Reunion

 
 
 
 

I learnt another of God's truth this CNY 2010 - when you are faithful in the little things, He will bless you in all things. When my dear bro mentioned he wasn't making the long trip balik kampung to Alor Star this year , I groaned. That would mean so much inconvenience to us, having to drive back ourselves in the old Proton, with none of us knowing the way around AS. The kids grumbled; i was in half-a-mind not to go back, but remembering how I had committed 9 years ago to make up for my past 30 years mistake in forgetting my family there , I decided we would all go anyway. And so it was on the eve, early (well, we thot it was early anyway) at 530 am, we started the drive back... only to find hundreds of other smart-alecks who had gotten up as early as us, all jamming up the h'way out of KL heading up north. Thank God the money invested in the kids' driving lessons proved its profitability; the 2 princesses took turns at the wheel, and finally hit AS 6 hrs later,(which was still much earlier than we expected)by mid-day. We even had time to shop around in the local mall, before somehow bumbling our way to my sis' place. Finding our way around AS for the next couple of days we were there wasn't as hard as i feared actually; thanks to God's angels (human and otherwise), we only got lost like 3 x, and no, we didn't end up in Perlis, so that's good!
There was the usual obligatory dinners, lunches, greeting faces i couldn't attach names to and giving away angpows to this, that and the other's kid/s - nothing new really. I didn't even get much chance to speak to my sisters, becoz the eldest was busy with her own schedule, the 2nd with fussing over cooking and her own daughter's family down from JB. And apart from my younger niece, who was a 'new' Christian, without my big pastor bro around, none of them wanted to go to Sunday church with us. So we pretty much did our own thing for the 2 days we were there. But but but... God works beautifully when we least expect it....
I found short but most precious snippets of time to connect with my niece's family from down south , for the very first time, I sensed a warming up of the relationship. Most times in the past, it was just hi/bye. This year, her youngest kid was the catalyst that brot the adults together... the normally reserved husband was so cordial; we joined in playing his fireworks, he even sportingly went out purposely to get ice cream and beer for my boy to try. (well, better he try under the safety of mama's eye, rather than elsewhere right!)It's a shame the non-Christians in my family haven't had pleasant experiences of Christians within the family circle. As I tell the kids, nothing shows up the sincerity or hypocrisy of Christianity as much as our daily conduct; and that is why we go back every year, to be a living testimony of God's love and goodness to others within the family. Not that we are perfect; but we try to walk the talk of being loving, respectful, filial and yet not compromising our faith to be different becoz we believe in a God who is the only Way, Life and Truth. Besides as i always say, there are bad Christians, there are bad Muslims, there are bad Buddhists, but that doesn't at all make God bad. It's people who are bad; that's the universal truth, unfortunately we get it all confused when we dare judge God by the people who profess Him.
Anyway, there is nothing i can do to change other people's behavior or perception , for none of us can control other people's lives, but I can pray and I can choose how I behave, to portray a good witness of my faith, as Christians are all called to.
Which I guess is really the message I have been tasked every time i head back for CNY ... both for the Christian and non-Christian members in the family. God gave me the opportunity , for once, to meet up with my 2nd bro alone to talk about heart-stuff. I guess its the rare family that has got everybody loving everybody else; mine is no different; its hard to reconcile years of hurt done against each other, to forget about who is right or wrong. We all struggle with issues of anger, unforgiveness and refusal to let go. Every year i go back, its with 1 dominant prayer in my heart; that God would work a miracle in the lives of my family to bring them together in the love of Christ and the love of each other.So I do what i can,the little that i can, as my bro puts it biblically, to be a peace-maker - since that's what true reunion is all about really.
And talking of reunions of another kind, even on a last-minute detour off into Penang, God keeps building relationships... instead of heading home to KL, the kids wanted to stop over Pg, if possible for 1 nite, to go to the beach. I was about to give up after searching out 4 hotels - all full house. At the 5th stop, lo and behold, right in a fantastic location (just off Gurney Drive) , in a place aptly called Good Hope Inn, there was... 1 last room available for just 1 nite, at an-impossible-to-get price considering the festive period. Ha, talk about God's blessings and favor! And it gets better - it always does when God's in the picture... we managed to meet up with my husband's aunt (whom we haven't seen in like donkey years), and her son, (also down from KL for CNY) who treated us to a most sumptous hotel buffet lunch.
And that's not the end... down at Miami beach, our fave spot, we bumped into a very very old fren - David the illiterate beach boy who's like a practical brother to my husband in those long ago days when they went fishing together as little kids, going out to sea. He was the one who took me out in the boat my husband bought for him , to scatter his ashes into the Pg sea after the funeral. That's some 9 years ago; much has happened since then. The boat named after me is gone now. Miami beach was hit by the tsunami; but is since re-built. And David... he's older, sadly he's no longer with the wife and kids, he shows me his IC now with a Muslim name. But he's still as black, his teeth are still as white, and his smile still as welcoming to us as those days. And i tell him, no matter what name other people call him, God knows his name is David, i remind him who he has been named after in the Bible - a king no less, the ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ; he grins and nods... he understands what i m trying to tell him without so many words ... that God still loves him, that no matter how much he has messed up his life, God's just waiting for him to return. He keeps telling us we must come back for a longer stay, and he will take us out once again to Monkey Beach to enjoy some fishing, snorkelling, camping and BBQ . And yes, i am sure we will...the kids are looking forward to that ...
Back in KL, as we visit the rest of our relatives , again I am struck by that word - relationship. It doesn't matter that every year, we go to the same places, see the same people, do the same thing all over again... we exclaim over how this, that or the other person has grown, we exchange notes on what we've been up to, we wonder at how fast time flies, and its another year past, we wish each other well till the next CNY... behind all these mundane activities of the festival, I see God's hand glue-ing, repairing, restoring, expanding relationships, cementing them in the blood of His own Son, Jesus who came to be that bridge that reconciles everyone back to Him. That's His business, which He makes our business, as Jesus puts it...

...."You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven...." Matthew 5:14-16


For pix of CNY 2010, check out this link