Rosalind Ang is treating the church with refreshments after the Bible study this Sunday. Below is her moving story behind her gesture. MY THANKSGIVING The year 2013 is a year I will never forget – one that was filled with life-changing bittersweet experiences. The loss of my sister to ovarian cancer was indeed a heart-wrenching time. Added to that was the discovery that I had breast cancer as well. Losing her a week after my own surgery was something indescribably surreal. Now that it has been a year since she returned home to our Lord, I still feel as if she has gone for a long vacation and that she will appear at my door-step and say hello in her usual hearty manner, one of these days. Throughout the year, it was a time when many brethren stood by, walked and prayed with us. If not for all the saints who came alongside both my sister and I, we would have found it a struggle to stay hopeful and faithful to the Lord. Through our experiences in our time of illness, we savoured the sweetness of Christian fellowship in the many home visitations made and the time spent waiting for chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions was made shorter with the warmth of brotherly/sisterly encouragement and prayers. The numerous cards and gifts that were received warmed our hearts as it showed that so many cared. As I reflect on the year that has passed, it reminds me of the generosity of Christ’s love that He always exhibited in His encounters with the people around Him. His lesson on the Good Samaritan is our focus this year as we come alongside others in our daily lives. Already I have experienced it so much in all my 36 years as a member of PPCOC. Through all the ups and downs in life, it is often more bearable if someone were there to help carry the load. My encouragement to all is to look out for those who need help and for those bearing the load, to reach out to others around us (Rom. 15:1–7). The impactful sermon on Disrobing by Brother Brandi is indeed a timely reminder for me to look at myself first before I make judgments of others (Rom. 14:10-13). Only then can I truly show compassion to others as Christ has done so. Coming alongside others can take many forms – walking the journey with the person in need, praying for him/her, writing notes of encouragement, sending text messages, making phone calls, etc. In my moments of solitude, I thank God for His mercy and grace that I have had the opportunity to experience all these. It is hoped that through it all, I can also encourage others to look to God and fully trust and obey Him. The past year has also been a time for me to get to know others better and to speak to people I often did not in the midst of my busyness. It was also a time to renew my relationship with God as I drew closer to Him. God works in mysterious ways to remind us of our first love for Him. He has answered all my prayers and showed me He cares. I would like to thank our God, most of all, for His unending love. No words can express how grateful I am to God and to all of you for coming alongside me and my family in our time of need. Even as we celebrate our Golden Jubilee as a church, let us all move alongside each other and spur each other on to run this Christian race with renewed vigour and energy. Leave behind past hurts and disappointments even as we remember how Eccl. 4:9-12 encourages us to find strength in being connected to one another. So, let us all rejoice (Phil. 4:4) and be bound by a common love (1 Cor. 13:4-7) as we look ahead to the next 50 years! Loving All of You as much as You have loved me - Rosalind Lee
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 00:01:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015