To What Extent

To what extent are we willing to go for our children? A friend of mine, a mother of 6 kids, wife of a pastor, not only home school her children but is taking up violin lessons so that she could teach her offspring to play. This is on top of her teaching them to play piano as well! I am dumbfounded when I heard this. In fact, I could feel strips of fatigue striking just by imagining the amount of work required, not to mention the amount of patience and perseverance required! To accentuate this even more, my friend G does not enjoy the luxury of having a domestic helper!

Closer to home, I have recently started playing badminton with Clarissa and Joseph. This was necessary, as I would like them to inculcate healthy habits. Currently, both of them are spending far too much time watching TV and eating too much junk. The only challenge is: I don’t play badminton very well. Therefore, in a hall filled with players, I could safely conclude that our family spends the most time picking up shuttlecocks than actually hitting them!

Although we play only 2 hours a week, its enough to send me to bed by 8.30pm with aching shoulders. One night, I thought to myself “Isn’t it amazing that we are willing to go the extra mile for the sake of our children?! If it were up to me, I would not have chosen to play badminton at all but now, I play the game as though it’s the best game in the world (well, at least in Malaysia)!”

Before I could continue patting myself on my shoulder, I was reminded that there is someone else who deserved greater praise. Two thousand years ago, someone had given up his royal throne to come and dwell among us, teaching us the right from the wrong. Instead of being shown gratefulness, he was persecuted and eventually died on the cross for our sins. He came so that we could have an eternal relationship with Him. I think there is no one else who could beat Jesus when it comes to sacrificial giving. Through parenting, I have certainly tasted how great is His love for us.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Eph 3:18)

Footprints of a Giant

It has been difficult for me to blog, not because I don’t want to but purely because I am dry. When Liz passed away, I was reminded of the countless number of times that she had inspired me, one of which was blogging! I could still remember that when she was first diagnosed with 4^th stage lung cancer more than 2 years ago, Clarissa was also diagnosed with H1N1.  We upheld each other in prayer with her encouraging me over the phone: “Fee, you should start blogging and share about God’s goodness like I am doing now!” So, there I began! She was more excited than I was with my blog!

Such were the ways that she had touched me. Through the months, she had become my prayer warrior. Whenever my kids were plagued with illnesses, she was there to encourage me through her smses and prayers. There was much to learn much from this faith giant: I didn’t know much about persistency in praying until I started keeping tabs of her blog. She has indeed taught me to never give up in praying, even when circumstances show otherwise.

Now that she is in a better place, I am stuck in a bitter-sweet situation. Although I would love her to be with us, I know that God has a better plan for her and for me. Afterall, this is only a temporary separation. I would need to run my race here, so that I could fulfill what God has in stored for me; Liz has finished her race faithfully, touching many lives. Great is her reward in heaven.