Makeover - Reasons to Rejoice

My last postings were in Dec 2020. That was a year after the world was caught in the throes of a plague gone wild. Now 2 years  down the line,  the world is still trying to cope with a virus that keeps  (and likely will keep on) evolving, which has already caused some 5.3 million deaths out of a total 271 million cases at time of writing. That's a huge tragedy. But actually in perspective, according to a report by ThinkGlobalHealth, as per official statistics, covid19 was the fourth leading cause of death globally, accounting for just under one in twenty deaths worldwide since the beginning of 2020.  The leading cause of death globally is ischaemic heart disease, chalking up some 15 million deaths for the same period, followed by stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. And worst plagues have wiped out much of world population throughout human history. That in no way reduces the severity and horror of covid19 in our time. Death is vicious whatever form it comes in.  But the truth of the matter, for me anyway, is death happens, all the time. Science only tries to postpone the inevitable appointment we all have to face. Humans being human, the majority of us try to hang onto life as much and as long as we can. I guess it's the innate survival instinct in humankind that amplifies the fear of death. 

Me, I have learnt to let it go, for I have found reasons to rejoice, even in the darkest of times. As Jesus put it in no uncertain terms to a grief-stricken woman who had just lost her brother to death, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). The same question that's posed to everyone who knows deep in his heart there's got to be something more than life than dying one day.  When the woman answered Yes, even though she obviously couldn't understand how this could be, her dead brother walked out of the grave at the command of Jesus. I imagine the shock of all the witnesses there, seeing what must have looked like a mummy, still wrapped in grave-clothes, stumble out of the burial tomb. Of course Lazarus didn't get to live forever on earth after his first resurrection. Jesus never promised we wouldn't die on earth. His promise was, "whoever believes, even though he die, yet shall he live. What an incredible promise to hang onto, knowing death has no hold over me. Much less covid or anything else for that matter. 

 A couple of weeks ago, I finished preaching my last sermon for 2021. Appropriately I had been led to talk about navigating the journey of life ahead.  As I walked off the pulpit,  I felt this incredible peace in my heart. That night, I found myself crying; there was this overwhelming sense of rest in the depths of my soul. My heart was so so full. I felt the tangible presence of God in my little bedroom. And all I could do was thank Him over and over again for this life that He has given me. He has gifted me with so much talent; to preach, teach, write and do all sorts of things I never thought I could. He literally took me into different worlds that were just outside my door in this 1 year - Orang Asli children , Myanmar neighbors, Indian car-washers, Indonesian security guards and house-cleaners. All this in the midst of a pandemic, in spite of lock-down restrictions. Who says we cannot do anything, just because there's a virus floating around? God's work, God's love can't be stopped by anything or anyone. 

At the end of November, a cousin from my husband's side called me out of the blue. I was so pleased to catch up with him again. He has been losing his sight over the years, because of an incurable eye condition . He's never been one to wallow in moaning and groaning about life. Even now when he is totally blind.  More than just offering me a free lunch, he offered me a free makeover for my house. He said he wanted to bless me with some fairly new (only 2 years old) furniture  since he was renovating his home. The things in my house are antique hand-me-downs from my father-in-law that's at least 50 years old. Since my husband's passing some 20 years ago,  I have not bothered to change or replace anything; as I saw no need for it.  We make do with whatever is still usable from those early days, even if it's run down. So my cousin's offer was really most timely and very generous indeed. He took care of all expenses for the disposal of my stuff and moving in of his, even down to providing a maid to help in the cleaning-up. We got "new" sofas, beds, chairs, fridge, air-cons, display cabinets, shelves, wardrobe, and a power water-heater thrown in. To top it all, he even got his contractor to fix my leaking roof.  

I used to feel I shouldn't take free stuff from people. I would feel kinda shy, embarrassed, and I didn't want to be "obligated" to return favours. But I have learnt as much as I can give, I must also learn to receive with a grateful heart; for not wanting to receive actually springs from a sense of reverse pride in myself.  After all, I have received from my Lord Jesus the most precious gift of salvation, totally undeserved and absolutely "unrepayable" , so if God moves others to bless me, it's yet another reason to accept and rejoice at His (and other people's) goodness.  

It struck me as I looked at the physical improvements in my house, that God is in the business of "makeovers" too in our walk with Him. That's yet another reason to rejoice, because He loves and cares so much for us He doesn't want us to remain in the same old, same old mode. I don't want that either. I don't know what else is going to shake the world in 2022. But I am pretty sure covid is but the beginning. Anyone who reads the bible cannot fail but know about end-times prophecy, irrespective of personal convictions. But I choose to rejoice in the Lord always, as Paul exhorted, even from a prison cell. I choose to look forward to a new year 2022, expecting great things from my great God. No matter what. 

Yes, even in the face of human tragedy that stares out of news reports and forwarded videos of the worst floods that have hit especially the Klang valley just days ago. Its easy to be philosophical about the fragility of life. Truisms don't reduce the pain of loss. Indeed we all lose many precious people and things we hold dear through the course of our lives. 

But my comfort is in a God who loves and never ever loses hold of me. So as I tune into a church online service, singing along to the familiar words of a familiar song - Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King - I have many reasons to rejoice as we countdown to 2022. But the best is still that CHRIST is the only reason for CHRISTmas. 

Phil 3:13-14 But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.