WaHhh

Woo. Its crowded in here isnt it?

Like I promised, it was really hot in herre at my place last Friday. The reading on the thermostat read 32 deg! By God’s grace, we managed to fit in almost twenty people in my little house. More amazing was the fact that we actually managed to have a good soup out of something seemingly orthodox and unconventional, and I really hope everyone enjoyed as much as I did.

The beginnings were humble. We just wanted a small cosy steamboat that served healthy food to a small group of people. As the days went by, the invitation list grew and so did the food list! Now it almost resembles the Lord ’s Supper, and I’m glad that things went on smoothly and that we had a wonderful time together J

For one, I think it was a prayer answered. As I ponder on Pst Joshua’s sermon that came a few months back, I thank God that I was very able to prepare for such a big event as a first timer, yet do it with the peace and grace of God. Nevertheless, I want to thank my dearest mother and eldest aunt who were really busy with me the whole day, and who took much effort to prepare the ingredients.

I was really touched by their enthusiasm and involvement. My aunt gave me a prep lesson on the basics of soup making, and went about getting all the ingredients beforehand. My mom went around shopping for stuff, and was on her feet with me the entire day, and even during the event itself, to make sure things went smoothly! The two ladies were occupied the whole day preparing the dishes and cooking the stuff.

At this juncture, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who turned up, contributed in your priceless ways and made the event such a roaring success! Now you know why we see the same old faces in any logistics team for the church, ha-ha.

I had the mind to take pictures of the preparations right till the event, but I was so tied up myself that I hardly found the time to take any pictures. Feeling bad for making my mom stay up on Friday; I apologized to her on Sat morning. To my surprise, she said that she had actually enjoyed preparing for the event and that it really helped to take her mind off her workload.

To the backache, the cuts and the fatigue I experienced that day…nothing is comparable to the immeasurable joy I felt being able to serve in such a manner. The joy of fellowshipping outweighs anything else I guess.

Whoo.

The gathering on Friday spells my second week at work. While I enjoy it despite the occasional tongue lashing I get from frustrated people, I like the business and the dynamics of a call centre. I can hardly afford to have time to feel bored! On top of that, this job has plenty of opportunities for me to OT…hehe. Naturally I’m on a little favor of that cause I get to earn more and save up for school.

On another hand, I find it unhealthy because the workaholic side of me is showing up. Other than my roaring tummy, I doubt I would have found the motivation to pack up and go home. On the other hand, I have things to do at home. I have to fulfill my responsibility as my son, an elder brother, and of course, sleep.

I actually opted out of singing this week for service, and missed my BS session with Melvin (SORRY!) because of my body yelling at me to catch some sleep. If this is the direction I’m headed towards, I’d really need to do something about it.

Sleep is something I’d really want to catch up on, and my body’s finding ways to tell me to get more rest and exercise. Physically and mentally, I feel like I’m 42, not a 24 to be. I just had a wonderful swim on Sunday, and I was surprised at how stretched I could feel, yet amazed at how fast my energy levels dwindled after that.

As I struggle with my never ending commitments and my irrational endeavors to run myself in overdrive mode and achieve them, I received a meaningful email. Excerpts of the mail as shown:

But God gave us twenty-four hours each day to accomplish our tasks and oh how we chafe under the restraint. Then we try to accomplish more than time allows. We place
ourselves under huge amounts of self-imposed stress.

As we do so, we also fight against God. We fail to recognize it cannot be God's will to pack more into twenty-four hour day than will fit. Because we don't like God's time constraints, we push ourselves. We get up early. We go to bed late. Yet the list of work
grows and stress grows too.

Look at what the Bible says, "It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors" (Psalm 127:2). The word "vain" means "deception." It is a deception to get up early, to cram the day with activities, to retire late, and to
see each day as a day of "painful labor," only to repeat the cycle again. Why? You will not receive that for which you work. Because you are forgetting God, you are not using each day properly. Psalm 118:24 says, "This is the day the Lord has made." Remembering the Author of time and setting priorities will reduce stress.

In moments like these, I am not ashamed to admit that I’m probably struggling with despondency at times because I’m not handling things in the right manner.

God help me.

For now, I cling on to this phrase: Be Privileged, Positive and Persevering. John 17 tells us why. J