On the one hand, we know we are serving because of God.
On the other hand, we desire for our efforts and hard work to be appreciated.
Instead, everyone is too busy to notice what other people are doing for them, and alot of people are not shown any appreciation by anyone. The only time when people will notice what a person is doing is when something goes wrong, and that person will get criticisms. No one will remember that person when things run smoothly though.
Isn't it ironic that in the workforce nowadays, people are more valued. Most companies at least give their employees incentives to work hard - bonuses, after hour meals and taxi rides, morning tea for birthdays, gifts at Christmas, etc - but at church, what do people get? Complaints? Grumbles? Grudges?
Although we are serving God, and our reward lies with Him, being appreciated is a way for God's love to be communicated among us. Maybe we should learn to appreciate people that serve us, even though they may not be doing the best job, as this is a way for us to show God's love towards one another.
Maybe thats the support that we all need in order for us not to burn out in ministry.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Missing time
Yesterday I was on the train, coming home from work. I looked out the window and I saw that the train was at a station which was 4 stations away from the station that I needed to get off. I looked at my watch and it was 7:20pm. So in my mind, I knew that I have about 7 minutes before the train reaches my station, and so I decided to take out a book from my bag to read. After I read only one paragraph from the book, I noticed that the scenery outside looked familiar, and I realised that the train was about to arrive at my station. I looked at my watch and it was already 7:28pm. How come I have no recollection of the 8 minutes? Where did the time go?
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Silence is golden
We live in a world where we communicate with each other through words, whether written or oral. Is this the most effective form of communication? Words can be misleading or deceptive. They may have unintended connotations. They may even be easily miscontrued through the wrong use of accents or punctuations.
Maybe silence is the most effective form of communciation. Maybe we should use our feelings to express our inner most emotions and desires in silence. Although silence may still be miscontrued, feelings can be effectively communicated if they are reciprocated or a connection is formed between the communicators. Expression of feelings through silence also saves time and can be as direct or as indirect as the communicator wants.
But the reason why we still use words is maybe because we want our feelings to be confirmed in words.
Maybe silence is the most effective form of communciation. Maybe we should use our feelings to express our inner most emotions and desires in silence. Although silence may still be miscontrued, feelings can be effectively communicated if they are reciprocated or a connection is formed between the communicators. Expression of feelings through silence also saves time and can be as direct or as indirect as the communicator wants.
But the reason why we still use words is maybe because we want our feelings to be confirmed in words.
Escape
Sometimes people complain that they want to go somewhere and escape from their everyday life.
But in a sense, our everyday life is our form of escape.
We fill our lives with many things. We make ourselves busy with work, relationships and hobbies. We spend all our time doing every day things and we complain about not having enough time to ourselves.
But the true reason why we are filling ourselves with so many things is because we are escaping from reality, from thinking about the true issues in life, from thinking about the questions of life and death.
Maybe we all learn that tackling these complicated issues in life will bring us much grief and stress, while escaping from these thoughts with everyday trivial things making us busy, will bring stability. And on top of that our escapes from our escape will give us short moments of joy and fun.
Maybe it is much happier to be a simple person who escapes for most of their life, then a person who thinks and analyses about such complex issues for most of their life.
But the irony of the whole situation is this:
The more you try to escape, the harder it is to escape.
But in a sense, our everyday life is our form of escape.
We fill our lives with many things. We make ourselves busy with work, relationships and hobbies. We spend all our time doing every day things and we complain about not having enough time to ourselves.
But the true reason why we are filling ourselves with so many things is because we are escaping from reality, from thinking about the true issues in life, from thinking about the questions of life and death.
Maybe we all learn that tackling these complicated issues in life will bring us much grief and stress, while escaping from these thoughts with everyday trivial things making us busy, will bring stability. And on top of that our escapes from our escape will give us short moments of joy and fun.
Maybe it is much happier to be a simple person who escapes for most of their life, then a person who thinks and analyses about such complex issues for most of their life.
But the irony of the whole situation is this:
The more you try to escape, the harder it is to escape.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Warmth
How is this feeling or sensation expressed?
Through wearing enough clothes in winter?
Through sleeping with lots of blankets at night?
Through a hot shower in the middle of winter?
Or
Through someone showing their love and care for you in doing everyday things
Like cooking for you
Like spending time with you
Like sitting and chatting with you
Like noticing a fluff has fallen on your clothers and removing it for you
Like sending you a SMS to see if you have driven home safely
Like saying those three little words we are all longing to hear
Through wearing enough clothes in winter?
Through sleeping with lots of blankets at night?
Through a hot shower in the middle of winter?
Or
Through someone showing their love and care for you in doing everyday things
Like cooking for you
Like spending time with you
Like sitting and chatting with you
Like noticing a fluff has fallen on your clothers and removing it for you
Like sending you a SMS to see if you have driven home safely
Like saying those three little words we are all longing to hear
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Behind the exterior
Behind the smiling faces, the warm handshakes and the beautiful voices of this organisation...
1. Jealousy. He is jealous of her because she seems to be talented in everything whereas he has no gifts or talents that are appreciated by others.
2. Anger. He is angry over the way she went about and did things her way without consulting with him.
3. Betrayal. She feels betrayed as he told everyone her secrets which she told him when she was depressed.
4. Hurt. He is hurt as he was not told the real reason why he was not allowed to become a member of the organisation, whereas everyone else knew the real reason.
5. Disrepect and revolt. He does not respect her, as he feels that she does't deserve to be in the position she is in at the moment. At any moment now, he will try to remove her from that position.
....
and this organisation is supposed to be a place where God's love is shown.
1. Jealousy. He is jealous of her because she seems to be talented in everything whereas he has no gifts or talents that are appreciated by others.
2. Anger. He is angry over the way she went about and did things her way without consulting with him.
3. Betrayal. She feels betrayed as he told everyone her secrets which she told him when she was depressed.
4. Hurt. He is hurt as he was not told the real reason why he was not allowed to become a member of the organisation, whereas everyone else knew the real reason.
5. Disrepect and revolt. He does not respect her, as he feels that she does't deserve to be in the position she is in at the moment. At any moment now, he will try to remove her from that position.
....
and this organisation is supposed to be a place where God's love is shown.
Sorry
Most of us have a tendency to explain or seek an explanation when things don't go wrong. Is this always the best way to resolve a problem?
When we do something that causes others to feel hurt or rejected, we try to explain our actions. But if the person is feeling hurt or rejected, that person doesn't care about our explanations. That person only wants to hear one word - SORRY.
When someones tells us that they are depressed over a situation, we try to ask them a reason why they are depressed. But the truth of the matter is that the person is actually experiencing these feelings, and what is the use to ask that person to explain why he or she is feeling that way. That person only wants us to feel one thing for him or her - to feel SORRY.
To say SORRY or to feel SORRY for someone - is it that hard to do?
Maybe it is hard to say such a word as we need to humble ourselves and admit we are wrong. Maybe it is harder to feel that way for another person, as we are not even interested in other people in the first place.
Maybe in a sense, we are all living in this tragic world, and would like someone else to say SORRY or to feel SORRY for us.
When we do something that causes others to feel hurt or rejected, we try to explain our actions. But if the person is feeling hurt or rejected, that person doesn't care about our explanations. That person only wants to hear one word - SORRY.
When someones tells us that they are depressed over a situation, we try to ask them a reason why they are depressed. But the truth of the matter is that the person is actually experiencing these feelings, and what is the use to ask that person to explain why he or she is feeling that way. That person only wants us to feel one thing for him or her - to feel SORRY.
To say SORRY or to feel SORRY for someone - is it that hard to do?
Maybe it is hard to say such a word as we need to humble ourselves and admit we are wrong. Maybe it is harder to feel that way for another person, as we are not even interested in other people in the first place.
Maybe in a sense, we are all living in this tragic world, and would like someone else to say SORRY or to feel SORRY for us.
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