Running for my life

Today at Mass, I was sitting alone... Mum had diarrhoea, and Ju was out. So no one managed to come. Then later at night, we had a good family dinner at The Straits Chinese, at Shenton. With all talk about investments, money, survival, life, I was wondering, why I do not have any interest in these at all. Either life is too good (indeed), or perhaps, I really do have a calling? I look at my work.. and while I am interested in doing the stuff,.. I have no ambition and no interest in really becoming more than what it is now. Yet, regarding spirituality, I am suddenly alive, passionate, and ambitious. I see the people who are far from God. And I know there's work to be done.

So there's some serious questions that I ask myself. Firstly.. is ministry a place for all the 'losers'? like we're here because we're not all that 'successful' with life and we are here to comfort each other?

Secondly, is ministry a place for just those who simply have more time or are more caring, and too nice - and too good - to get embroiled trying to help all these problematic people?

Thirdly, is ministry a place for the problematic people? People who are down, out, distressed, sick... those who need God and which means, for those who are ok with their lives, do not need to come to ministry?

Yet we are missing the whole point. Fact is, non-ministry people are also losers, problematic, and poor if not financially, sometimes, poor in character, spirituality, morality.

The reason why we go to ministry is because we want to serve God, because we have felt God's goodness. As simple as that. For me, I've experienced God's realness, presence, voice, direction, peace, love, and saving grace. What more can I do but return to God my time and gifts and talents, in everything I do? Every minute and day is with that goal, that mission.

My life is no longer my own, but it belongs to the Lord.

This is a cool devotion that I just read, from this website (CBN.com... just found out about this... )

It's called... "Running for my life": http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/noebel_running.aspx

An excerpt from it says... In Oswald Chambers book, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST, he shares how we need to be as broken bread and poured-out wine to please God. We are to be "separated to the gospel" which means being able to hear the call of God for our lives. Our lives are to be used to preach the Good News to those around us, just like Paul in Romans 1:1.
"This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News" (Romans 1:1 NLT).

For some of us, it is a literal call to become a preacher. Others may hear this Word of exhortation as a reminder to witness to those Christ puts in our paths every day. If God calls you to preach His Word, then we need to stay on the road that leads to becoming that man or woman of God He has called us to be. Oswald Chambers also said, " Once someone begins to hear that call, a suffering worthy of the name of Christ is produced. Suddenly, every ambition, every desire of life, and every outlook is completely blotted out and extinguished. Only one thing remains- 'separated to the gospel.' Woe be to the soul who tries to head in any other direction once that call has come to him. Beware of competing calls once the call of God grips you."

This part of the book encouraged me so much. For a long time I've struggled to be accepted by the church and organizations that don't understand the calling of God on my life. I have felt rejected and discouraged. But I know that no matter how long it takes, I must press on. I can not give up or turn away from the calling of God for me.

I'm thinking... beautiful reflection.

After POWERHOUSE yesterday (Saturday 9 June) - on the way towards Tampines Mall, we saw a huge weird shaped cloud that looked like a fist, going.. "POWER"!... At least that's how we saw it. Doesn't it look like a fist?


The participants at the Praise & Worship Workshop, POWERHOUSE, at OLPS on Saturday. Good crowd for our first public event in OLPS. I was hoping for more, but I am also pleased with this turnout!