A string of shiny pearls...

I am sick. :( And the exams have not been postponed - don't think they would be anyway (haha)... So pray for me please.

My brain is too exhausted with the fever. But I'd like to share something that truly blessed me today. On the way back from school, I drove past a quiet, peaceful cemetery - and what did I see in there?

*Drumroll*....

A whole herd (is that the right penjodoh bilangan?) of cows having a party of a time grazing away! Hehe. How contented they look! A few of them basked in the evening sun, oblivious to the cars swooshing past the cemetery. I saw that and remembered that the Lord provides for those who belong to Him. Reminds me of my favourite psalm, no. 23 - "The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not be in want... He makes me lie down in green pastures..." - although those I saw were not sheep, and the pastures looked anything but pastures! :D

Aunty May Ling sent me a love-gift today, which I absolutely treasure from the depths of my heart. While it has yet to reach me, I want to say thank you very much!:)

Recently God has been speaking to me very personally about something - through the words of my Korean lecturer, through the Word, and through a few people. Challenging me to give up something to Him. Weaning me. Stretching my faith. Arranging circumstances so that I would come to a crisis of belief...

Do we love our gifts more than our Giver?

Don't think I will share about what happened, right now. Perhaps someday.

This is nothing to be proud of... I was very doubtful in the beginning, skeptical about things, and truly reluctant to 'put my Isaac on the altar'... but I'd like to thank God that He gave me His grace to do what He had called me to do.

This week, tinged with a little doubt and a great fear of the unknown, I decided to give up the something - and trust Him. Asked Him for another confirmation that it was His will that I do it (a specific confirmation this time) - and that very night, He ushered it in. A string of genuine, shiny pearls, so to speak. (And yeah, this is figurative, btw).

My heart is swelling with thankfulness. In awe of His faithfulness, and rather glad that I did not refuse the Lord what He had asked. (That comes with a little shame and guilt of having doubted Him!)

I know this is random. But we all remember the story of the little boy with 5 fishes and 2 loaves of bread - who gave them up willingly to the Lord. He used it to bless others... but I always believe, He had truly wanted to bless the little boy. I mean, Jesus was never surprised at anything that came up. He knew the multitudes that followed him would be hungry (spiritually and physiologically). He knew that His disciples would be at a loss of what to do in that time of great need. He knew that the little boy would come up, with 5 fishes and 2 loaves of bread. He knew that one of His disciples would spot the boy and present him to the Lord. He knew that the little boy, faced with the challenge to give up his picnic basket, could choose to give away everything he had - bless and be blessed himself.

Is God challenging anyone of us today to give up what we hold close to our hearts - to Him? He wants to bless. In a way exceedingly and abundantly more than we could have ever asked or imagined. He never shortchanges our faith.

In the very words of our Korean lecturer - "God is our portion!"

Aunty May Ling, thank you again for giving. I promise to use the gift as it should be used. Will write to you again, once I'm done with my exams...or when I've received it.