that the Lord in His goodness, will improve her health and bless her with many, many more years of service to Him. Would you please pray for her too?
Make me a channel of your peace:
where there is hatred let me bring your love,
where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you:
O Master grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love with all my soul!
Make me a channel of your peace:
where there’s despair in life let me bring hope,
where there is darkness, only light,
and where there’s sadness, ever joy:
Make me a channel of your peace:
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving of ourselves that we receive,
and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
Make me a channel of your peace:
where there is hatred let me bring your love,
where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
