The Little Darling - Part 3, Merry Christmas!!

It's getting late here, and I just got back home from visiting her not too long ago. My whole day of Christmas was full of drama and adventure. It was seriously, action packed! It all started yesterday, Christmas Eve, where we had our Christmas Celebration at Kuala Lumpur International Hotel and here is how it all went down......

Christmas Eve - Christmas Celebration 2008 night (Different yet the Same)

Making my way to the hotel at around 4.30 pm, I was so excited for the night ahead though my day was really energy draining after having taught 2 tuition classes running simultaneously (can you imagine that??). Knowing that nearly all the youths from 'The Metamorphosis Project' were gonna come that night, it added even more expectancy of what a great night it was gonna be.

Being the welcoming speaker (MC) for the first time, I was a "little" (Malaysian expression of 'VERY VERY VERY!') nervous. I told God that I really needed His peace to fill me (and also telling myself "It's just like Praise Celebration, it's just like Praise Celebration."). To cut the long story short, everything went smoothly and truly God answered my prayers and gave me peace as I spoke and sang. I won't be sharing on the details of what happened that night but all I can say is that.............. it was mind blowingly SUPERB!

It was a long night after because I had to send back some youths to their respective homes and then travel back again to the hotel to pick up the instruments and then back to good old World Harvest Church. I then went supper with some of my comrades in Christ. It was around 2.15 am as I journeyed to pick up Angie and Mei Mei to help me wrap the Christmas presents I bought for the youths (they actually wrapped everything, I just watched...haha...thanks alot girls!). We had to rush to wrap them that night itself because we would be seeing them the next day at tuition, and it would be nice to give them the presents on Christmas Day itself.

It was 4.00 am when I left my home to send Angie and Mei Mei back. It was around 4.30 am> when I finally was able to sleep.

It's Christmas!

The next day, some of us from WHC went to our beloved 2nd home, TVS at Bandar Sunway, for a Christmas Celebration. When I was there, during one of the scenes in the sketch that was being performed, I learned one of my greatest lessons and I guess you can say it was an unexpected present from God. It was at the scene where Jesus, our Lord and Saviour was born. A thought just flashed cross my mind that goes something like this.... "Maybe Jesus was so excited to come to earth, but "see see" He was persecuted, misunderstood though He was always right, went through pains and sorrows, and died for our meaningless lives to give us an abundant life and a whole lot of meaning in it".

The whole program ended around 1.00 pm, and all that was in my mind was, "How are we going to get back on time for tuition by 3.00 pm". I decided to skip a "makan" session with my friends at Sunway Pyramid and head straight back to Wangsa Maju to pick up the youths for tuition. I was so excited cause I was going to give all the youths a present. On the way back, we were caught in a terrible jam and I did the most dangerous driving of probably my entire life (been driving 2 years plus only actually...haha). I got an sms from 'The little darling' telling me that she doesn't want to come for tuition, and the reason she gave was, "so and so is not coming today, so I also don't want to come, bye". Many of the other youths also gave really silly reasons and I was a "little" upset (Malaysian expression of 'I was really pissed off'). Caught in the traffic jam, I was sms-ing her back and forth with a "little bit" (you should know what little means by now) of scolding. We decided to cancel the tuition because many weren't coming and we actually would not make it back in time due to the heavy traffic. (When you read this, take into account the previous day of preparing the presents and the anticipation seeing their happy faces when they received their presents then having to sacrifice my "lepak" time with my buddies, rushing through a heavy traffic and then being buzzed at the last minute and told that they were not coming, you would know that I was really really really upset this time).

Having cancelled tuition, me, Vigh and Jimmy went to AU2 Jusco instead and had some time of hanging out together and shopping (all things work together for good to those who love Him yeah? hahaha). I was still upset about what had happened earlier on but as I was waiting for the others to get their stuff, a blouse at the children section caught my attention. I said to myself, "Hey, that would look cute on her". I took it off the rack and bought it.

Me and Jimmy picked up Deon (one of our youths) and made our way to her house, it was around 8.30 pm. We both got a wonderful surprise when Deon gave us a present each. At that moment I didn't really care what was in it, but just receiving something from someone you have poured your love and life on, that was a feeling that is hard to find. When we reached her place, she was kindda scared and wasn't looking at me when she saw me having her head down the whole time. I guess it was because I scolded her. In the elevator, before we reached her house, I told her that I wasn't angry at her anymore and passed her the plastic bag containing the blouse I bought her.

We went into her humble home and spent some time there. Being at their house, I could imagine how hard her growing up was in such an environment. As Jimmy talked with her dad and I talked with her mum, we began to encourage her parents and shared some testimonies to them. As I saw her mum being encouraged by the testimonies, I took the opportunity to pray for her, for peace and hope to fill her heart and her family. There, I was reminded from the Holy Spirit that being angry and losing hope is easy, but loving is something that is going to take every last bit of who we are. I then promised myself to see this family through with prayers, love and care. This was truly a Christmas I will never forget.

I hope this part of 'The little Darling' encourages you to love and keep on loving. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the future of our community lies in our hands. Let us therefore live a life of blessing and distributing hope and joy to this world that needs it. That when we would look back at our journey of life, we can say that we, against all odds, lived a life that was radical, driven by selfless love. The blood of Jesus is the only thing that can break the curses of sin and sets one free.

'WORDS OF DESTINY'

Looking back, fifty years from now, don’t you want to say you had the guts to get in the car?
Sam Witwicky, Transformers

'WORDS OF FAITH'
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV)