Last Day and the Taxi Man

It had been a wonderful week in Kota Kinabalu. Though there was not much time for literary reflection as I only managed a few lines of the Book of Proverbs, God has His way. Most of the time was basically trying to adjust to having my parents travelling along as where to eat, how to get there, what to do became more than just a personal decision.

Then, it was time to leave for the airport from the hotel. The journey lasted less than 8 minutes but it was to become one of the most startling moments of the entire trip.

He looked very dark for a Chinese. Middle aged. Almost immediately when we closed the door, he asked where we were from. I am good at cutting off small talks. I replied to him as brief as I could, “KL.” I didn't feel chatty.

Without skipping a beat, he asked, “Are you Christian? I am a Christian. I was an ex drug addict and was once in prison for robbery.”

Wow, what a way to start a conversation!

And knowing I am a Christian too, Yap (saw his name on the tag) went on sharing his testimony of how God transformed him. He asked us to pray for his mum, Madam Chan who is suffering from cervical cancer. He didn't ask to pray for recovery. He just said pray for her as she is a very 伟大 mother. “ She didn't give up praying for me.”

At the point of writing this entry on board the plane back to kl, I felt so small, reminded of how much I have fallen short. His enthusiasm for the gospel is genuine. He said he just wants to tell as many people as possible about how loving and great He is. He doesn't want to just leave that to the pastors and preachers. “I can't force them to be Christians, but that at least they have heard of how wonderful my God is.”

Now, what have I been doing all this while? Has God been any less wonderful to me? Certainly NOT!

Lord, strip me away of my pride and give me the courage to share the outpouring of your love be it in or out of season. Amen.

Love Springs Eternal

Able to escape it all in the high mountains of Kundasang and the beautiful beaches of nexus, sutera and manukan have been what I would say, a great RELIEF! I need not to be on high alert fielding questions about oh, when will you start giving ang pows instead, something that never fail to evoke in me a mixed feelings of awkwardness and withholding...holding back from letting them know that I am really not dismissing the fact that I would remain single. It's my prayer for faith and obedience that I know He will help me grow to understand as his plans unfold.

I want to reinstate that I don't believe we need to SEEK the will of God. It's not something that God has hidden from us. We need not look for it. Living in the limits of time and space, God will according to his pleasure, unfold his eternal will which He has preordained before time and space. We just SEEK for God's pleasure and I likened this to the joy of actively pursuing your loved one, to discover and do what pleases him as you get to know him more and more each passing moment. It's so wonderful being able to know and reciprocate a love that is pure and not self seeking. A foretaste of loving joy in eternity!

Gym Deception

Staying healthy is one thing. Going to the gym is another. Spending unproductive hours trying to burn off those calories from excessive input in the first place is just worsening the vicious cycle. So many resources are squandered on the almost pointless running on a treadmill and lifting those iron bars.

Why not considering spending time and energy doing something to burn off excess energy and at the same time contribute to something meaningful? How about helping to build the much needed shed for an old folks home or cleaning up the compound of an orphanage? That would mean a lot of sweating it out if you ask me.

Not to oversimplify matters, wouldn't that be better than going to the gym, not to mention savings on the monthly membership fee which I do not think is an insignificant amount to many.

The professional CONsultants will say, “When you pay, you get the motivation.” What a good way of saying, give me your money and perhaps you will feel the pinch to start coming.” What they did not utter would be, “Whether you come or not, the money is already in my hands. Loser!”

“I can't build specific muscles doing chores. I can't have that toned body I always desired by doing voluntary work.” Yes, it's true. This leads to another question. You are now saying that going to the gym is not merely to stay healthy, but to look more attractive. Good. We all love aesthetically appealing things, animate or not, but so much effort and time invested on looking good? Hope you find your investment worthwhile, ultimately.

Gym is a good place to meet like-minded people. Of course. Birds of feather flock together. Good for the Mary's, aged predators and their willing preys as well as the 'got it flaunt it', one-kind.

Yes, there are those who genuinely go to the gym because they have specific physical needs, e.g. past injury that needs specific attention. It's a good and probably the most convenient way for you to get well. I am glad that gym has provided an avenue for you.

Of course there are also others who benefit from the convenience of having a place to unwind and a good shower before appointments. There are also others who swear that gym has turn their life around for the better. I am ignorant cause I have never signed up for any gym membership. Enlighten me. To me it seems like a 'neutral' place where in fact we are just wasting our life away. I have my reservations that this is the even one of the ways to care for the temple of the Holy Spirit.

So, what's your reason for going to the gym today? To be a celebrity in the making, truly fit or is it really about putting fitness first?