The Unseen Universe-yes, that's the title of the chapter on the story of Job I'm reading today. The writer is none other than my favorite teacher Oswald Chambers.
As we all know by experience, how much the book of Job bring consolation when we go through great trouble and sadness. For long we have been bought into the belief that as long as we trust in God and live according to His ways, nothing could go wrong. If a person suffers, then there must be a good reason for it- either the person had done something wrong to bring down such a punishment or the person is somehow getting perfected by going through such suffering.
However, Job's story contradicts all such thinking. According to the Bible, Job was perfect in every way before suffering touched his life. God, Himself had given the highest rapport about him-" Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8) Job didn't do any harm to get punished nor he deserved to go through pain and suffering to get perfected. Yet, Job underwent severe physical suffering, mental agony, the death of sons and daughters and the loss of his property and herds. And God chose to keep out of sight during all this time.
It is easy for us to get mad at God when troubles come our way. Most of us who live in the western world somehow think that we are entitled to have a trouble free life. And that's why we begin to grumble, groan and complain no sooner any kind of pain or sorrow come our way. Even a sprinkle of rain and cloudy sky for a day or two in Southern California where I live could make people grumpy and mournful.
" The man who knows that there are problems and difficulties in life is not easily moved. Most of us get touchy with God and desert Him when He does not back up our creed." writes Chambers in this chapter. He further goes on to write," There are things in our heavenly Father's dealings with us which have no immediate explanation.There are inexplicable providence which test us to the limit, and prove that rationalism is a mere mental pose."
In the first chapter of the Book of Job, we come upon a scene where God and Satan make a challenge over Job's faithfulness. Job had no clue of what's going on up in heaven. Suddenly, without any warning or permission asked, he was pushed into an arena to encounter suffering after suffering. Being unable to watch him suffer in pain from head to foot, his wife asked him to give up on God and die cursing Him. His three friends on whom Job relied for support and comfort further added to his agony by their reasoning and judgement. Any other person would have turned his back on God, but not Job. Instead of cursing as his wife suggested, Job uttered amidst his pain," Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." That is faith sounding its bells for Almighty to beam with pride and rejoice over His servant's faithfulness.
We have no clue why bad things happen to good people or how bad people get away unpunished? We are incapable of detecting what's happening in the unseen universe either. Like Job, if we could persevere the tough times in steadfast faith, we could also make our Maker beam with pride.***
Monday, September 16, 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Getting ahead of God
" Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don't worship God and fail to intercede." Oswald Chambers.
How very true and what a great warning this man of God gave to his hearers and readers in his days. Even today, his devotional, My Utmost for His Highest is considered to be a classic and read by believers all over the world.
I wonder what Chambers would have written today in our busyness driven, twitter ridden world. Who knows, he might have even given up writing completely so that he could be on his knees all day long to intercede for us, Christians, so that we could be brought back to our knees and spend quality time with God.
No doubt Chambers would have definitely chosen to do that, because he was someone who knew his priority in the right order. His words were direct, blunt and wholesome. How else, could a man after God's own heart, like Chambers translates what's burning in his heart other than telling it as it is. He could have tempered it down to please his audience, but his priority was to please the One, whose audience Chambered sought the most.
Today, seldom a Christian preacher or writer want to convey the message in the way Chamber did. No one wants to upset or offend their audience. People pleasing rather than God pleasing has become the style of this Christian era. Result- Celebrity status craving is creeping into whatever we venture in. Sadly, we have bought into the misconception that whatever we do are mostly for the benefit of God; in other words- for the glory of God.
It is here, we need to pause, take a step back and assess our doings. If we are running ahead of God to fulfill His plan in my life and for this world, I need to slap myself to waken me up and realize that I'm not God, but He is.
It is His story we are called to play a part. It is He, who decides how big or small our part is going to be. All what He expects from us-availability, obedience and commitment. In His hand a twig could gain an oak like strength and a mount-height oak could disappear without a trace.
So, let us minding our minute status before God, watch our steps and words in following Him, rather than running ahead of Him with our plans and projects for His glory.
How very true and what a great warning this man of God gave to his hearers and readers in his days. Even today, his devotional, My Utmost for His Highest is considered to be a classic and read by believers all over the world.
I wonder what Chambers would have written today in our busyness driven, twitter ridden world. Who knows, he might have even given up writing completely so that he could be on his knees all day long to intercede for us, Christians, so that we could be brought back to our knees and spend quality time with God.
No doubt Chambers would have definitely chosen to do that, because he was someone who knew his priority in the right order. His words were direct, blunt and wholesome. How else, could a man after God's own heart, like Chambers translates what's burning in his heart other than telling it as it is. He could have tempered it down to please his audience, but his priority was to please the One, whose audience Chambered sought the most.
Today, seldom a Christian preacher or writer want to convey the message in the way Chamber did. No one wants to upset or offend their audience. People pleasing rather than God pleasing has become the style of this Christian era. Result- Celebrity status craving is creeping into whatever we venture in. Sadly, we have bought into the misconception that whatever we do are mostly for the benefit of God; in other words- for the glory of God.
It is here, we need to pause, take a step back and assess our doings. If we are running ahead of God to fulfill His plan in my life and for this world, I need to slap myself to waken me up and realize that I'm not God, but He is.
It is His story we are called to play a part. It is He, who decides how big or small our part is going to be. All what He expects from us-availability, obedience and commitment. In His hand a twig could gain an oak like strength and a mount-height oak could disappear without a trace.
So, let us minding our minute status before God, watch our steps and words in following Him, rather than running ahead of Him with our plans and projects for His glory.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Being Still to Know the Lord
" Be still, and know that I'm God."Psalm 46:10
Isn't it interesting that we find time to do all other things, but to be still and to know God, we hardly find time in our busyness proned culture.
We find time to go to the gym for a workout; we find time to go to the stores to buy groceries to feed our bodies; we find time to read books and write stories for pleasure; but we find it so difficult to find time to be still. Silence and stillness somehow make us uneasy. Doing nothing makes us nervous. Today's culture dictates us to keep busy.
I remember a time some years ago, I was seated in the church waiting for the service to begin, when my daughter's Sunday school teacher came and sat in the row front of me. When she turned around to see "hi!" to me, she casually asked, " So, keeping busy...ugh?"
I could have easily said " yes," and mumbled about how busy I was and how tired I've become. That would have kept the conversation going. But instead, I replied, " No,...I'm not." I didn't intend to be impolite or cut short the conversation. I wasn't keeping busy at that time,and so I told her the truth. My answer must have sounded strange to her that she looked at me as if I had arrived from another planet. I regretted for giving such an answer and losing a good opportunity of talking to her, for soon she turned back and started talking to the person seated next to her.
It's very sad that when people of eastern religion could spend long hours in meditations and prayers in silence, we Christians hardly choose time to be alone with God and be quiet in His presence. The term meditation sounds unchristian in our righteous ears. Just last night, at our writers group, a member was complaining how hard is to find some quiet time to be with the Lord in these days. But when she does manage to find such time, how precious it becomes, she said. No wonder, God calls us to be still to know Him. Even churches are becoming louder and louder with drums and shouts of worship team on the stage that I wonder whether it's a conducive environment to be still and focus on God.
Just a month ago, we attended a church service of a well known preacher in America. My niece from England had listened to his preaching online and she was keen of visiting his church in California when she came down to visit us recently. We were too glad to drive her to the church which was an hour and a half from our house. The church was packed with people, and we were lucky enough to find good seats in the middle section of the sanctuary. But when the worship team came on stage and started to lead, my husband and I wanted to run behind and find seats somewhere in the far end. It was so loud that my husband literally put his hands to cup his both years. It was embarrassing to watch him do that, but he had no other option.
As it is in any rock concert, people were jumping and waving their hands with great emotion. It was so wonderful to watch people praising and worshipping like that. But, will that devotion and hyped emotion stay with them even after they left that place on that evening? Would that cooperate worship have the same impact as the private quiet time with the Lord? It's nothing about cooperate worship or how we worship at church. It's more of the time we carve out of our busyness to spend with the Lord in our prayer closet. If we cannot find time to be alone with God, how could we expect Him to have time for us? That doesn't seem fair at all. Yet, God in His grace choose to find time to answer us when we send Him our 911 call. His unconditional love oversees our selfish nature and comes to our aid whenever we call Him. It's His nature. Let's not take mean advantage of His goodness or take His mercy for granted!***
Isn't it interesting that we find time to do all other things, but to be still and to know God, we hardly find time in our busyness proned culture.
We find time to go to the gym for a workout; we find time to go to the stores to buy groceries to feed our bodies; we find time to read books and write stories for pleasure; but we find it so difficult to find time to be still. Silence and stillness somehow make us uneasy. Doing nothing makes us nervous. Today's culture dictates us to keep busy.
I remember a time some years ago, I was seated in the church waiting for the service to begin, when my daughter's Sunday school teacher came and sat in the row front of me. When she turned around to see "hi!" to me, she casually asked, " So, keeping busy...ugh?"
I could have easily said " yes," and mumbled about how busy I was and how tired I've become. That would have kept the conversation going. But instead, I replied, " No,...I'm not." I didn't intend to be impolite or cut short the conversation. I wasn't keeping busy at that time,and so I told her the truth. My answer must have sounded strange to her that she looked at me as if I had arrived from another planet. I regretted for giving such an answer and losing a good opportunity of talking to her, for soon she turned back and started talking to the person seated next to her.
It's very sad that when people of eastern religion could spend long hours in meditations and prayers in silence, we Christians hardly choose time to be alone with God and be quiet in His presence. The term meditation sounds unchristian in our righteous ears. Just last night, at our writers group, a member was complaining how hard is to find some quiet time to be with the Lord in these days. But when she does manage to find such time, how precious it becomes, she said. No wonder, God calls us to be still to know Him. Even churches are becoming louder and louder with drums and shouts of worship team on the stage that I wonder whether it's a conducive environment to be still and focus on God.
Just a month ago, we attended a church service of a well known preacher in America. My niece from England had listened to his preaching online and she was keen of visiting his church in California when she came down to visit us recently. We were too glad to drive her to the church which was an hour and a half from our house. The church was packed with people, and we were lucky enough to find good seats in the middle section of the sanctuary. But when the worship team came on stage and started to lead, my husband and I wanted to run behind and find seats somewhere in the far end. It was so loud that my husband literally put his hands to cup his both years. It was embarrassing to watch him do that, but he had no other option.
As it is in any rock concert, people were jumping and waving their hands with great emotion. It was so wonderful to watch people praising and worshipping like that. But, will that devotion and hyped emotion stay with them even after they left that place on that evening? Would that cooperate worship have the same impact as the private quiet time with the Lord? It's nothing about cooperate worship or how we worship at church. It's more of the time we carve out of our busyness to spend with the Lord in our prayer closet. If we cannot find time to be alone with God, how could we expect Him to have time for us? That doesn't seem fair at all. Yet, God in His grace choose to find time to answer us when we send Him our 911 call. His unconditional love oversees our selfish nature and comes to our aid whenever we call Him. It's His nature. Let's not take mean advantage of His goodness or take His mercy for granted!***
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Easter Recollections
It's Easter Sunday today and we had an outdoor Easter service at our church. The sun was blazing bright and the worship team led by Moriah Peters kept us mostly on our feet clapping and swaying to the music. Pastor Bob chose the title Easter in 3-D for his sermon and as usual he presented us a great sermon on resurrection.
In my six decades of life, I've worshipped on Easter Sundays at various churches, some in different countries. But never an Easter Sunday passes by without me thinking of the sunrise Easter service at the small country church in my home town. I grew up attending such early morning Easter services and when I moved to Canada, on this part of the world, I was disappointed to find no sunrise Easter services to attend.
Oh, how I cherish the memory of me getting up around 5 am in the morning, pour buckets of cold water on my head to wake me up and scrub myself with sandalwood soap to smell good and dressing myself in something soft and white to reflect Easter. Since my parents rarely attended church and my older siblings had already left home for college or for work, I joined my friends to go to church.
On Easter morning, those of us kids who want to go for the service met at one of our friend's house and from there, with a candle in one hand, and clanging tambourine with the other,we walked towards our church singing " Hallelujah, He's risen, " in our native tongue. As we passed a huge Hindu temple and turned the corner towards the street leading to our church, we'd see flickering candles and hear the sound of drums and singing coming from opposite direction.
All of us would gather near the front of the church and wait for the church bell to gong thrice. Once that's done and the organist start playing the organ, we would file in a line and walk down the aisle of the church and take our place at the choir section. The sanctuary decorated in white Easter lilies and people mostly dressed in white looked serene and beautiful.
Easter Sunday was the day usually selected for any children to get baptized or adults to get confirmed to become a member of the church. Baptism was done by the pastor sprinkling water on the head instead of immersion baptism. I didn't know why my parents didn't get me baptized when I was a child as they did for my older siblings. So, at age 13, wearing the white beautiful taffeta dress my older sister sewed the previous day, I walked to the altar by myself and got baptized. Because my pastor and wife had been to the Holy Land the previous month, I was lucky enough to be sprinkled on the head with the water brought from Jordan river.
On another Easter Sunday morning, five years later I walked along with a few of my friends to the altar, wearing a white georgette sari and blouse and a pearl necklace around my neck and got my confirmation as well as a brand new Bible. My very own Bible to read! Until then I had been reading the old family Bible my mother had got from her family.
I never grew up hunting for Easter eggs or hearing about Easter bunnies. It was in Sweden, while my husband was doing his postdoctoral studies, his professor and wife invited us for an Easter brunch and it was then I came to taste an Easter egg chocolate for the first time. The professor's wife had cleverly placed the eggs which looked like real boiled eggs in their holders and laid them out neatly in front of us on the table. Our hosts had a hearty laugh in watching our amazed look on seeing the chocolate instead of real yolk inside the egg.
I remember the time, when my oldest daughter was in grade 2, her teacher had asked the class to write about Easter. It was two years earlier that we had immigrated to Canada and my daughter hadn't still got familiar with Easter tradition here. So, while the other kids wrote about Easter bunny and egg hunting, she had written what Easter meant to her. The teacher, who was a Christian was so thrilled to read a seven year old immigrant child writing - " Easter is not about Easter bunnies or Easter eggs. It's about Jesus rising from the dead on a Sunday morning." Being in a public school, the teacher couldn't talk to my daughter about how pleased she was to read what she had written. But when I went to meet the teacher later one day, she mentioned about it and encouraged me to keep up with our bringing up in faith.
Our second daughter who was born in Canada, grew up hunting for chocolate-laden eggs on Easter mornings, munching on Easter eggs and reading stories about Easter bunnies. I don't know what she would have written if her teacher had asked her to write about Easter.
It is sad that the world we living in today is becoming more market centered and less Christ centered and our children are growing up in such culture. Yet, I'm so thankful for the freedom we have in celebrating these seasons in whatever way we want and in whatever place we choose to worship with our families. Such freedome should never be taken for granted!***
Friday, March 29, 2013
It's Good Friday Today
" The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating Him. They blindfolded Him and demanded, " Prophesy!" Who hit you?" And they said many other insulting things to Him.
(Luke 22:63-65)
This is the passage I started reading on this Good Friday morning. Something stopped me from reading further, but to go through it over and over again to picture the scene in my mind. Here stood my Lord, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace before Him all knees would bow down one day, as a prisoner, hands bound, being mocked and beaten by mere men, servants of the Roman regime.
Abandoned by His disciples, followers, family and those whom He loved enough to heal, the Sovereign Lord stood alone amidst the mocking crowd without uttering a word to defend Himself. A word from Him would have brought down the heavenly angels for His rescue and revealed His true identity to the mocking men. But that wasn't our Lord's style. He never tried to impress human beings and prove Himself by doing amazing things. Remember, that's what Satan tried to make Him do when he tempted Him in the wilderness soon after His baptism in the Jordan river. Then and there, the Son of God snapped back at the devil saying, "Do not put the Lord Your God to the test." Jesus had been firm on His statement from the start of His ministry and He was not going to back down from it just to save Himself from pain and humiliation.
After all, Jesus knew before hand what was in for Him for the next couple of days. Yes, His flesh pleaded with the Father in the garden of Gethsemane to remove the predestined suffering if possible. But when He found peace with His Father's will, He knew far too well that no amount of suffering nor humiliation would keep Him back.
So, instead of getting angry with those who were mocking Him, Jesus must have felt sorry for them. After all, they were just the tools of their masters and they were doing what they were doing best to show off their authority and power. What a vast contrast between the human and divine perceptive of authority. Here stood the King of kings who orchestrated the establishment of the universe silent without using His authority while servants of Roman regime showing off their authority in their time of opportunity. No wonder Jesus declared that unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Unless those men had eyes to see who Jesus was really, they could act only in the way they knew to act. Jesus knew that. That's why on the cross, He prayed, " Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." He must have prayed for all those who cried out and demanded Him to be crucified, those spat on His face, mocked and laughed at Him all the way to the cross, those who slashed His back with whips and nailed Him on the cross.
Surely it was painful torture Jesus underwent to redeem the world. His precious blood was needed as an atonement, It was a priceless sacrifice made out of love, even for those who beat and humiliated Him beyond measure. Their acts may have grieved Jesus and brought much pain. But He refused to give into anger and pass judgement on them. Instead, He understood their human nature and prayed out to His father to forgive them. What more do we need to prove Him divine? Who else in human form had ever displayed such love as what was showed on the cross at Calvary on that Friday two thousand years ago?***
Today, we call it Good Friday in its remembrance. As a child, I used to wonder why they didn't call it Bad Friday because Jesus died on that day. I was not mature enough at that age to realize that Good News was spread and goodness was berthed because of what happened on that Friday.
Strangely Good Friday is not a public holiday in California where I live now. It's my off day, so I didn't need to go to work. To make it convenient for all to attend, our Good Friday service is schedule at 6;30 pm.
I always cherish the memory of attending Good Friday and Easter services while I was growing up. As a teenager and a new born again believer, I used to be a vegetarian throughout the lent season and fast all day on Good Friday till I return back from church service that evening.
Even though I grew up in a Hindu neighborhood and Buddhist country, we, the handful of Christians living in our neighborhood observed these day with great piety and servitude at a nearby American Mission built country church with high steeple beautiful stained windows. A huge bell gonged loud enough three times before every church service so that the churchgoers in the neighborhood could hear and walk down to the church on time.
Good Friday service at our country church usually started at 3pm and went for three hours straight in order to bring remembrance of the three hours Jesus hung on the cross. I can still hear in my ears the sweet voice of our church's nightingale, Sakuntala, singing songs on the passion of Christ and playing her violin solemnly.
With a pin drop silence hovering in the sanctuary, all eyes closed and knees bent, the songs and prayers truly lifted us up to view the scene in our minds. The pastor along with guest preachers focused their sermons mainly on the seven words Christ uttered on the cross.
No one complained or left half-way of the three hour service. We didn't have any high school ministry at church to keep us teenagers occupied during the service. So we all attended the one and only service provided. Instead of drums and guitars, we had organ and violin as accompaniment when we sang hymns. When collection plates were passed around,coins of 5, 10, 25 cents equivalent to pennies were mostly put, rarely more valuable rupees.
I've attended Good Friday services at many churches in different countries in my life. But nothing brings me so much rich memories as the ones I had at the simple American Mission built church in my hometown in 1960s. There was so much depth and reverence in the worship that impacted all who attended.
(Luke 22:63-65)
This is the passage I started reading on this Good Friday morning. Something stopped me from reading further, but to go through it over and over again to picture the scene in my mind. Here stood my Lord, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace before Him all knees would bow down one day, as a prisoner, hands bound, being mocked and beaten by mere men, servants of the Roman regime.
Abandoned by His disciples, followers, family and those whom He loved enough to heal, the Sovereign Lord stood alone amidst the mocking crowd without uttering a word to defend Himself. A word from Him would have brought down the heavenly angels for His rescue and revealed His true identity to the mocking men. But that wasn't our Lord's style. He never tried to impress human beings and prove Himself by doing amazing things. Remember, that's what Satan tried to make Him do when he tempted Him in the wilderness soon after His baptism in the Jordan river. Then and there, the Son of God snapped back at the devil saying, "Do not put the Lord Your God to the test." Jesus had been firm on His statement from the start of His ministry and He was not going to back down from it just to save Himself from pain and humiliation.
After all, Jesus knew before hand what was in for Him for the next couple of days. Yes, His flesh pleaded with the Father in the garden of Gethsemane to remove the predestined suffering if possible. But when He found peace with His Father's will, He knew far too well that no amount of suffering nor humiliation would keep Him back.
So, instead of getting angry with those who were mocking Him, Jesus must have felt sorry for them. After all, they were just the tools of their masters and they were doing what they were doing best to show off their authority and power. What a vast contrast between the human and divine perceptive of authority. Here stood the King of kings who orchestrated the establishment of the universe silent without using His authority while servants of Roman regime showing off their authority in their time of opportunity. No wonder Jesus declared that unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Unless those men had eyes to see who Jesus was really, they could act only in the way they knew to act. Jesus knew that. That's why on the cross, He prayed, " Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." He must have prayed for all those who cried out and demanded Him to be crucified, those spat on His face, mocked and laughed at Him all the way to the cross, those who slashed His back with whips and nailed Him on the cross.
Surely it was painful torture Jesus underwent to redeem the world. His precious blood was needed as an atonement, It was a priceless sacrifice made out of love, even for those who beat and humiliated Him beyond measure. Their acts may have grieved Jesus and brought much pain. But He refused to give into anger and pass judgement on them. Instead, He understood their human nature and prayed out to His father to forgive them. What more do we need to prove Him divine? Who else in human form had ever displayed such love as what was showed on the cross at Calvary on that Friday two thousand years ago?***
Today, we call it Good Friday in its remembrance. As a child, I used to wonder why they didn't call it Bad Friday because Jesus died on that day. I was not mature enough at that age to realize that Good News was spread and goodness was berthed because of what happened on that Friday.
Strangely Good Friday is not a public holiday in California where I live now. It's my off day, so I didn't need to go to work. To make it convenient for all to attend, our Good Friday service is schedule at 6;30 pm.
I always cherish the memory of attending Good Friday and Easter services while I was growing up. As a teenager and a new born again believer, I used to be a vegetarian throughout the lent season and fast all day on Good Friday till I return back from church service that evening.
Even though I grew up in a Hindu neighborhood and Buddhist country, we, the handful of Christians living in our neighborhood observed these day with great piety and servitude at a nearby American Mission built country church with high steeple beautiful stained windows. A huge bell gonged loud enough three times before every church service so that the churchgoers in the neighborhood could hear and walk down to the church on time.
Good Friday service at our country church usually started at 3pm and went for three hours straight in order to bring remembrance of the three hours Jesus hung on the cross. I can still hear in my ears the sweet voice of our church's nightingale, Sakuntala, singing songs on the passion of Christ and playing her violin solemnly.
With a pin drop silence hovering in the sanctuary, all eyes closed and knees bent, the songs and prayers truly lifted us up to view the scene in our minds. The pastor along with guest preachers focused their sermons mainly on the seven words Christ uttered on the cross.
No one complained or left half-way of the three hour service. We didn't have any high school ministry at church to keep us teenagers occupied during the service. So we all attended the one and only service provided. Instead of drums and guitars, we had organ and violin as accompaniment when we sang hymns. When collection plates were passed around,coins of 5, 10, 25 cents equivalent to pennies were mostly put, rarely more valuable rupees.
I've attended Good Friday services at many churches in different countries in my life. But nothing brings me so much rich memories as the ones I had at the simple American Mission built church in my hometown in 1960s. There was so much depth and reverence in the worship that impacted all who attended.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Lesson learned from my pedicurists
It's time up for me to go for pedicure, I thought as I looked up at my toe nails at the verge of curling down. I could have walked up to the Nail salon just next door to our appartment complex, for it would have saved me money and time. But I wanted to go to the salon at Fashion Valley mall where I had been getting my pedicure done for the last four years I'd been in San Diego. Yes, it's $15 dollars more than the one next door and someone had to drive me across the town to go there. But I prefer going there for the pampering and special attention I get there. I think every woman needs to be pampered now and then to feel special. Especially it means a lot for a stay-at -home mom who somehow feels that it's her role to pamper everyone except herself. I work part -time now so I'm no more a stay-at -home mom, but that doesn't mean I avoid getting pampered.
I remember it well the first time I had the luxury of getting a massage and nail treatment in a spa. It was a gift from my oldest daughter for Mother's Day. I was in fact so nervous to walk into the salon that I almost turned around and walked back to the car. I wasn't sure what to expect in a posh salon like that where mostly young women came for beauty treatment and tanning. But when I walked out later after a soothing back massage, hands dipped in hot wax and manicured and the sole of my feet feeling like baby's bottom, I decided to count as one of my precious moment to remember.
Though I didn't follow up later with massage and spa treatments, I somehow continued to get a pedicure on a regular basis. It almost became a necessity because I could no longer bend down and cut my nails. Yes, aging does interfere and cause us to call for assistance. I could view that as a blessing in disguise, instead of blaming on my bulging tummy or poor back.
Lilly was my first nail technician at Spa &Salon in Fashion Valley. She was a petite Vietnamese woman in her fifties. It's not my nature to engage in conversation when I go to a hair salon, spa or grocery store. I like to be left alone with a magazine to read. But Lilly wouldn't allow me to do that. She knew the art of drawing customers like me into conversation. Also, she also knew how to pamper her customers by offering to bring coffee or water to the chair, bringing the latest People's Magazine filled with juicy celebrity news , choosing the perfect nail polish for the toes and giving a good foot massage. During the time I spent on the spa chair while she filed my nails and massaged my foot, I learned a lot from her and she, something about me too.
Soon, I found out that she was one of the boat people who came from Vietnam in the early seventies. She was single and pregnant when she came and already she had three young mouths to feed. She neither knew English nor an education to support her young family. Thankfully, she had some relatives to give her shelter and food at the beginning. I can't imagine how this unskilled and uneducated woman from far east got the courage to pull through the early years in a foreign land probably in a hostile environment. Today, I see her as a strong, confident woman fluent in English and well skilled as a nail technician. In between years, only she knows how many challenging moments and precious moments she must have gone through to make the woman she's today. Unfortunately, Lilly is no more working in this salon now. She had been laid off a month ago due to job cuts.
Ann was another nail technician who attended to me when Lilly wasn't free .When Ann told me that her husband was once a diplomat serving in foreign service, I found it hard to believe her. Why should she , who was once a diplomat's wife chose to wash, massage and nail polish other women's feet? Hasn't she felt demeaning to do a job like that. After all , at one time she must have mingled with other diplomats' wives at parties and beauty parlors and then to choose to scrub other women's feet and attend to their needs sounded unimaginable to me. Didn't she consider it to devalue her status in her community in some way? I would have definitely thought like that if I had been in her position.
Jesus Christ, before He had His last supper in the Upper Room,got down on His knees and washed the dusty feet of His twelve disciples, including Judas and gently wiped them with the towel in His hand. Here, I, who pride myself to be a follower of Him cannot even imagine myself giving foot massage to another person. Though I don't see myself a prideful person, such attitude made me to see what is hidden deep inside me. For sure, there are some ugly spots that need to be washed and bleached to make me humble and gracious.
I remember it well the first time I had the luxury of getting a massage and nail treatment in a spa. It was a gift from my oldest daughter for Mother's Day. I was in fact so nervous to walk into the salon that I almost turned around and walked back to the car. I wasn't sure what to expect in a posh salon like that where mostly young women came for beauty treatment and tanning. But when I walked out later after a soothing back massage, hands dipped in hot wax and manicured and the sole of my feet feeling like baby's bottom, I decided to count as one of my precious moment to remember.
Though I didn't follow up later with massage and spa treatments, I somehow continued to get a pedicure on a regular basis. It almost became a necessity because I could no longer bend down and cut my nails. Yes, aging does interfere and cause us to call for assistance. I could view that as a blessing in disguise, instead of blaming on my bulging tummy or poor back.
Lilly was my first nail technician at Spa &Salon in Fashion Valley. She was a petite Vietnamese woman in her fifties. It's not my nature to engage in conversation when I go to a hair salon, spa or grocery store. I like to be left alone with a magazine to read. But Lilly wouldn't allow me to do that. She knew the art of drawing customers like me into conversation. Also, she also knew how to pamper her customers by offering to bring coffee or water to the chair, bringing the latest People's Magazine filled with juicy celebrity news , choosing the perfect nail polish for the toes and giving a good foot massage. During the time I spent on the spa chair while she filed my nails and massaged my foot, I learned a lot from her and she, something about me too.
Soon, I found out that she was one of the boat people who came from Vietnam in the early seventies. She was single and pregnant when she came and already she had three young mouths to feed. She neither knew English nor an education to support her young family. Thankfully, she had some relatives to give her shelter and food at the beginning. I can't imagine how this unskilled and uneducated woman from far east got the courage to pull through the early years in a foreign land probably in a hostile environment. Today, I see her as a strong, confident woman fluent in English and well skilled as a nail technician. In between years, only she knows how many challenging moments and precious moments she must have gone through to make the woman she's today. Unfortunately, Lilly is no more working in this salon now. She had been laid off a month ago due to job cuts.
Ann was another nail technician who attended to me when Lilly wasn't free .When Ann told me that her husband was once a diplomat serving in foreign service, I found it hard to believe her. Why should she , who was once a diplomat's wife chose to wash, massage and nail polish other women's feet? Hasn't she felt demeaning to do a job like that. After all , at one time she must have mingled with other diplomats' wives at parties and beauty parlors and then to choose to scrub other women's feet and attend to their needs sounded unimaginable to me. Didn't she consider it to devalue her status in her community in some way? I would have definitely thought like that if I had been in her position.
Jesus Christ, before He had His last supper in the Upper Room,got down on His knees and washed the dusty feet of His twelve disciples, including Judas and gently wiped them with the towel in His hand. Here, I, who pride myself to be a follower of Him cannot even imagine myself giving foot massage to another person. Though I don't see myself a prideful person, such attitude made me to see what is hidden deep inside me. For sure, there are some ugly spots that need to be washed and bleached to make me humble and gracious.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Greatest Valentine Day Gift
One fine Valentine morning, many years ago, as I was about to walk out our front door to go to the store to buy the ingredients to make the Valentine cake for my husband, On my way out, I remembered that I hadn't read my Bible that day. Guilt stricken, I slipped out of my winter boots and put my jacket back in the closet and walked back to my room.
As I sat on my bed and flipped open my Bible, the familiar verse, John 3:16, well underlined in red ink hit my eyes in a very special way. Countless times I would have read that passage before, but on that Valentine day, it spoke to me with a special effect to give me a deeper understanding of true love.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
No human being could outgive God in love or in gift giving. Dozens of red roses tied up in beautiful ribbons and boxes of chocolates given out in romantic love do not have a chance to compete with God's agape love and His precious gift of His Son. Even though we are unworthy to receive such a valuable unwrapped gift of love, God in His grace had chosen to love us so much that He opted to send His beloved Son to go to the cross so that we could have eternal life. Isn't that amazing or what?
In return, what could I offer Him? Knowing that He wouldn't be much interested in any card I write or the flowers I send, the candle I light or the beautiful cake I make, I decided to offer Him what He loves to get from me.
Slowly in reverence, I got down on my knees and with closed my eyes, I pledged that I would love my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. Because I uttered those words in heartfelt sincerity, it would have sounded so beautiful in God's ears. It was the best gift I could offer in return for His amazing love on that Valentine Morning.
As I sat on my bed and flipped open my Bible, the familiar verse, John 3:16, well underlined in red ink hit my eyes in a very special way. Countless times I would have read that passage before, but on that Valentine day, it spoke to me with a special effect to give me a deeper understanding of true love.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
No human being could outgive God in love or in gift giving. Dozens of red roses tied up in beautiful ribbons and boxes of chocolates given out in romantic love do not have a chance to compete with God's agape love and His precious gift of His Son. Even though we are unworthy to receive such a valuable unwrapped gift of love, God in His grace had chosen to love us so much that He opted to send His beloved Son to go to the cross so that we could have eternal life. Isn't that amazing or what?
In return, what could I offer Him? Knowing that He wouldn't be much interested in any card I write or the flowers I send, the candle I light or the beautiful cake I make, I decided to offer Him what He loves to get from me.
Slowly in reverence, I got down on my knees and with closed my eyes, I pledged that I would love my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. Because I uttered those words in heartfelt sincerity, it would have sounded so beautiful in God's ears. It was the best gift I could offer in return for His amazing love on that Valentine Morning.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Rahab- In Christ's Genealogy?
Last week, when I started reading the Gospel of Mathews in the Bible I came across the name of Rahab in the first chapter. I may have read this Gospel many a times, but it was the first time I took notice of Rahab's name in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
I knew that Rahab was the prostitute who hid the two Israelite spies in her house in Jericho, and made them escape the king's men. I also knew that as a reward for saving the spies, she and her family were spared from being killed, when the highly fortified walls of Jericho fell down and the Israelites rushed in to kill and destroy the city. I've read all about it in the second chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament.
But now, it does seem to me that Rahab's story didn't begin and end within that single chapter. I see her name re-emerge in the first chapter of the Gospel of Mathews in the New Testament. I couldn't understand how a former prostitute and idol worshipper like Rahab's name be included in the genealogy of Christ Jesus? How could that happen? No human mind could ever think of linking her blood line with that of any royal . For that matter, in the ancestry line of King David and Jesus.
But God did. With Him nothing is impossible. In His great plan, no one is exempt. History would tell that in the story He crafts, He uses paupers, princes, priests, prisoners, prostitutes, fishermen, tax collectors and so forth to fulfill His purpose. He surprises us in His unique ways. He could make a mere shepherd boy with a sling and five smooth stones to bring down a giant like Goliath and later make him a great king of Israel. He also could make Saul, the devout Jewish rabbi and persecutor of Christ followers to transform into Paul-the Christ lover, preacher and writer of the most epistles in the New Testament.
Yes, God chose Rahab, when she was living in Jericho as a prostitute and as an idol worshipper. He used her to shelter the Israelite spies in her house and help them to escape from the hands of the king of Jericho. In return for her help, God spared Rahab and her family's life and made them enter the promised land along with the Israelites.
We don't know what made Rahab to choose the profession. The Bible doesn't mention about her family background or her growing up years. We don't know whether poverty, divorce, abuse, or the tradition handed down from her grandma to her mom drove Rahab to become a prostitute.
As I mentioned earlier, we come to know about her in the second chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Bible. By this time, Moses, the Israelites leader is dead and Joshua has become their new leader to lead them to the promised land. Israelites had to cross the Jordan river and take down the fortified city of Jericho to reach the land God had promised them. In order to evaluate the land and strength of the city, Joshua sent two spies to Jericho. To avoid suspicion from the people in city, the two men chose Rahab's house for their visit. However, the king of Jericho had somehow been alerted that two Israelites had entered the city to spy on the land and they're staying in Rahab's place. The king immediately summoned Rahab to handover the two Israelites at her place to him as they were considered to be spies.
Rahab could have easily done that and got on with her business. But she didn't. She put her life at risk to save the two Israelites. She was also wise enough to make a deal with the two spies. She told them that she would help them to escape, but they had to assure her that they would spare her and her family from being killed when the Israelites take over Jericho. Rahab didn't seem to be a prostitute who was keen on making money out of her profession. She was someone who was also interested in knowing what was going around in her country as well as in the nations around.
It was her inquisitive nature that helped her to learn about Israelites and their God. From the mouths of the travelers who came across the Jordan river to visit her house, Rahab had come to know how the God of Israelites had dried up the water of the Red Sea for Israelites to walk through and escape from Egypt. She also had heard of how their God helped them to overthrow the two kings in East of Jordan and completely destroy the place. She knew that at any time these Israelites whom even the courageous men in her country dread, may walk in and take over the entire Jericho for themselves. She knew for well, neither her king's men nor the high and fortified walls of Jericho, nor her gods could protect her and her family from a nation backed by a powerful God.
Probably, Rahab must have been tired of the life she was living in her land and was looking for an escape. So, when the opportunity knocked at her door, she was wise enough to grab it without delay. Thus a verbal agreement was made between her and the two Israelites spies that if she helped the spies to escape from Jericho, they in turn would spare her along with her parents and siblings when the Israelites walk in to fight and take over the city. To identify and spare her household, the spies requested Rahab to tie a scarlet cord in her window and get her entire family to be inside her house at the time of the attack.
As agreed, the Israelites honored the spies' oath and rescued Rahab and family during their attack on Jericho. It might have been painful for Rahab to see her city ruined and her people killed when she left Jericho and joined the Israelites in their journey toward the promised land.
When Rahab left Jericho, she must have left her past behind and started a new chapter in her life in the promised land. By embracing the God of Israelites and following His ways, she must have found hope and redemption. Gladly Rahab's story didn't start and end within the second chapter of Joshua in the Old Testament. We see her name emerge in the New Testament too.
Do you know that the same Rahab later became the mother- in -law of Ruth, the loving and honorable Ruth for whom an entire book is named after in the Bible. But, wasn't Naomi ...Ruth's mother-in-law? you might ask. Yes, Naomi was Ruth's mother-in-law by her first marriage;Rahab was Ruth's mother-in-law by her second marriage.
In the Book of Ruth, we read that Ruth, a Moabite woman got married to Naomi's son Kilion, a Benjamite in Moab. But he died leaving Ruth childless. When Naomi decided to go back to her land Judah, Ruth was determined to accompany her mother -in -law and take care of her. In the new land, Ruth not only embraces the God Naomi worshipped, but she also get married to Boaz, a relative of Naomi.. Boaz was found to be a kind and highly respected man in the community. And his mother was none other than Rahab.
No doubt, when Rahab left Jericho, she must have left her past behind and started a new chapter in her life in the promised land. By embracing the God of Israelites and following His ways, she must have found hope and redemption.
In the course of time, she got married to an Israelite named Salmon and gave birth to Boaz. Rahab must have done a great job as a mother in raising a highly respected man like Boaz.
Ruth and Boaz named their son Obed, who became the father of Jesse. David, the shepherd boy who killed the giant like Goliath and later became the King of Israel was the youngest son of Jesse.
Down the royal line of King David, after twenty eight generation came Christ, the King of kings and the Lion of Judah. If you in doubt, check out the first chapter of Mathew to verify the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Yes, God gave a place for Rahab in His story ( history) to play an important role and revealed to the generations to come that He, the Almighty God, the Alpha and Omega is far beyond any barriers. By making His only Son to be born in the blood line of former prostitute, He declared that His ways are far superior and righteous than ours. Prejudice doesn't fit into His equation to thwart His plans. He sees things which we human beings cannot foresee, and incorporate people and events into his plan without the need to ask permission from anyone of us.
Rahab might have been a prostitute and an idol worshipper in the past in Jericho. But she was wise and courageous enough to leave her land and past behind and walk towards the promised land and embrace the worship of true God. The new found life gave her hope to emerge as a good wife, great mother and a great, great grand mother of a great king like David. Rahab's wisdom helped her to spot an opportunity and grab it to help her escape from destruction. God's grace gave her redemption. Rest is history with her name in Jesus' genealogy. Isn't that amazing?***
I knew that Rahab was the prostitute who hid the two Israelite spies in her house in Jericho, and made them escape the king's men. I also knew that as a reward for saving the spies, she and her family were spared from being killed, when the highly fortified walls of Jericho fell down and the Israelites rushed in to kill and destroy the city. I've read all about it in the second chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament.
But now, it does seem to me that Rahab's story didn't begin and end within that single chapter. I see her name re-emerge in the first chapter of the Gospel of Mathews in the New Testament. I couldn't understand how a former prostitute and idol worshipper like Rahab's name be included in the genealogy of Christ Jesus? How could that happen? No human mind could ever think of linking her blood line with that of any royal . For that matter, in the ancestry line of King David and Jesus.
But God did. With Him nothing is impossible. In His great plan, no one is exempt. History would tell that in the story He crafts, He uses paupers, princes, priests, prisoners, prostitutes, fishermen, tax collectors and so forth to fulfill His purpose. He surprises us in His unique ways. He could make a mere shepherd boy with a sling and five smooth stones to bring down a giant like Goliath and later make him a great king of Israel. He also could make Saul, the devout Jewish rabbi and persecutor of Christ followers to transform into Paul-the Christ lover, preacher and writer of the most epistles in the New Testament.
Yes, God chose Rahab, when she was living in Jericho as a prostitute and as an idol worshipper. He used her to shelter the Israelite spies in her house and help them to escape from the hands of the king of Jericho. In return for her help, God spared Rahab and her family's life and made them enter the promised land along with the Israelites.
We don't know what made Rahab to choose the profession. The Bible doesn't mention about her family background or her growing up years. We don't know whether poverty, divorce, abuse, or the tradition handed down from her grandma to her mom drove Rahab to become a prostitute.
As I mentioned earlier, we come to know about her in the second chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Bible. By this time, Moses, the Israelites leader is dead and Joshua has become their new leader to lead them to the promised land. Israelites had to cross the Jordan river and take down the fortified city of Jericho to reach the land God had promised them. In order to evaluate the land and strength of the city, Joshua sent two spies to Jericho. To avoid suspicion from the people in city, the two men chose Rahab's house for their visit. However, the king of Jericho had somehow been alerted that two Israelites had entered the city to spy on the land and they're staying in Rahab's place. The king immediately summoned Rahab to handover the two Israelites at her place to him as they were considered to be spies.
Rahab could have easily done that and got on with her business. But she didn't. She put her life at risk to save the two Israelites. She was also wise enough to make a deal with the two spies. She told them that she would help them to escape, but they had to assure her that they would spare her and her family from being killed when the Israelites take over Jericho. Rahab didn't seem to be a prostitute who was keen on making money out of her profession. She was someone who was also interested in knowing what was going around in her country as well as in the nations around.
It was her inquisitive nature that helped her to learn about Israelites and their God. From the mouths of the travelers who came across the Jordan river to visit her house, Rahab had come to know how the God of Israelites had dried up the water of the Red Sea for Israelites to walk through and escape from Egypt. She also had heard of how their God helped them to overthrow the two kings in East of Jordan and completely destroy the place. She knew that at any time these Israelites whom even the courageous men in her country dread, may walk in and take over the entire Jericho for themselves. She knew for well, neither her king's men nor the high and fortified walls of Jericho, nor her gods could protect her and her family from a nation backed by a powerful God.
Probably, Rahab must have been tired of the life she was living in her land and was looking for an escape. So, when the opportunity knocked at her door, she was wise enough to grab it without delay. Thus a verbal agreement was made between her and the two Israelites spies that if she helped the spies to escape from Jericho, they in turn would spare her along with her parents and siblings when the Israelites walk in to fight and take over the city. To identify and spare her household, the spies requested Rahab to tie a scarlet cord in her window and get her entire family to be inside her house at the time of the attack.
As agreed, the Israelites honored the spies' oath and rescued Rahab and family during their attack on Jericho. It might have been painful for Rahab to see her city ruined and her people killed when she left Jericho and joined the Israelites in their journey toward the promised land.
When Rahab left Jericho, she must have left her past behind and started a new chapter in her life in the promised land. By embracing the God of Israelites and following His ways, she must have found hope and redemption. Gladly Rahab's story didn't start and end within the second chapter of Joshua in the Old Testament. We see her name emerge in the New Testament too.
Do you know that the same Rahab later became the mother- in -law of Ruth, the loving and honorable Ruth for whom an entire book is named after in the Bible. But, wasn't Naomi ...Ruth's mother-in-law? you might ask. Yes, Naomi was Ruth's mother-in-law by her first marriage;Rahab was Ruth's mother-in-law by her second marriage.
In the Book of Ruth, we read that Ruth, a Moabite woman got married to Naomi's son Kilion, a Benjamite in Moab. But he died leaving Ruth childless. When Naomi decided to go back to her land Judah, Ruth was determined to accompany her mother -in -law and take care of her. In the new land, Ruth not only embraces the God Naomi worshipped, but she also get married to Boaz, a relative of Naomi.. Boaz was found to be a kind and highly respected man in the community. And his mother was none other than Rahab.
No doubt, when Rahab left Jericho, she must have left her past behind and started a new chapter in her life in the promised land. By embracing the God of Israelites and following His ways, she must have found hope and redemption.
In the course of time, she got married to an Israelite named Salmon and gave birth to Boaz. Rahab must have done a great job as a mother in raising a highly respected man like Boaz.
Ruth and Boaz named their son Obed, who became the father of Jesse. David, the shepherd boy who killed the giant like Goliath and later became the King of Israel was the youngest son of Jesse.
Down the royal line of King David, after twenty eight generation came Christ, the King of kings and the Lion of Judah. If you in doubt, check out the first chapter of Mathew to verify the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Yes, God gave a place for Rahab in His story ( history) to play an important role and revealed to the generations to come that He, the Almighty God, the Alpha and Omega is far beyond any barriers. By making His only Son to be born in the blood line of former prostitute, He declared that His ways are far superior and righteous than ours. Prejudice doesn't fit into His equation to thwart His plans. He sees things which we human beings cannot foresee, and incorporate people and events into his plan without the need to ask permission from anyone of us.
Rahab might have been a prostitute and an idol worshipper in the past in Jericho. But she was wise and courageous enough to leave her land and past behind and walk towards the promised land and embrace the worship of true God. The new found life gave her hope to emerge as a good wife, great mother and a great, great grand mother of a great king like David. Rahab's wisdom helped her to spot an opportunity and grab it to help her escape from destruction. God's grace gave her redemption. Rest is history with her name in Jesus' genealogy. Isn't that amazing?***
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