In a few seconds ( I already have an acute awareness of how short life really is!), our family will welcome another year – full of hope and excitement! 2011 is an eventful year – in the homefront, the biz, workplace and in the city of Golden Friendship where my family has called home for the past 6 yrs. The tragedy that has struck the city through Sendong’s fury has claimed lives, has broken spirits of the living and has left little hope to most. We were not spared – my relatives also dove and “wheeled through” ( since my 83 y.o. lola was on a wheelchair that time – to cross to a neighbor’s 2-storey house) floodwaters and mud, amidst the wailing of little children in pitch dark madness. HeBrews’ warehouse was flooded – washing away some stocks and destroying equipments and leaving the delivery van floating into a highway of “wilderness” (ALL sorts – living and otherwise bumping into each other). Our biz, named HeBrews speaks clearly of the kind of faith that we ought to have – being certain of the things yet unseen – that Yes, God’s glorious riches will abound in good times and bad for He owns everything!
Having seen all of these, I pondered on what I read from 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 this morning – that what I witnessed were just glimpses of the Lord’s 2nd comeback, that He will come like a thief in the night – when we say that “All is well, everything is peaceful and secure” then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman’s birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape” (1 Thess 4:2-3)..I have heard those lines “ everything was peaceful, then the waters rose up!” “ we didn’t expect it – it was just too fast!” , and as a mom, likening it to a mother’s birthing pains is just so real to me..Yes, these are fearsome thoughts, but as God’s children, we ought to behave differently – give hope to the hopeless, share the gospel of Good News to those who have lost it, or never heard of it.
“ But we need not fear for we are children of the light and day!” (1 Thess 5:8-11). What are we supposed to do? The apostle Paul,(not me), outlined these:
1. That we should think clearly
2. That we keep armed with faith and love
3. That we wear the helmet and confidence of our salvation
All these will allow us to break into thanksgiving to God for he has saved us, through Jesus Christ – not to pour out His anger on us for He died so we can live for Him forever!
With tears welled in my eyes, I have lost count of the goodness that God has done in my life, my family, my love-ones, the people whom we have been praying for all these years – the challenges that He has allowed to happen that we may mature in Him, the miracles that have kept us amazed by how His hand has moved clearly in impossible circumstances, and a whole lot more!
As we embrace 2012 – it is my prayer that we “Always be JOYFUL. Keep on PRAYING. No matter what happens, always be THANKFUL, for this is God’s will for you (and me ) who belong to Christ Jesus! “ (1Thess 5:16-18).
Blessings, peace, prosperity in 2012!
Life in circle 