Mar 14, 2011 | Faith, Life Reflections
At some point this afternoon I wanted to find a document on guides on how to study the Bible in my email archive. During the process, I remembered that I had forwarded the same document to my mother and father about two years ago, not long after my father had his surgery. I found the email thread, and there I saw my email forward to them.
It was dated March 28, 2009 – less than 2 days before my father got a high fever, 4 days before he slipped into a coma, 13 days before he passed away. Literally, this was one of the last favors I did for my father – forwarding a simple email. I don’t know whether he got a chance to look at it or not, but I remember the reason why I forwarded it was because he had asked me to. He had just made commitments to study the Bible more and he asked me if I had some guides…
What interesting timing… God laid him to rest when his heart was right… I had thought that this email took place at an earlier time, less close to his downfall health wise. But it was practically right before it. Seeing this today was enough to make a girl choke…
Seeing the email was unexpected. At the moment I saw this email last time, my father’s death was unexpected. It made me think of the mysterious workings of God’s timing and the mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men.
Truly, the realm of the heart, the realm of the mind, and the realm of time…are in God’s hands.
Mar 9, 2011 | Life Reflections
I see extremities, He sees opportunities
I see a wall, He sees a veil
In every cul-de-sac there’s a secret passage way
On every horizon there’s a step beyond
I see opportunities unveiled
I take a step along the passage way
In Him, beside Him, discovery and wonder are my present
Feb 28, 2011 | Faith
or, Passionate Creator
More on Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
A job and a passion. Big difference. Tell someone with a job to stop what he’s doing, he’d be glad and relieved. But tell someone with a passion to stop what he’s doing, he’d look at you as if you came from another planet. Why? Because a job is what you do, but a passion is who you are.
The mundane job-vacation never-ending cycle just seems to be at odds with the human soul – it doesn’t fill it full. The drastic contrast between the longing for weekends and the dread for weekdays somehow embitters the soul, and many succumb to the force and become callous to life: It’s just the way it is…
But one of the most beautiful and awesome moments in life is when that integration between who you are and what you do takes place. It’s like, you’ve finally become a whole person, a complete and entire being. The concept of work and vacation disappears, and you’d rather be working than sitting still. In fact, you can’t sit still anymore!
The question is, why is it so?
I believe that there’s a source to this phenomenon – it’s because we’re created in the image of One who’s an integrated Being.
You see, I absolutely love Romans 1:20, especially as someone who loves science! It says that as we look at the things that are seen, the creation of the world, as we understand the things that are made, we can see the invisible – we can see God. The question is, why is that?
The reason why we can see and understand God from the things that He makes, is because God puts Himself in the things that He does. Creation is not a job, it’s who He is. Salvation is not a job, it’s who He is. His character is everywhere; it’s revealed in all the things that He does (e.g., creation) and in the way that He does things (e.g., the way creation is). His character is in the fabric of things that He creates, interwoven with the way nature works.
In fact, this reaches its ultimate trueness in the Sabbath, the crowning jewel of creation. It’s no longer just an aspect of His character being reflected in created objects and beings, it’s straight up, full-blown God Himself in the fabric of time. He inserts Himself into the Sabbath, that mankind will not only look at a reflection of His character through creation, man would look at God Himself in His fullness! In Sabbath, we behold God as He truly is. Crazy!
There is no separation between who God is and what He does. God is fully integrated; He’s a passionate God.
In finding a passion, we are brought closer to God. When we experience that integration between the what and the who, we get a taste of what God experiences when He works. Our experience mirrors His and we are fulfilling what we are made to be – God’s image.
P.S. I feel like there’s so much more unearthed treasures to this …
P.P.S. This also makes clear to me why it is that “Every act of life is a revelation of character” (Education, p. 61). It’s because we’re God’s image…
