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Saturday, February 18, 2012

Restless Senses

September 21, 2009


One of the most common things men have in common is the need for resolution. In watching a movie, it irks us when in heading towards the climax, for some reason, suddenly the player breaks down or the disc crashes. In reading a piece of literature, the theme is very important. It is whereby the point of reading the whole thing all boils down. Whatever it is, at least we know the author has a point.

The need for a resolution is rooted in man’s innate sense of restlessness. We are forever searching for something, that one sense of completion that will appease that part of ourselves that pushes us to keep searching. And so we spend our lives pursuing a lot of things. And the average, not –lazy person becomes uncomfortable with not becoming a contribution to the world, by possibly whatever it is that he is able to do. He has simply got to do something and keep doing it. And he later becomes identified with it, with his work that later in life, when he is 70 or 80 and is expected to stop, he starts feeling useless, worthless, not only and mainly because his skin is shabbier or his eye bags bigger, but because he is now coming to terms with reality that having to stop working someday is true of himself today.

If we feed our restlessness this way, then life will just be a bunch of things we ought to do and accomplish. The question is, “is that all there is to life?” If “doing” is the source and the center of our identity then all our identities are doomed to fail one day.

There is more to us and this life than simply ‘doing’.



Permissible but Not Beneficial

September 18, 2009

This is one of those days when I am making a conscious effort of trying to know which activity I need to pursue or not like if it is better to do this now or do that later.. It is not a matter of time, but rather a matter of choice, making the good one, that which is most beneficial… you see, I am trying to live by the principle that everything is permissible but not beneficial… like I could choose to go for a movie marathon tonight, sleep at like 3 in the morning and that would be very possible on my part, knowing that no one will really stop me from doing that but then the question is, what good would it do to me? Would that be the best thing I could do on a Thursday night?

 
I could even choose to continue to watch a series of video clips of debates on Youtube. I just attempted to watch one awhile back, but then again, is having my brains, my HOTS stimulated beneficial for me at this hour? With my brains having just awaken from a 4 hour, deep sleep…? And with novels, reports, term papers waiting for me to devour… ? Many things seem interesting, like perhaps writing lots and lots of essays such as this, or reading tons and tons of books, specially those I have been trying hard to catch up on. With all the many things I could do in one day, I can only choose one that is the most beneficial, sometimes one that which will make good use of my time. Life perhaps is not just about doing the “right” things, but doing them “at the right time”. Maybe, just maybe, this is purpose-driven living which makes the most of this short thing called Life.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Father's Heart



On a nephew’s birthday, I was in a room full of kids including my niece Theara. Theara left the room leaving me thinking someone will watch for her outside. Little did I know that she got inside their room. A couple of minutes later, commotion broke in the house. Theara had accidentally locked herself inside alone. We heard her frantically crying while telling her how to get out. My heart would skip a beat every time she led out a deep cry of frustration. I was so worried myself, all I could say was, “Don’t cry baby! It’s going to be okay!”

Then his dad came to the scene – my younger brother: concerned yet calm. He tried pushing the door so hard with his arms but it just made Theara cry all the more. She was screaming, “No! Stop it!”

My heart was crushed.

We tried breaking into the windows which seemed impossible. We thought of calling the carpenter neighbour who might just break the door knob.

Then just before we fell for more silly things like get a backhoe, his dad lowered himself and started speaking to her through the door – telling her he’s got a lollipop and she'd better get out of their soon to get it. All she needed to do was follow his instructions. My brother calmly told her two year old daughter to hover towards the lock, lift it and push it to the left.

A few minutes later, the door opened. Dad and daughter embraced – tears streaming down her cheeks.

And it dawned on me how powerful the words of a father are and how crucial it is to follow his instructions.

Looking at my brother’s effort, I knew he was the most desperate to get her daughter out.  He didn’t care about the door, his arms, the doorknob, the windows. Her freedom is everything to her.

Equally important is Theara’s part in breaking herself free. She wanted freedom and she knew her father was doing his best but she had a role to play – trust in him and follow every bit of his instructions. 


So it is in our relationship with God. It's when we trust in Him, surrender completely and listen to what He says that we have just set ourselves free.
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"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11)