Sept 23rd, 2021: Lesson Learned


 It has been 32 years ago since we moved to Alberta. We came out West in responding to a ministry assignment I took on at the time.  It was a challenging beginning for us as a family as we knew no one in Alberta. The ministry portfolio was demanding at the time. We went through a lot and learned to depend on God in many ways.


Someone asked me recently how I would sum up the experience I had during these years.

Expectation to be surprised by God: Sometimes, the blessings of God are unexpected. It is not about having an easy time with life. It is about having a meaningful time with God. As we learn how to yield to what God desires for us, we are open ourselves to many unexpected events in life.

Engagement in God's revelations even though we have no complete understanding. Sometimes we fail to see God's participation in our life if we only look after our comfort and convenience. God's revelations always bring about changes in our hearts and minds.

Endear ourselves to things that are close to the heart of God. We need to be aware of the distractions of life that have taken us away from where God wants us to be. We need to gain the freedom to love when we would rather hate. We will seek understanding instead of self-pity. We will pray for those who persecute us instead of cursing them.

God has opened my eyes towards the suffering of others while knowing that I have no answer for them. It is no longer about what I know. It is about having the willingness just to be. To be present and to be prayerful are the two spiritual disciplines I learned during these years. Alberta is now home in many ways, and we are grateful for that.

James 4: 13-14
"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."

Ephesians 3: 20
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more