Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Good of the Old…

FACEBOOK, it looks like I am pretty addicted to this social networking website. It is exciting to rekindle old friendships. For a start, I am not a person who keeps in touch through writing snail mails. I mean, gosh…that is like, so uncool. And the wait for replies, my…my hair grow white la. But wahlah…this is the electronic age. Once we have a person’s email address or hand phone number, we can send a message within seconds. Now this, me likey. Why…it’s because I am a super impatient person. Everything must move at the speed of light. And the LORD is teaching me difficult lessons on how I need to grow patience; after all, it is a fruit of the Spirit.

After more than twenty years, I met up with two former classmates. I must admit that I was a bit envious of them who have been in touch with old friends all these while. And they can keep track of who married who, what they are doing now, and which part of the world they are residing now. As they mentioned names, I can only stare at them blankly. I cannot recall more than half of them. Out of the familiar names, another half of them I have no mental picture of how they look like at all. It was great fun, taking that trip down memory lane but I came home pretty upset with myself. How come I cannot remember my classmates? How come my friends can recall how I use to kacau them but I have no recollection of that at all? I mean, this friend can even recall where I sat in class in primary school, my goodness…But the most saddening part for me is not remembering the list of names of my classmates. How pathetic I am…So, I tried to analyze myself. Why, and I kept asking myself, why can’t I remember my classmates? How come I am not in touch with anyone at all?

Well, I have my answer. I never looked back. Or rather, I failed to look back. I just kept going forward and continue moving forward without taking any effort to look back. At every stage, I met friends and when I move on, I made new friends, forgetting the old. That was me. Molded and conditioned by the world to be independent, the mark of a modern, urban individual – the self-made person. Pathetic, isn’t it? But praise God, I have a second chance through FACEBOOK to nourish my garden of friendships that had gone unattended for twenty over years. And why the Lord is offering me this opportunity? Because ministry is about people and people means relationship.

And I return to my favorite theory again…the significant 4-0 number. Hey, it is significant isn’t it? I mean it is the number of years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. So, okay I have completed my 40 years of wandering in my spiritual wilderness. I am stepping into the Promised Land, tasting the goodness from the flow of milk and honey. Er hmm…not too good diet for middle age folks like me. Oops…well, age is relative, age is only numbers. But my body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The milk should be low fat and the honey not too sweet.

Okay, okay…I am just taking a break from the day long attempt at preparing my research proposal. It is funny that when you take a break from active study, it is so slow to build back the momentum.

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