Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Seconds was all it took.
Seconds from this:
To this:
Just like that. I was a winner of an auction, and suddenly in a matter of seconds, I lost my bid. SECONDS. And this wasn’t the worst bid. There was once when I bidded and I was actually the winner until like the last 1 second, then suddenly, I lost! :O
I mean it was terrible! One second I was so excited about getting my camera, and the next second, I was left with a “you’ve been outbidded” phrase.
How fleeting the moments are on ebay. ): and up til now, I haven’t won a single auction via bids. I normally have to find those buy it now buttons then click on them, and win it. If not, I’d always lose to these sneaky bidders who always bid so late! GRRRRR…
But more than that, I think there’s a valuable lesson to be learnt here. In life, sometimes, it’s the seconds that really count. It could be that spilt second when you’re walking past this friend in school that you’re not exactly close to, and suddenly, you just feel like, maybe he’s having a bad day, and you wanna say something, but you let that moment slip by, and then its gone.
Or perhaps you see one of those quiet classmates at the bus stop, and in a spilt second, you figure, maybe you can strike up a conversation, and then your bus comes and the moment passes you by.
I’ve had my fair share of spilt seconds. I will never forget this day in JC. I was pushing my way through the crowd, and trying to get to my next class. In the midst of the sea of people, I saw her, a classmate from my secondary school. She was all the way at the other end of the throng of people, and it was so packed, and in that spilt second, I felt the urge to just shout out her name, “HEY! HEY! How’s it going?”. I felt the urge to say hello, and smile. I felt the urge to yell but in the midst of that crowded corridor, and the jostling folk, I let that spilt second pass me by. No big deal, I’ll see her tomorrow.
Tomorrow never came.
That morning as I entered the school hall, a solemn hush filled the air, and a teary eyed friend told me that that afternoon, the very afternoon when I had the urge to say something to her, she went home to her 20 storey high home, slipped off her shoes, placed them neatly beside her school bag, folded her glasses and arranged it by the shoes and the bag, then she leaped.
She leaped.
That one leap opened up a whole sea of questions for so many people. That step off the ledge, crushed so many dreams that her parents had. That jump off ended a life so full of potential, a journey that could lead to anywhere. The world was her oyster and in her hand she could’ve held that precious pearl.
That leap, made me wish so hard, that if for a moment I could turn back the clock, I would’ve yelled out across the throng and the hordes that day in that crowded corridor. I would’ve called out her name, and smiled and asked her if she was doing ok. That was my spilt second, and that was the spilt second that I felt, in my heart of hearts that perhaps if anyone had done that, the act of stopping and giving that spilt second to a friend by just saying hello or sharingn something, or sharing Jesus, these are the spilt seconds that changes things. These are the spilt seconds that changes a person’s life. These are the spilt seconds that save lives. These are the spilt seconds that create destinies.
With the up coming July event, seize the seconds friends. Ask your friends, to head down with you. If they reject you its ok, continue to be a friend. A good one who reads them well, a good one who knows when are the right moments to sweep in to make that difference. In the July event, when there’s an altar call, turn around, and perhaps your eyes may meet someone else’s eyes, and then in that spilt second, you have to make a choice. Do you go up to start the conversation to ask them if they wanna know more about Jesus? Or in that spilt second, do you avoid the confrontation and just pretend that the chair in front of you suddenly grew some very interesting fabric patterns. But more than the July event, its about the everyday seconds that we miss out.
Up until today, I wish, I so wish I had caught hold of those spilt seconds. Its ok that I lost that camera, but its not ok that I lost a friend.
Seize the seconds.
Relish in the minutes.
Bask in the hours.
Embrace the days.
Savour the weeks.
Revel in the months.
Glory in the years that God has given.
Time is truly a blessing from God, and time is what we make of it. Seize it.
I mean it was terrible! One second I was so excited about getting my camera, and the next second, I was left with a “you’ve been outbidded” phrase.
How fleeting the moments are on ebay. ): and up til now, I haven’t won a single auction via bids. I normally have to find those buy it now buttons then click on them, and win it. If not, I’d always lose to these sneaky bidders who always bid so late! GRRRRR…
But more than that, I think there’s a valuable lesson to be learnt here. In life, sometimes, it’s the seconds that really count. It could be that spilt second when you’re walking past this friend in school that you’re not exactly close to, and suddenly, you just feel like, maybe he’s having a bad day, and you wanna say something, but you let that moment slip by, and then its gone.
Or perhaps you see one of those quiet classmates at the bus stop, and in a spilt second, you figure, maybe you can strike up a conversation, and then your bus comes and the moment passes you by.
I’ve had my fair share of spilt seconds. I will never forget this day in JC. I was pushing my way through the crowd, and trying to get to my next class. In the midst of the sea of people, I saw her, a classmate from my secondary school. She was all the way at the other end of the throng of people, and it was so packed, and in that spilt second, I felt the urge to just shout out her name, “HEY! HEY! How’s it going?”. I felt the urge to say hello, and smile. I felt the urge to yell but in the midst of that crowded corridor, and the jostling folk, I let that spilt second pass me by. No big deal, I’ll see her tomorrow.
Tomorrow never came.
That morning as I entered the school hall, a solemn hush filled the air, and a teary eyed friend told me that that afternoon, the very afternoon when I had the urge to say something to her, she went home to her 20 storey high home, slipped off her shoes, placed them neatly beside her school bag, folded her glasses and arranged it by the shoes and the bag, then she leaped.
She leaped.
That one leap opened up a whole sea of questions for so many people. That step off the ledge, crushed so many dreams that her parents had. That jump off ended a life so full of potential, a journey that could lead to anywhere. The world was her oyster and in her hand she could’ve held that precious pearl.
That leap, made me wish so hard, that if for a moment I could turn back the clock, I would’ve yelled out across the throng and the hordes that day in that crowded corridor. I would’ve called out her name, and smiled and asked her if she was doing ok. That was my spilt second, and that was the spilt second that I felt, in my heart of hearts that perhaps if anyone had done that, the act of stopping and giving that spilt second to a friend by just saying hello or sharingn something, or sharing Jesus, these are the spilt seconds that changes things. These are the spilt seconds that changes a person’s life. These are the spilt seconds that save lives. These are the spilt seconds that create destinies.
With the up coming July event, seize the seconds friends. Ask your friends, to head down with you. If they reject you its ok, continue to be a friend. A good one who reads them well, a good one who knows when are the right moments to sweep in to make that difference. In the July event, when there’s an altar call, turn around, and perhaps your eyes may meet someone else’s eyes, and then in that spilt second, you have to make a choice. Do you go up to start the conversation to ask them if they wanna know more about Jesus? Or in that spilt second, do you avoid the confrontation and just pretend that the chair in front of you suddenly grew some very interesting fabric patterns. But more than the July event, its about the everyday seconds that we miss out.
Up until today, I wish, I so wish I had caught hold of those spilt seconds. Its ok that I lost that camera, but its not ok that I lost a friend.
Seize the seconds.
Relish in the minutes.
Bask in the hours.
Embrace the days.
Savour the weeks.
Revel in the months.
Glory in the years that God has given.
Time is truly a blessing from God, and time is what we make of it. Seize it.
Sis Raine
6:08 PM
(SALVATION)
Monday, June 25, 2007
I’ve just came back from Hong Kong for my school’s band competition. The weather in Hong Kong is even more unpredictable than Singapore. One moment, it can be as high as 36 degrees Celsius and the next moment, it will be raining heavily with strong winds. Anyway, after the competition on the second day, we brought the kids down to Ocean Park on the third day and I was badgered by the kids to try the roller coaster there.
If you know me well, I have a serious fear of heights. And I think my last roller coaster ride was like so many years ago! So, to be honest, I was really scared yet I wanted a challenge. Sounds familiar? So I went on this roller-coaster, with the band leader, Pamela, sitting next to me. This roller-coaster has 360-degree turns and every time it turned, I wondered why I am on the ride.
It was quite hilarious actually. Pamela was screaming and shouting “Halleluiah!” (for no reason) and I was like, “God!!”. So we sounded like two Christian fanatics throughout the ride.
I was just thinking, many Christians often liken their relationship with God as one roller-coaster ride. This means that their relationship is a tumultuous one; sometimes, you are on a high and sometimes, you are on a low. But what exactly are the characteristics of a roller-coaster ride?
It’s short though it seems long at that time.
You hate it but you love the thrill.
It seems to be going everywhere but you always end up at the same place.
It has highs and lows and 360 degree turns that bring you nowhere.
Hmmm….I think it does make some sense afterall, though not in a negative way. Here are my own reasons:
Sometimes, when we are going through tough times, we feel that the season is exceptionally long. However, when we look back, it seems like it was only a short while afterall.
We hate the moulding parts of our walk but we love the thrill when God whispers to us in our pain or when we have a sudden revelation when reading His word.
Our walk with God seems to take us through different seasons and different places but we always end up at the same place-the fundamental truths about God. Sometimes as we progress in our ministry, we forget that the most important thing is not to strive or to achieve and God will always break us and bring us back to the basics- we are children of God and we love Him because He first loves us. Our walk with God does not hinge on how much we do but who we are in Him.
If you know me well, I have a serious fear of heights. And I think my last roller coaster ride was like so many years ago! So, to be honest, I was really scared yet I wanted a challenge. Sounds familiar? So I went on this roller-coaster, with the band leader, Pamela, sitting next to me. This roller-coaster has 360-degree turns and every time it turned, I wondered why I am on the ride.
It was quite hilarious actually. Pamela was screaming and shouting “Halleluiah!” (for no reason) and I was like, “God!!”. So we sounded like two Christian fanatics throughout the ride.
I was just thinking, many Christians often liken their relationship with God as one roller-coaster ride. This means that their relationship is a tumultuous one; sometimes, you are on a high and sometimes, you are on a low. But what exactly are the characteristics of a roller-coaster ride?
It’s short though it seems long at that time.
You hate it but you love the thrill.
It seems to be going everywhere but you always end up at the same place.
It has highs and lows and 360 degree turns that bring you nowhere.
Hmmm….I think it does make some sense afterall, though not in a negative way. Here are my own reasons:
Sometimes, when we are going through tough times, we feel that the season is exceptionally long. However, when we look back, it seems like it was only a short while afterall.
We hate the moulding parts of our walk but we love the thrill when God whispers to us in our pain or when we have a sudden revelation when reading His word.
Our walk with God seems to take us through different seasons and different places but we always end up at the same place-the fundamental truths about God. Sometimes as we progress in our ministry, we forget that the most important thing is not to strive or to achieve and God will always break us and bring us back to the basics- we are children of God and we love Him because He first loves us. Our walk with God does not hinge on how much we do but who we are in Him.
We do have highs and lows in our relationship with God. But the ‘lows’ are not bad in themselves but they bring us closer to God and are instrumental in our development. Without the valleys, we can never see how high the mountains are. Sometimes, we feel that we are on the verge of breakthroughs only to discover that we are at the same place like the 360 degree turns. But perhaps, God is leading us through the wilderness- because we are to learn desperation and thus, complete dependence on God.
Is your life like a roller-coaster ride today? Perhaps, we should sit back and enjoy the ride because God is teaching us through every turn, every high, every low.
Love, Sis Lee Min
12:43 AM
(SALVATION)
