Power Praise

I just did not go for church service for ONE WEEK (I spent last Sunday at HopeKid Retreat) and there have been changes in Orchard already! I was in awe truly! I gazed amazed at the new "wing" opened at Centrepoint thinking how can it be up when I was away for just one week?! Somehow, my life has been so used to having my Sunday spent at Cuppage Plaza that not going to church for one week, feels somewhat long.

Though now I vaguely remember the P&W songs that we sang this morning (don't mind me! I have problems remembering so many songs!), I do know that the songs we sing are about praising the Lord - in good times and in bad times, in the good and the strife. After one long week of "ordeal" at work, today, I am in a much clearer mindset.

As I was praising and worshipping the Lord today, I kinda thought that God talking to me "I will live up to my promise. I will see you through the darkest days of your life." And I thought "Boy! You are so KEWL God.." For indeed, He did see me through my ordeal. As I look back and reflect, I knew that I survived because He was my strength and my refuge. In all my grousing and whining, I knew that God wasn't far from me.

A few things I learned from ordeals:
1) It will definitely strengthen us when we choose to commit it to God. When we look back, we will get that feeling of "How did I even managed to do it?". That's when you know you didn't. God did.

2) From ordeals, somehow, it will break us. There is so much truth in the statement "When all else fail, God will always be there!" Being broken, it provides me an opportunity to seek and go to God more. As in "Oh God ah..!! I really cannot do it liao! I think I am drained of patience!! I want to give up!" Then, after that moment of crying out to God, you somehow just feel that "Ok.. I seem to be still able to carry on." Spiritually, you will feel a sense of refreshment somehow.

3) Self control. I learn to deny myself. You know.. sometimes, it's really very tempting to just run away from problems. Sometimes, I can really justify for things. E.g. I will be better off elsewhere because blah blah blah... But when I cool down, think about it, there is a certain degree of a need to deny myself of my "rights" & "justification". To not run away from my issues but to face it squarely.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Be joyful always! Give thanks in all circumstances!" are verses that are all so familiar to me. It's so SO true that when things are down, it's really not easy to praise God. However, I learned that when I choose to still praise God in times of struggle, I see things in a different light.

I picked up another book from Kinokuniya the other day entitled "On Children and Death" by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Heee.. it's a book that I wanted to read so as to increase my awareness and knowledge. Somehow, when you read about dealing with grief and bereaved parents, you get a sense of urgency - To seize every EVERY opportunity. To live life to its max. And I was very encouraged by this that was written:

That I may grow a little braver
To face life's trials and never waver
From high ideals that I have made,
To face life squarely, unafraid;
That I may yet more patient be
With those who falthering lean on me;
To profit by mistakes I've made
And let them from my memory fade;
That I may always faithful be
To those who put their trust in mel
For these dear heavenly Lord I pray
That I may prove worthwhile today.

I think it summed up what I really feel. That I may run the race well, that I may stand before the Lord and have Him pat on me.

Good night.