My Take On Today's Events

A few weeks ago, I noticed a friend's Facebook status update that read, "Every bit of hardship we face is yet another opportunity for a great testimony for God." (paraphrased)


I think you all would agree with me that it is a very nice quote. Very inspiring.


I would like to think that this is true in my life, and remind myself at times of hardship about this. I read books and hear great sermons about how our suffering becoming an amplifier of God's message in our lives. And I try to live up that principle in my life.


Something happened that got me thinking today; something pretty major (If you have my Facebook, you would probably have seen me spamming your Facebook home page). We prayed hard about it. I prayed hard about it. And we believed with all our hearts that a great testimony would come out of this situation.

Then I realised.

Do I have an expectation about the type of testimony that will come out from this situation? Yes I did. I realised that all this while I've been limiting God's hand with my expectations. And I believe some of you can identify with me on this; We believe with all our hearts that the same God who worked miralcles through Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, is able to work a miracle in this situation. We believe that the same God who was good to the guy who shared his awesome testimony last sunday would be good to us in our current situation. But we get disappointed and ask, "WHY?" when things don't go our way.

We should just let God be God, even when we do not understand it. Whether things happen or not, it still doesn't change the fact that God is still God, and we should let God write His testimony in us, instead of us writing the testimony on God's behalf.

Most of us, myself included, overlook the fact that WE should the testimony, instead of looking for the testimony in the situation. Situational testimonies only come to mind in seasons of hardship. What about good times? Where is the 'amplifier'? Where is the 'megaphone'?

But when we learn to glorify God with the testimony our lives, we don't even have to share our testimonies to people. The people who have seen God in us will share the testimonies on our behalf. And THAT is what a solid testimony is.

Personally I think that I don't really have a problem praising God in bad times. And I definitely don't have problems praising God in good times. But I realised that it is more than that.

"So what's the problem?"

I realised that it's NOT about praising God in good times; It's NOT about praising God in bad times; It's NOT even about praising God all the time - NOT when we do it out of our own strength; NOT when we do it out of our knowledge of God; NOT even when we do it out of our past experiences of God's goodness.

It's when we praise God for who He is.

Because He is God; because He deserves it. And not because we have to, or we want to, but because we can't help it.

"Father, my situations everyday be an empty page to write your testimony on;

But more importantly, let my life be a book with empty pages for you to write your story."

Of Conversations On Geography

I must say that interesting conversations seldom happen at the dinner table in my home. The sounds you usually hear are, "Clink-clink! Slurrrp! Clink! SLURRRP!!! Ahhh... BURP!" This feast of sounds is usually accompanied by the soothing background of the television.

However, a rather interesting conversation took place over the dinner table a few nights ago:

News on the television was reporting about the magnitude 7.2 earthquake near the Mexico-California border on Monday.

Mom: Wah, earthquake again ar?

Me: Ya, near the border of America and Mexico.

Sis: Wait, isn't Mexico a part of the US?

Me: No, Mexico is a country by itself

At this point, I'm thinking in my head that she must have mistaken the country...

... for the American state,

NEW Mexico

Sis: But isn't Mexico situated in South America?

Me: Yup, that's correct.

Sis: So, isn't South America a part of America?

Me: *Bursts out laughing* No.

Sis: *Confused look*

Me: Do you actually know how the US looks like?

Sis: *Doesn't dare to answer* Then what about South Africa?

Me: *Being a little mischievous* What do you think?

Sis: *Thinks for awhile* It's a continent!

Me: *Bursts out laughing again* No, South Africa is a country!

Mom butts in: Oh, then Africa must be part of Europe!

Me: *Laughs even harder*

Meanie me.