Love makes one vulnerable

This phrase just keeps coming back to me... "Love makes one vulnerable."

Love comes from strength and it choses to make itself weak. As Christ did.

Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

I'm constantly being amazed at how God's word can be so applicable to life, especially when God just drops a big/ small revelation upon your lap, allowing you to digest and ponder upon it for days, revealing something new everyday.

Our Lord says to follow after Him, He too said that when we love one another as Christ loves us, then the world will know that we are His disciples.
Love means going out of the way to meet the needs of those whom you care about, means putting oneself in a vulnerable position, being open to rejection, hurt and pain, and yet, still choosing to give the other party your all and best. Sacrificial love...

I mean, didn't He model what sacrificial love was for all to see? Didn't He choose to forsake the comfort of all He had and where He was seated, and chose to come on earth, this humble place, and lived a life of a humble servant.

He was spat at, ridiculed, loved by many but also betrayed and deserted by those whom He loved dearly. But He never once chose the easy way out-to give up on us. Instead, He chose to perservere on and He kept loving and giving till the end, keeping His goal in mind, allowing HIs love for all to spur Him on. And Christ went all the way for us, for me, when He overcome the grave for my sins.

The perfect portrayal of strength in vulnerability. Christ was never weak, but He chose to put Himself in a vulnerable position, because love makes one vulnearable...

This is such a inspiration for me to love and to keep loving. Be it for the ones whom I love, in my family, relationship, friends and ministry. Though, at times, it's really difficult. Especially when you think that you have done enough, or that you're being short-changed, sacrificial love sometimes means that your needs will not be met, means giving up your rights to be right all the time..

It's ok if we need to give more at times, or when the efforts and sacrifices that we have made goes unknown. What matters most is that we have the ability and strength to love.

And above all, I have full assurance that He sees it all, and as I choose to honor Him by learning to love as He loved, He will be my guide and refuge in times of uncertainty and vulnerability.

I can love because He first loved me.

Mister Mok is on MC tdy... glad that he finally has the chance to rest at home. He has not been feeling well the past whole week but couldn't rest well due to overwhelming workload. He just msned me to say that he's going to koon, the medicine is making him drowsy.

How I wish I can koon at home now too!! Sighh... some days, or many days, I just wish that I can just nuah at home and then go on a relax shopping spree, coffee break fiesta, do facial, and watch movie without having to work!!! Ok, I know, sounds like a TaiTai lifestyle.

Yet I wonder.. do i really want such a lifestyle? Think I'll be bored after 2 days... and that's if I have companions.
And no! I gotta contribute to the society and not be a slacker... but actually TaiTais contribute alot to the economic growth... hmmm

Haha.. I'm nonsensical!! I wanna play!!!!!!!!!!!

REFLECTION

" Everything is permissible- but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible- but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good but the good of others." (1 Cor 10:23-24)

"....whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble...." (1 Cor 10:31b-32a)

Reflected quite abit on these verses this morning... 1 major key principle for living...

(Oswald Chambers)
It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but another thing to go through everyday glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, no one paying the remotest attention to us..... all that is noticed is that the power of God comes through you all the time.

It takes God's Spirit in us to make us so absolutely humanly His that we are utterly unoticeable. The test of the life of a saint is not success, but faithfulness in human life as it actually is.. to manifest the glory of God in human life, to live the life hid with Christ in God in human conditions.

This is so true!! yet so difficult...
...indeed "You (God) must increase and I must decrease."

Today is a reflective day.... overwhelmed by thoughts that I dunno how and where to start..

OMGosh!!!

Was doing admin stuff this morning and was checking the calendar and I realise its already the mid of Nov!!! OMGosh.. time is zooming past!! I was just thinking the other day that time seems to have slowed down a little in Oct... but before I know it.. .Nov is coming to an end!!
To draw reference... it'll be Ps Evan's last day of work next wed!! That's superbly fast. Still remember sometime in Oct when I was thinking that he'll still be with us for a month or so! And it's Choon Seng and Xiufen's wedding this sat!! Felt only recently that they shared about the proposal and buying of house and stuff and soon, they'll be mr and mrs chong choon seng!!=)
And it'll be our Nepal trip in 1 month's time!! OMGosh!! I'm so excited yet it's a little scary, looking at the amount of prep done. Haha.. but it'll be good!! And Christmas is nearing!! Woohooo....

With Nov coming to an end, can't help but think of the deadlines and stuff that are drawing near... arrgghh...

Last 2 weeks have been rather madness.. retreats, teachings, planning, mission trip prep, and me falling sick didn't help at all. Was physically and emotionally weak.. and I realised how impt it is for us to get sufficient rest. I was rather quick tempered and impatient, and the tiredness and frustration brought out the self-centredness in me and I was rather mean to my family and mister mok... but they are always so patient and loving... esp my parents. They're my inspiration for parenting!!!
Thank God for using this period to bring mister mok and myself closer too... it's a tough & busy period for him too, and just when I though frustrations and uncertainty would prevail, His love overcomes it all!
Just as the verse in Romans 8:28 keeps coming back to me... indeed, God is able to cause all things to work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Breakthroughs in my mnistry, the church planning retreat went much better than I thought it would be. Through this year's retreat, God allowed me to see the heart, passion and sincerity that the church leaders have. Yes, we might not see eye to eye with some stuff, yet I truly believe what God values most is the unity, love and devotion we have to Him, the Head of the Church! As how Rev Wong summarised so beautifully at the end of the retreat...

"The preparations of the heart belong to the man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." (Proverbs 16:1)

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." (Paslm 127:1)

No matter how gloomy or dull a situation might seem to be, God is able to turn it around for our good.. the issue is, do we turn it over to His hands and allow God's love and peace to have His way, or do we grip hold to the situation tightly, just wanting things to work our own way.
Also realise how impt it is to draw even closer to God during times of busyness and tiredness... allowing His love to be drawn out instead of frustration and anger.

Though it was a tough period, yet I learnt precious stuff out of it:
TO APPRECIATE AND TREASURE TIME WITH GOD, TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND LOVE ONES, TIME TO REST AND RELAX, TIME TO REFLECT AND EVALUATE....

Just weird

Find human emotions really weird and unfathomable at times.
At times, you can be so sure about certain things, so sure that you are headed at the right direction, so sure that you're with the right person at the right time, yet how easy too to lose grip of that supposedly sure assurance and find yourself lost, confused and alone...
In such times, you'll grab for whatever assurance and confirmation that you can get... yet at times, it is just not enough... and at times, there is none to found.
No wonder God says to trust and lean on only Him. Cos only He is able to remain true and faithful, only He knows the way and direction, only in Him can we truly find that deep sense of assurance that God calls "peace".
People would change, situations might change, feelings and emotions might alter, but He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.
To walk by faith and not by sight: to grip at the promises that He has made to us, and not seek the assurance of the ever-changing emotions and things of the world.

How diffficult it might seem, but to those who obeys and first chooses to let go and let Him the control, such treasure and peace can be found.

Am i making sense? A emotional entry for an emo day. Guess this is Happy Deepavali eve for me.