Saw something today that reminded me there’s more to life than what we possess in life…

I know, you’d probably think that you know that already, right? =) – That there is more to life than one’s possessions? =)

I know that, too, btw! =)

But I do wonder… whether what we actually own… or what we’re chasing after… are really saying to the world, that we do live out our knowledge. . .

Do you believe that there are some things money can’t buy? =)

I do! =)

I think my current job gives me many benefits that money can’t buy. Just like coming across stories like the one below as I was doing one of my more “menial” jobs of copying, pasting, formatting, saving and printing prayer letters… So here is an excerpt from a prayer letter from X and his wife [edited]:

We were given a free [expatriate] Club membership by someone. Most of the club members are employees of a Company and are victims of the ‘good life’ of rampant materialism. Tragically, like so many other expats, few seem to have any understanding of the realities of life or any interest in the things of God.

When we attended a ‘Happy Hour’ at the Club recently, a man introduced himself to X by saying that he was from [a country's] Office. He asked X if he was from [another country's] Office.

X was able to reply that no, “He is from Church, Australia and that his company has branches right around the globe, is always looking for recruits and its head quarters are out of this world”.

The man was quite taken aback and seemed relieved to be rescued by an interruption to their conversation.

When I read that, especially the last sentence, I couldn’t help but chuckled. =)

I mean, I could just so imagine X saying that to a stranger, and I could so imagine their reaction! =)

This is the gentleman who asked me once where my home is and who was taken aback by my answer (see this post). =)

He and his wife are just great! =) Great encouragement to me to keep going and keep being on fire for Jesus until my old age! =) Should God give me long life on earth that is. =P

Jesus said –

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I knew it was difficult. But I also knew that being a Christian makes a difference to us being able, even wanting to keep the commandment.

Yesterday however, I was reminded afresh how difficult that command really is, and how much more difficult it is when you know that your anger and enmity against “your enemy” is a righteous one…

And yet, even as I was feeling upset and angry, I couldn’t help but think –
“Oh, who are you, Lilis, that you think so low of those people, and so highly of yourself?! You are the same with them in the way you treated God! What you did was probably even worse than what they did! And yet, He forgave you… He chose to forgive you (!) . . . Loving your enemy is not a command given lightly by God. It’s not a command that He had no idea about. He knows what it means to forgive those who are really in the wrong. He knows… And so you can do that, too… Just ask Him for His help……”

Yeah…. yesterday, I heard another sad news from my mum. (I said another one because I just heard one the Friday before… )

A few days ago, one of my high-school friends, who’s personally known to Mum, and my siblings, and who was also my brother’s swimming tutor at one time, was involved in a road accident.

He was riding a motorbike with his friend, when an unexpected thing happened (I was so shocked that I forgot the exact details of the story), and he had to stop suddenly and he fell from his bike to the road.

He fell in front of a moving ‘angkot’ (a car) and so was hit by the car. (Can’t even think of the English words now… but basically, he was lying down there on the road and the car was driven over him…)

You might protest my choice of words, but keep reading, it might make more sense…

Being hit and rode over was not the worst bit that happened to him…

All that happened in a strongly M area – another town close-by… and an area known to be very anti-Chinese. And that’s why no one helped him and his friend (who was not as badly hit as he was) after he fell from his bike, and before being hit, and after being hit by the car…

He was brought into a hospital, and yet not attended to… Because he is who he is… Someone of a Chinese descent…

So he was unattended to until his dad found out about the accident and then he was transferred to a big city a few hours drive from there…

A few of his ribs were broken… One of them pierced his liver and because it was hours before he was attended to (4 hours until his dad found out and then more), he had to have 1/4 of his liver taken out.

His jaws were broken, and people who’d seen him said that made him looked slightly disfigured…

I can’t imagine how he looks like now. Probably all wrapped up with bandages in the hospital…

But I still remember how he looked like… his face when he cracked a joke… when he addressed my Mum… when he talked to my brother about swimming…

Don’t know how old his kids are now… Or how is his wife coping with this… They are not exactly rich people…

Am I upset? Yeah… quite…

Well, I think, I’m very upset, especially considering my mum is also upset, but yeah, just trying to contain and control my emotions a bit.

But yeah… upset. Angry. Sad. Angry.

More angry to those people who did nothing to help rather than to God for letting this happen. SO angry at them! Sad for my friend, and his family… but VERY angry at those people…

And yet… all along… I know that I can’t and shouldn’t be like those people who showed no compassion to my friend! I can’t be like them and hate them, because I’m someone who’s been shown mercy! And so I have to be merciful…

Who am I anyway to think that I’m not capable of the same evil as they are?!

I am a forgiven sinner… And they, too, need this forgiveness…

At times like this, I can’t help but think – “You see God? That’s why I said to you years ago – send me anywhere, but back to my home country…”

And yet I knew the answer to that… “The Gospel of Christ is the answer… It is your answer. Nothing and no one can change people… Only the Gospel of Christ. And that’s why, this Gospel of Christ needs to go there!”

Sabab upama biwir ngaku, yen Isa teh Gusti Jungjunan tur percaya dina hate, yen Anjeunna ku Allah geus digugahkeun ti nu maraot, tanwande urang ginanjar salamet. Kapan percaya teh ku hate, ngalantarankeun urang diangken bener. Ari ngaku teh ku biwir, anu ngalantarankeun urang disalametkeun. Cek Kitab: ‘Sakur nu percaya ka Anjeunna, ku Anjeunna moal diangles.’ Sakur teh, hartina, sing saha bae kalawan teu dibeda-beda, taya urang Yahudi taya urang Yunani. Sabab Allah anu tunggal teh Allah nu disembah ku kabehan, lautan kurnia keur sakur anu sumambat ka Mantenna. Sabab sing saha anu sumambat ka pajenengan Pangeran, tinangtu disalametkeun. Tapi kumana arek sumambat ka Mantenna, ari maranehna embung percaya ka Anjeunna? Kumaha arek percaya ka Anjeunna, ari henteu ngadenge? Kumaha arek ngadenge hal Anjeunna, ari teu aya anu ngabaran? Saha anu rek ngabaran, ari teu aya nu diutus? Cek Kitab: ‘Ku endah langkahna jalma-jalma anu ngemban warta pikabungaheun!’

Sabab dunya teh, pohara nya diasihna ku Allah; nepi ka Putra Tunggal-Na oge dipasrahkeun, supaya sing saha anu percaya ka Anjeunna ulah nepi ka binasa; tapi sabalikna, bisa tinemu jeung hirup abadi. Pangna Allah ngutus Putra-Na ka alam dunya teh, lain rek ngahukum, enyana mah rek nyalametkeun alam dunya ku parantaraan Putra-Na. Saha bae anu percaya ka Anjeunna, moal dihukum; anu baris dihukum teh, anu embung percaya sabab henteu ngandel ka nu ngaran Putra Tunggal Allah tea…. Rama nu mikaasih ka Putra geus masrahkeun sakabeh perkara ka Anjeunna. Anu percaya ka eta Putra, tangtu tinemu jeung hirup langgeng. Tapi anu henteu anut ka Putra mah, moal papanggih jeung hirup; sabalikna, pinasti nandangan hukuman Allah.”

Da ari pikeun Jamaah mah, mending ukur lima kecap, tapi matak kaharti; ti batan rebuan kecap dina basa anu teu pikahartieun. Dulur-dulur, pikiran teh, ulah kawas budak; kudu kawas budak soteh, kana sual kajahatan; ari pikiran mah, kudu sawawa. Dina Kitab Suci Toret kaungel: ‘Kami rek ngandika ka ieu bangsa, lain ku jalma-jalma anu asing basana wungkul, tapi make biwir urang asing oge. Sanajan kitu, ieu bangsa teh moal nurut!’ Kitu pangandika Pangeran. Tina hal ieu tetela, yen basa ajaib teh tanda lain pikeun anu palercaya, tapi pikeun anu teu palercaya. Sabalikna, anugrah nepikeun nubuwatan mah tanda pikeun anu palercaya, lain pikeun anu teu percaya. Pek wang-wang, upama Jamaah keur kumpulan, masing-masing ngaromong ku basa anu teu puguh unina tea; heug, datang jalma-jalma awam atawa nu can palercaya, atuh aranjeun teh disebut ngacambling? Sabalikna, lamun aranjeun, masing-masing, nepikeun nubuwatan mah, jalma awam atawa nu can percaya teh bisa katarik sarta picatur aranjeun baris dilenyepan. Bisa jadi, ahirna maranehna ngabudalkeun eusi hate sarta sembah sujud ka Allah bari bijil ucapna: ‘Leres aranjeun teh disarengan ku Allah!’

Many times when read their letters, I can’t help but ask (more in amazement and disbelief than contempt):

“Why would they want to do that? Why would they want to be there – doing what they are doing, living such hard lives, and facing things and situations they otherwise wouldn’t have to face?! Why??? ……”

And then I realise, I do have the answer to those questions – it is right there, in front of me!

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. – 2 Cor 5: 14-15

Below is one of my favourite hymns of all times.

I thought the theme goes well with what we learnt from 1 Cor 12 and 13 on Friday – about people being given different gifts, but all should be thinking about living with Jesus as Lord and about the building up of the body of Christ – and so taking this opportunity to share the words of this hymn with you. =)

You can listen to the tunes here.

If you cannot, on the ocean, sail among the swiftest fleet,
Rocking on the highest billows, laughing at the storms you meet,
You can stand among the sailors, anchored yet within the bay,
You can lend a hand to help them, as they launch their boats away.

If you are too weak to journey up the mountain steep and high,
You can stand within the valley, while the multitudes go by;
You can chant in happy measure, as they slowly pass along;
Though they may forget the singer, they will not forget the song.

If you have not gold and silver ever ready to command;
If you cannot toward the needy reach an ever open hand;
You can visit the afflicted, o’er the erring you can weep;
You can be a true disciple, sitting at the Savior’s feet.

If you cannot, in the conflict prove, yourself a soldier true,
If, where fire and smoke are thickest, there’s no work for you to do;
When the battlefield is silent, you can go with careful tread,
You can bear away the wounded, you can cover up the dead.

If you cannot, in the harvest, gather up the richest sheaves,
Many a grain both ripe and golden oft the careless reaper leaves;
Go and glean among the briars growing rank against the wall,
For it may be that their shadow hides the heaviest wheat of all.

Do not, then, stand idly waiting, for some greater work to do;
Fortune is a lazy goddess, she will never come to you.
Go and toil in any vineyard, do not fear to do or dare,
If you want a field of labor, you can find it anywhere.

Words: Ellen M. H. Gates, 1860