Reflections

Love... or obligation ?

2007-11-25T01:59:00.000-08:00

Buddy mentioned sometime ago that a common acquaintence was getting married.

My first reaction was "Finally ? After was it 7 or 8 years with the same guy ??" What struck me was a strong feeling that she was marrying out of obligation, and not for love. I told buddy how I felt.. that if she's marrying someone she has to live with, and not someone she can't live without, then it's not going to work out in the long run. Buddy, ever so logical, said "Well, it's her life and we cant comment, can we.."

I met another friend for dinner recently, and well, turns out that what I felt earlier was indeed correct - well our acquaintence wasnt even looking forward to getting married. Tell tale signs ? Well, when asked the theme of her wedding, she couldnt tell. Seating arrangements were left to the very last minute, and she cared far more about her work targets than her RSVP list.

When asked bout cutting down ontime spent at work for some quality time with hubby and kids, the answers were a cutting "no kids please", and well as for hubby, it's a "he works long hours and so do I.." situation. What of problems that may come up if there isnt enough time for communication ? Plain and simple - "then we part". Telling isnt it ?

It is upsetting, simply because I cannot imagine how painful it would be for the other person if I were to say "Let's get married.. because we've been together too long and it would embarassing to break up... even though we're not too compatible, but I guess I can live with it. And when we cant, there's always this option to bail out".

Marriage is not about fulfilling an obligation - It is about love, and any less would make it a path that is too burdensome to tread. Indeed, can any relationship or area of life be sustained if not for love ?

Whites....

2007-11-11T07:45:00.000-08:00

Another dream fulfilled

2007-11-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

I've been asking God to let me see a Rafflesia for a couple of years now, and I finally had the chance to get up close to these extraordinary plants in the Kelantan jungle earlier this year - and mark it down - not just one, but two in bloom at the same time ! Talk about being given a "double portion". God never fails to amaze me !

A timing for everything under the sun..

2007-11-08T02:18:00.000-08:00

Back in 1999, God gave me a promise concerning my life, and I've been praying about it ever since. It's been almost 9 years, and yet the answer that I'm hearing is still "My timing is always right. Wait on me.." It's a daily struggle between resting quietly in Him and doing something to make things happen. When it comes to "rest".. God knows that aint my forte !

While watering my Lithops and at the same time pondering my next move for the situation, the Lord spoke: "Don't force things out of their timing.. Rest and let Me do the work..do not look at what you see or feel.. more is happening than you can see.. Trust my promises"

It then dawned on me that this was exactly what my Lithops has been teaching me - that there is a timing for everything under the sun. You can never quite tell when the new leaf pair is forming until the old leaf pair is ready to split. And yet beneath the seeming lifelessness, new life is taking shape, oblivious to the grower. Any interference, any attempt to push the plant out of its dormancy could abort the entire cycle and reduce them into a pile of mush. The plant leads the owner, not vice versa.

Rest is not inactivity, but rather a cease to activities that would derail what God intends to do. I will just have to trust Him to work on the situation, and trust that at the right time, the answer which I have been waiting for will spring forth..

Some of my favorite pics...

2007-11-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

Under the cover of death.. life springs forth !

2007-11-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sometime ago, a friend had passed me a leaf that broke off his prized Thai Amorphophallus. The leaf stalk was truely ornate, with lime green spots splatterd against a dark green base. The deal was that if I could get it to multiply, I would have to pass a plant back to him. And of course, one which I gladly obliged.

The weeks passed swiftly by, and as the leaf started to wilt, a new tuber started forming at the base. That should be reason to rejoice, but something just didnt look right. The new shoot that has sprouted just wasnt growing very much taller. And then, it wilted again.

Thinking that the plant had languised, I was extremely sad and was about to uproot the tuber when I accidentally removed the dying shoot. Suddenly, a tiny speck of green caught my eye and I realised that all wasnt lost - a new shoot was forming right underneath the cover of death !

At that moment, God gave a "just-in-time" word for an issue that I've been facing in my personal life:

"Just when things look as if they are hopeless and dying, new life is forming underneath. So dont give up !"

It's amazing how many ways God can choose to speak to His children !