Grace
On Saturday night I wanted to blog on the importance of showing others how much you love them, and on how each day we live is a gift of God's grace. However a faulty internet connection in Arrow prevented me from doing so.
Today a piece of shocking news came in the morning through Rosemary, or more specifically, her mobile phone. And I find myself blogging about this issue nonetheless.
Her aunt was around the end of the second trimester of her pregnancy. Her placenta burst. The baby is safe though prematurely born. Its mother however did not make it through. She was 36.
At times like these it dawns on us the transience of life. Her aunt's last and greatest gift to this world was bearing the child in her womb lovingly for months. Now we have a barrage of questions bombarding our mind - who is going to nurse the baby in its infancy? will the child grow up blaming itself for causing its mum's death? what is left of the two other children? what role will the father play now that his wife is gone? when things happen that go beyond our comprehension, how do we wrestle with the sudden loss of someone in whom we see something beautiful and good?
I realised that when unpredictable deaths occur and everyone sits around to reminisce his/her impact on our lives, we pay greater attention to their good points than their bad. We like to see their redeeming factors as being those which cause us to remember them. For me, occasions like - he was a good father. even though he chain smoked he loved his wife and family a lot. Or she was a loving grandmother who took care of her grandchildren in what ways she knew... etc.
A while back it struck me how that we do make assumptions in our lives - assumptions which have naturalised into the 'expected'. Last night I made plans with David to watch Amazing Grace at cinema Nova. That I can slot this into my (pretty empty) schedule reveals how I have assumed that both of us will be available at 2.10pm today to watch the film. What if either one of us never made it?
Another case in point: I call a friend back home saying I will be back in December to celebrate Christmas with the gang. What if we never had the opportunity to meet not because of a raincheck but because that which was unexpected indeed happened?
Have we taken each other for granted? Assuming that life moves on in a linear fashion. It is not that God is angry with us that He takes away loved ones. Sometimes things happen even though we so do not want them to. Well we should not be finding ways of divorcing ourselves from each other, in some vainglorious attempt to detach ourselves from any relationship which may hurt us if circumstances suddenly hit us. Should we not seek to show love to those we love and who love us?
Lord I thank You that You have preserved the lives of those I love and who love me. Let not a day go without us knowing that it is amazing love that holds our relationships together. May love be shown and demonstrated and not just said. For love is experienced and believed in. I have faith Father that Your love will abound in the lives of my family and friends. Your grace breathes life into us each day. Father we are thankful because in all ways we have been undeserving. Amen.
Today a piece of shocking news came in the morning through Rosemary, or more specifically, her mobile phone. And I find myself blogging about this issue nonetheless.
Her aunt was around the end of the second trimester of her pregnancy. Her placenta burst. The baby is safe though prematurely born. Its mother however did not make it through. She was 36.
At times like these it dawns on us the transience of life. Her aunt's last and greatest gift to this world was bearing the child in her womb lovingly for months. Now we have a barrage of questions bombarding our mind - who is going to nurse the baby in its infancy? will the child grow up blaming itself for causing its mum's death? what is left of the two other children? what role will the father play now that his wife is gone? when things happen that go beyond our comprehension, how do we wrestle with the sudden loss of someone in whom we see something beautiful and good?
I realised that when unpredictable deaths occur and everyone sits around to reminisce his/her impact on our lives, we pay greater attention to their good points than their bad. We like to see their redeeming factors as being those which cause us to remember them. For me, occasions like - he was a good father. even though he chain smoked he loved his wife and family a lot. Or she was a loving grandmother who took care of her grandchildren in what ways she knew... etc.
A while back it struck me how that we do make assumptions in our lives - assumptions which have naturalised into the 'expected'. Last night I made plans with David to watch Amazing Grace at cinema Nova. That I can slot this into my (pretty empty) schedule reveals how I have assumed that both of us will be available at 2.10pm today to watch the film. What if either one of us never made it?
Another case in point: I call a friend back home saying I will be back in December to celebrate Christmas with the gang. What if we never had the opportunity to meet not because of a raincheck but because that which was unexpected indeed happened?
Have we taken each other for granted? Assuming that life moves on in a linear fashion. It is not that God is angry with us that He takes away loved ones. Sometimes things happen even though we so do not want them to. Well we should not be finding ways of divorcing ourselves from each other, in some vainglorious attempt to detach ourselves from any relationship which may hurt us if circumstances suddenly hit us. Should we not seek to show love to those we love and who love us?
Lord I thank You that You have preserved the lives of those I love and who love me. Let not a day go without us knowing that it is amazing love that holds our relationships together. May love be shown and demonstrated and not just said. For love is experienced and believed in. I have faith Father that Your love will abound in the lives of my family and friends. Your grace breathes life into us each day. Father we are thankful because in all ways we have been undeserving. Amen.
grateful to God for your comforting words =)