Every now and then, I am reminded why I love reading the writings of Selwyn Hughes...He is one of the few of the earliest minister who's writing impacted me in my early days as a Christian....especially in the area of the 'caring' ministry.....His insight have proved valuable....and accurate....wished I had known some of these 'pearls' before I embarked on my own caring ministry.....maybe I would have less scars to show for it......
The last issue of EDWJ (Feb 2009) has an excellent issue on how to care - for others and ourselves....I loved the section on pitfalls to avoid.....
1) We need to learn first of all how to be 'LOVE RECEIVERS' - 1 John 4: 7 - 21
I struggled with this issue for the longest of time...because partly, it is easier to give than to receive...because a lot of times, we feel that receiving means that we are the 'weaker' party.....How wrong we can be! However, for me, the biggest struggle was that I hate 'troubling' others with my problems...never knowing if people were willing to listen.....or even stand with me in those times...... I hated to be obligated to others.....But now , I am learning slowly to accept help....to be more thick-skinned in sharing with others....and asking for help....
2) We must never manipulate others - Mark 10: 17-31
Sometimes we forget and then manipulate others into doing what we think they should be doing......
3) We must curb our curiosity - Hebrews 3: 1- 15
This is when we need to draw a line between helping versus our own curiosity about other people's problems ( ie the Gossip Queen within us!)
4) We must avoid caring where care is not needed - 2 Tim 1: 3-14
5) Care for one at a time (disciplined desire) - Proverbs 2:1-10
We need to be aware of our capacity to care...usually that means one person at a time....
6) We need to avoid caring for others to the detriment of our own families - 1 tim 5:1-8
Used to make this mistake...until the Lord showed me that my role in my family is greater, if not equal to my role in church.....and that over the years He has shown me that my role in caring my unbelieving family members probably supercedes the strangers I can help out in the community....
7) We need to learn when to let go - Acts 8; 26-40
How true!!!!
8) We must always make sure that when we care we have spiritual support and back-up - Acts 12: 1-17
How often we forget this! This is of utmost importance for people in the caring ministry......isn't it?!?
Lord, teach me to be a 'CARER' like you did.....one who knew how to minister to others....and to care for ourselves at the same time.......
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Reminded of His LOVE, reassured of His faithfulness....
Was really really glad that I was able to leave work early on a sunday night (after my night shift on saturday!) and actually be able to make it for church on a sunday morning!!! It's been a while since I have been able to get to church/ even cell group....so it was good to be back in the house of God again , after what seems like a loong time!!!
The speaker today was Ps Sam Farina (who was also my church retreat main speaker this year)....and was very very blessed by his sermon......really needed the reminders that he talked about today...how when the tough times come, our vision gets blurry....yet in the midst of it all we need to remember:
1) He sees us even if we can't see Him..
How true!!! Liked what he said that when we cry, our vision gets blurred...and we can't see clearly...yet, even when we can't see or sense Him, He is always there.....like it says in the Bible - He cares even for a sparrow......How much more valuable are we?!???
2) Believing is seeing...
3) He responds to our obedience
This is like direct contrast to what the world says.....isn't it?!?
Liked the examples he named.....like Moses asked by God to remove his sandals at the burning bush ( and the fact that he was probably surrounded by sheep dung at that time).....or when Naaman was asked to wash at the river....... or the blind man whom Jesus asked what he wanted ( to be healed of his blindness)....
4) He wants to heal our pain, not assign blame....
How true! But how often we forget this, that we always ask who is to blame....Like the when Jesus' disciples asked him about the blind man and who sinned ( him or his parents) causing his blindness.....I love Jesus' reply.... No one sinned, this happened so that the glory of God may be revealed through him....WOW!!! Deep answer loaded with heaps of meaning!!!
At that moment.....my heart was touched....I needed a desperate reminder that God loves me.....and that He wants to reveal His glory and power in my weakness......was also reflecting the fact that God is using my hands to heal people.....lots of time, I questioned whether doing medicine was the right thing for me....I feel ill-equipped mentally, physically and emotionally....din feel that I was doing much for others....however, it was only today that I actually received affirmation that my care for patients and their survival is only possible through His grace...........also realised that my singlehood can also be a way He can reveal His power and glory...I dunno how....I dunno why....but I believe that He cares...and He knows the desires of my heart...and that if I believe and walk with Him, I will see that miracle in my life!!!
The speaker today was Ps Sam Farina (who was also my church retreat main speaker this year)....and was very very blessed by his sermon......really needed the reminders that he talked about today...how when the tough times come, our vision gets blurry....yet in the midst of it all we need to remember:
1) He sees us even if we can't see Him..
How true!!! Liked what he said that when we cry, our vision gets blurred...and we can't see clearly...yet, even when we can't see or sense Him, He is always there.....like it says in the Bible - He cares even for a sparrow......How much more valuable are we?!???
2) Believing is seeing...
3) He responds to our obedience
This is like direct contrast to what the world says.....isn't it?!?
Liked the examples he named.....like Moses asked by God to remove his sandals at the burning bush ( and the fact that he was probably surrounded by sheep dung at that time).....or when Naaman was asked to wash at the river....... or the blind man whom Jesus asked what he wanted ( to be healed of his blindness)....
4) He wants to heal our pain, not assign blame....
How true! But how often we forget this, that we always ask who is to blame....Like the when Jesus' disciples asked him about the blind man and who sinned ( him or his parents) causing his blindness.....I love Jesus' reply.... No one sinned, this happened so that the glory of God may be revealed through him....WOW!!! Deep answer loaded with heaps of meaning!!!
At that moment.....my heart was touched....I needed a desperate reminder that God loves me.....and that He wants to reveal His glory and power in my weakness......was also reflecting the fact that God is using my hands to heal people.....lots of time, I questioned whether doing medicine was the right thing for me....I feel ill-equipped mentally, physically and emotionally....din feel that I was doing much for others....however, it was only today that I actually received affirmation that my care for patients and their survival is only possible through His grace...........also realised that my singlehood can also be a way He can reveal His power and glory...I dunno how....I dunno why....but I believe that He cares...and He knows the desires of my heart...and that if I believe and walk with Him, I will see that miracle in my life!!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Roller coaster ride....
As usual.....time passes as one gets entrenched in a flurry of activities...
from having to do an extended cardio posting ( no thanks to the H1N1 outbreak).....to changing work place in the middle of the month and having to adjust to hour-long examinations of every new patient....to the lack of efficiency and competence in some 'nurses' (if you could even call them that!).....to missing my nephew's birth....to even simple things like having to endure a 40 min ride to work every day.....it has indeed been a roller-coaster ride of events and emotions.....Not to mention the wedding I had to attend recently....
Have been contemplating this issue called 'love'.....or what is more commonly known as 'romantic love'.....could never understand how a man and a woman can 'love' each other so much to want to spend all their time with each other...much less get married and have kids....yes, I am cynical......but yet at the same time, it is a beautiful and amazing miracle that I have yet to understand.....
Guess, in a way, I will never understand it.....probably explains that fact of why I am still single at this age...tsk, tsk ......I see the heads out there shaking in dismay at my predicament...puzzled as to the fact why I as a woman would not want to be in 'love'....to get married...to have kids...
Don't get me wrong....I would love to fall in love, be swept off my feet, receive flowers and surprises....I would want to get married and have kids.....but I think one also has to be realistic.....that we live in an imperfect world....with fellow human beings who have also fallen from grace.......that we need to be careful as to who we give our hearts and life to....
For me...I can only pray that God will bring the correct person into my life....and that I would recognize him and that we would have the opportunity to develop a beautiful friendship...which could lead to something more.....
For now....I can only sit back and enjoy the roller coaster ride whilst it lasts.....and hopefully not end up to dizzy or nauseous at the end of it.......
from having to do an extended cardio posting ( no thanks to the H1N1 outbreak).....to changing work place in the middle of the month and having to adjust to hour-long examinations of every new patient....to the lack of efficiency and competence in some 'nurses' (if you could even call them that!).....to missing my nephew's birth....to even simple things like having to endure a 40 min ride to work every day.....it has indeed been a roller-coaster ride of events and emotions.....Not to mention the wedding I had to attend recently....
Have been contemplating this issue called 'love'.....or what is more commonly known as 'romantic love'.....could never understand how a man and a woman can 'love' each other so much to want to spend all their time with each other...much less get married and have kids....yes, I am cynical......but yet at the same time, it is a beautiful and amazing miracle that I have yet to understand.....
Guess, in a way, I will never understand it.....probably explains that fact of why I am still single at this age...tsk, tsk ......I see the heads out there shaking in dismay at my predicament...puzzled as to the fact why I as a woman would not want to be in 'love'....to get married...to have kids...
Don't get me wrong....I would love to fall in love, be swept off my feet, receive flowers and surprises....I would want to get married and have kids.....but I think one also has to be realistic.....that we live in an imperfect world....with fellow human beings who have also fallen from grace.......that we need to be careful as to who we give our hearts and life to....
For me...I can only pray that God will bring the correct person into my life....and that I would recognize him and that we would have the opportunity to develop a beautiful friendship...which could lead to something more.....
For now....I can only sit back and enjoy the roller coaster ride whilst it lasts.....and hopefully not end up to dizzy or nauseous at the end of it.......
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