Saturday, April 01, 2006
A Reminder Through Uncle George's Reflections
I am sure most of you must have known what happened to Shi Zheng and Yanru. This was something that I did not expect to happen but it did. When I read JH's email to me, I just could not accept it. And it has such an impact on me that I would like to share with you how I felt.
Shi Zheng and Yanru have been very close to us. Huili and I saw them grew from teens into youth and from youth to adult. As you can imagine, the news came as a rude shock to me! Never would I expect that they would return to the LORD at such a young age. I struggled with God the whole day why this happened? Doesn't God control all things? God could, if He would, rescue them from the ferry but why He did not? Doesn't God love them?
I, intellectually, know that He does love them, even more than anyone of us. I also know that God has their best interests at heart. But still, my heart just could not accept it. I asked God for WORD to comfort my heart.
You could not imagine the timeliness of God. I read
Psalm 39 when I finally could come before God. I read in
verse 4-5:
"LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor."
King David put it so vividly that even when we are in our best shape, we still could not control our lives, which is like grasping water vapor. You see, I always feel so comfortable and quite certain that there are still many years to my life because right now when I am still young and healthy. We go about planning, enjoying and accumulating like life will never end. But God knows how long you and I would live.
Every life will come to an end, some sooner than others. We never realise how frail our lives are!
I must admit that sometimes I have been too busy in life. I would occasionally fall into the trap trying to store up wealth and materials so as to have a comfortable living. I got a wake-up call when I read in
verse 6 that
"man...heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it."
King David was right--all the wealth and possessions we accumulate would go to others when it is time for us to leave the world. King Solomon said, that everything is meaningless. All of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
If life is so short, frail and meaningless, then what is life for? What is the purpose of living? What joy would I find in life? All seemed dark until I was assured of hope as I read in
verse 7 of Ps 39,
"And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You"
If there is no God, there is no purpose to live. If there is no God, there is no hope to live. My hope is in the Lord. My purpose is in the Lord.
Sure, I do not understand this tragedy or why it happened. You know, I miss Shi Zheng and Yanru so much. It hurts! I really wish that I could fellowship with them again in person! I know this could be done and the time could not be turned back. But I know that God is my hope. I am confident that one day I shall see them again in God's glorious presence.
I claim the promise that all things work for the good of those who love Him. You can do the same in the midst of our sadness.
God is in control, He still is.This tragedy, though heartbreaking, has been a wake-up call for me to re-examine my priorities and directions in life. Sometimes, busyness just consumed us and robbed us the time to pause, pray, evaluate and change course.
cLoUd DriFteD bY at
1:20 PM
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