Before 2015 kicks in...

If I were to give a label for the year 2014, it would definitely be a year of learning. Yes even with recent tragedies, ongoing floods, though it may seem like the worst year of the century, I still thank God for 2014.

I used to have a thing in number (still teenee lil' bit now). And so before 2014 started, I was actually quite worried it might gonna be a bad year; ironically, as a 94’-born, I look forward to this year since it would be a year of me turning ‘a decade older’, which gives sort of a sense of accomplishment, more mature, so to speak. But as the first air accident happened, and comes plane being shot down, followed by a junior in campus who died at young age of 19, and now the most recent update where 40 bodies found, believed to be weather caused air accident...just too many to take in a shot to remind myself our time on earth is so brief that death comes like a lightning, or somewhat like how you see how rapture had taken place in the movie ”Left Behind”. No one knows when their time will come, yet everybody ( and that includes me) seems to assume they will die old.

I wonder at first, why did God allow this to happen, I mean isn’t it too harsh to take lives just to show that the time is near? But slowly I began to realise, God is Sovereign, He knows exactly what we are going through, He knows the pain of losing our loved ones, as Jesus wept over Lazarus' death as stated in the Gospel. Yet through every tribulation that came by as we read through the Bible, we see God’s faithfulness endures, His promise fulfilled. His wisdom no human minds can comprehend.

By no coincidence, this week alone I listened to 2 sermons at different places, yet the theme is the same: HOPE. By saying hope, is not just believing blindly that good will sure to come after all these bad happenings, just hoping for the best that things will eventually turn out fine, or holding on to the uncertainty like a Chinese saying that goes "船 到 桥 头 自 然 直". But this very hope is founded none other than in the promise of God, the assurance of God’s word, through the finished work of Christ. And this HOPE, is certain, is solid. Nothing takes God by surprise because He is the God who is all-knowing, all-present and all-powerful.

As much as I hate to admit this, I thank God for 2014. Yes, it might be a year of sorrow and all, but it is definitely a year that I will hold near to heart. This is the year that God taught me to learn to trust Him more, rely on Him more and to learn to submit to Him ALL. As cliché it may seems to be, it is often difficult to register this from the mind to the heart. We still tend to be independent in handling problems, to take charge of things in our own hands, yet it is when at the dark valley of our lives will we realise how minute is our ability and how much we need- the ultimate Creator, God. And one big lesson 2014 has given me is to experience the power of prayer. To see what seems impossible happening and how God hands at work through the people I around me truly makes my faith in Him stronger.

Before this year comes to a close, I would also like to share a something I brought back home from my short visit to the old folks home back in hometown, I never knew how depressing the place can be till the moment I stepped in. Contrary to what we usually see in HK dramas where fun activities are planned out for the elderly, in there, I see the loneliness in their eyes, misery to be away from home, longing for their loved ones to come visit again. We went visit a good friend of my late grandparents, the 'new age' good Samaritan, a loving old lady, a great philanthropy, who has dementia soon after her spouse’s passing, and was sent to this centre to be taken care of.

I used to see her in church as a radiant looking elderly when I was much younger, yet as years passed, she is now dry thin, with wrinkles, almost bald due to serious hair fall, asking me the same questions again and again: Who are you? However I am deeply moved that even in the midst of what seems hopeless, she repeated this, "I’m so happy to see all of you, God bless you all... "and as we prayed for her, she firmly trust that God is taking care of her till this very moment and her child-like faith has given great comfort to all of us. 

Despite of knowing herself she has the disease, she still tries to recap old stories to share and try to remember names of friends and others.‘She is very optimistic, you can hardly see anybody at this age at normal state of health can give such positive remarks,’ dad whispered. She is indeed a great testimony for God!

So to wrap up, this year is also a year of meeting new people, experiencing new environment, learning to empathize, overcoming fears, been through a few ‘emotional resuscitations’ and disappointments... seems too many to go through at first but as I reflect, God has really carried me through all these big big GIANTS throughout as well as sending people by my side to encourage me, teach and lead me to becoming the person whom He wants me to be. 2014 has been a great year, not sure at all how 2015 will be like but one thing for sure God is with me what come may because He is the anchor for my soul.

Till next year peepo!