Message 2#

Message 2#

“How I envied the blind. They may be blind to the beauty of the world, but they have showed to me how blind I am to the beauty of God.” – Seymour Nightweaver

Father,

I truly have not noticed how inferior and ignorant I am before I stepped into the St. Nicholas Welfare Home this morning… It was the home for the disable and the abandoned, and despite at first, I was feeling pity for them for their disabilities and lacks in their lives compared to the rest of us, it was not long before I realized that I might have been wrong from right the beginning.

I realized it now, Father that, though it was indeed through You that they are living their lives today with physical disabilities, all of these have been done for Your purpose and glory … It is true that people often see such physical disabilities as not much different as a curse, but on this very day I might have to reconsider my perspective on them. Their eyes may not be able to see every colour or beauty that is in this world, but ironically we are actually far blinder than them although we are blessed with perfect eyesight. I realized that there are so many things that we are so blinded to, while they are not. They appreciate and give gratitude to even the tiniest and smallest acts of love and care that they received, which we usually overlook in our lives. They understood the true meaning of perseverance, and they kept on living their lives regardless of their hardships and bitterness, when most of us would have groaned, sighed, gave up, or worse, stupidly took the “easy way out” when things seemed to be out of control. They were humble, so humble to a point we realized how blind we are in terms of our humility, but most importantly, they have shown us (or at least me) how blind we are to the fact that how blind we actually are to You.

Often, we see and judge (or perceive) Your actions as good or bad to us, or whether it is a curse or a blessing to us from a worldly point of view , or the unbelievers’ point of view, and not from the point of view which we Christians are supposed to look from. Indeed, only unbelievers can have such perspectives for their Gods because as what I have realized from all the studies and reflections upon Your words, it all comes back to the main difference that make us Christians stand out from the rest – Christianity is not just a religion, but also it is also an intimate relationship we share with You. Worship has never been something that all of us are compelled to do, because we do not worship or sing praises for You to obtain blessings, favour, or any forms of benefits from You, but all these was done, because just for the pure reason to worship and praise You for what You have given and blessed us with, and for the presence of a living God (You) in our lives. Your grace, mercy, unconditional love and Your salvation, isn’t that something that all of us have received already, something that far exceeds our needs in this material world, the blessings of all blessings and the greatest love of all there is of its kind? I realized that we as Your children often forgot that You are our best provider who always knows what’s best for each of us, mainly also because You know each of us very well as You are our creator, and because of this, You will always provide the best for all of us in our lives, and that You are the only one in our lives that matters for You are the steer, the guide and the master of our lives. We often forget that whatever strengths and weaknesses we have, whatever privileges or disabilities we have or whatever gains or lacks that we have, all of them, each and every one of them, is given (or happens) to us for Your best purposes, glory and plans that You have prepared specifically for each and everyone of us. It is us who are unfaithful, that we forgot about all this, which became the reason that we have seen You with such a worldly perception. We never worshipped or praised You just to get salvation or anything else from You in the age of the New Testament anymore. There’s no such rubbish as booty – licking in Christianity, especially when it concerns You. The only work that we need to do is not to do good works for Your salvation, but it is to work out the salvation that You have given us. Therefore, since we already know all these knowledge through Your work, then why should we looked at You in such a worldly and unfaithful manner? How can we compare You with the Gods of the unbelievers? Please forgive us for all of our sins that we have to done to You, o’ gracious and merciful Father!

But praise You, Father, for because of all Your goodness, Your grace upon us who are in fact, unworthy for it, that we can live in a celebration in every single day of our lives, knowing that our loving Father will always be with us at all times. We celebrate, for Your presence brings security, warmth, love, care, fullness, and many more that can be thought of. Praise You, Father, for You are above all the other Gods and idols of the unbelievers, that none of their followers can ever share such an intimate relationship that all of us have shared with You, our living God, in our renewed life in Your Son. Father, praise You for You have saved us from our sinful lives and gave us a renewed life within You. Praise You, Father, for filling the emptiness that is in our hearts, and for satisfying our hunger for You, Father. Thank You Father, for Your unconditional love, grace and mercy that has been with all of us all these while, for being our pillar, our beacon, our provider and our shepherd who would lay his life for us in times of need…

Father, how I wished I could repay my gratitude to You, but I know, there is nothing that I can give will be equal in value to the grace and mercy You have given me. I could still remember vividly how You have came into my life years before I get to know You and Your Son, and how You have shown me Your unconditional love even when I was still a much filthier trash than I am now today. I know that I am still not much of a trash as like in the past – I am still full of crap, I still swears, I am still the super blur person I was in the past (perhaps it has gotten worse…), my temper is still hot enough to burn down a building (that is, if I got a lighter in my hands)… But at least with You by my side, with Your presence in my life, I will always know that there’s someone who cares for me in my life, someone who loves me, and someone who can make me feel secure, peace, and comfort no one else can ever give. Praise You, Father for despite my filth and weaknesses as I stood before You, You still accepted me as Your children, as a part of Your family, and as a part of Your kingdom. Father, thank You for still seeing me as of something that is still in value even after all the unforgivable sins that I have done to You, and for redeeming me who is worthy of eternal condemnation. Thank You, Father, and praise You, Father for providing me with a purpose for my life, and for giving me the privilege to serve You in Your plans, and to be a light bearer of Your love in this world of darkness, no matter how dim or feeble I was in carrying Your cause.

As much as I am tormented by the people of my past, as much as I am cherished and nurtured today in Your hands, Father. As much as I am casted aside and despised by my own kind in my earlier days, as much I have now received Your acceptance and love today by Your embrace. Despite that I am still just a piece of rubbish lying in one corner of this universe, You have still came to me, and placed some worth and value within me. Now I began to understand that those things that have happened in my past have been done for Your purpose, and nothing else. As You opened my eyes to You, I now see that I was weak in the past so that I will appreciate strength, I am despised so that I will appreciate love, and that I was placed among the lost so that I will appreciate guidance, all of them which I have received from You today, my unfailing companion, my shepherd, my Father~!

Father,

Thank You, o’ Father, for opening my eyes to Your glory and Your beauty today so that I can learn to see the truth behind Your ways. Father, thank You for all the provisions You have given me so far, and I pray to You, Father, that You will always keep on providing them, not just for me Father, but also to those who has a share with me in bringing up Your cause in this world. I pray to You Father, that You will always remain with me in my heart o’ Father. Forgive me of my sins, Father. And may Your will be done today in this post o’ Father. Thank You for all the things that Your have given and done in my life. I praise You Lord, and I exalt You, for everything that You have done for us, and for who You really are in our lives. Father, may You provide me strength for the days to come. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

John 9: 41 - If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.


Seymour Nightweaver (12th October 2008)