Starts of with me waking up early to eat early, change early and set off for Bugis MRT Station early. On the internet, I found that there was a direct bus which could take me straight to the station, but when I got to the allocated stop, I found no 61s anywhere on the signboards, so I took a 171 in a panicking rush, dropped off at Newton MRT and voyaged the rest of the journey through MRT instead.
Once at the station, I checked my watch and found that through my panic I accomplished an extra 45 minutes to kill while waiting for Tim. So to 'kill' those minutes, I decided to check out what the surface of the area looked like. Didn't look as cheery as the picture on the internet, but nevertheless comfortable to walk around in. Explored the area by a couple of blocks before turning back just to make sure I was at the station when Tim arrived, if he was 'arriving'.
Back at the station, I leaned against a small corner and pulled out my mp3 player to listen to some music while killing the remianing 20 minuites. But just then, Joel suddenly popped out of the crowd. Ah, company! The more, the merrier! I went over to him, and we had a really small talk before Tim arrived from one of the surface exits. He didn't seem to smile, so I also held a portion of mine back. Must be nerve-straining introducing a group of friends to another society only you're familiar with.
Chatting along the way, we followed Tim through a series of turns and paths, making sure we followed every direction without tripping against each other. Around this time, Tim also passed me my birthday present with a short greeting. Seeing that the morning rush was at present, I quickly said a soft thanks before falling back into line to make gliding through the multitudes within the MRT station a little easier. Once at the surface, we passed by a couple of bars that served San Miguel (Hee hee...). Soon, we arrived at the destination and landed at the gates of a middle-aged building.
Gliding through the 11pm crowd, we managed our way to the staircase and went a few floors up to a large hall at the sub-roof level. Many teens were seated among the chairs in the hall, and there was a small platform stage at the end of the room. On the platform were the band, ther instruments, a speaker's stand with the cross at the front and a projector screen. Tim went to the front sections of seats to fix a few mic cabels, so Joel and I followed to place our bags on the chairs nearby.
We later mingled around with assumably the Pastors and a few other members of Lighthouse. When the Pastors asked for my name, I told them I was 'Michael' (same thing I did in Japan) in nervousness that theyd probably ask further how to pronounce my real name, but told the members I was 'Miguel', of which they responded that this would be the first time they met a Spanish. (Hey, both names a technically correct in their own way, so stop staring at me!)
I was about to head back to my seat when one of the Pastors were asking around for Lighthouse volunteers to help him stack a section of chairs away so as to give space for a couple of activities later on. Tim pointed out my strength, so I gladly joined in the move. Unfortunately, I almost made a pile of chairs topple over another Pastor and Ziek (is that how you spell it?). What a way to start a first visit to Lighthouse...
Once done clearing the area, we sat back into out seats, only to find out that we had to move the remaining sections of chairs towards the back of the hall to transfer the empty space to the front of the stage. At least pushing is more safer than lifting. And a good thing I'm correct in this part.
Then the service started. We began first with some singing of praises. I've heard most of the songs before, but the first song they displayed was rather new to me. But the schocking part was that the song was able to depict a good portion of my life, wether it be minor details or obvious phrases. I literally started to drop my volume by the 2nd Stanza, but regained it when the song got back to the good parts. Dear Lord, who did You assign to write this song anyway?
After singing was a performance. And this was no ordinary performance. It was a dance item! By the Youth Committee! And one of the members were... I think you get my drift. A rather rare sight seeing him up on stage, but God always makes things possible anyway. The song was rather nice, and the dance steps were easy to follow (somewhat Broadway, that'll be my guess), but in the performance I saw how much everyone on the floor was enjoying themselves.
It's been a long time since I've been to a Youth Service, and I guess this was a simple reminder on how I long to join a cell group soon. True, there are many Christian classmates I can meet day after day in school. But I know them more as 'classmates' than 'Christian friends', so I can't really say I can share my 'struggles' and joys with Christ. But I've seen a couple of Churches lately and I've seen the friendship bonds members of these Churches share, and how willingly they'd probably share their problems with each other and pray together for a breakthrough. Together.
I tried my best to sustain a smile during the performance, but I guess it was somewhat distinct (if anyone was statring) that I was a litle troubled. God's been calling me to join a cell group for some time already, and must agree I need the support from one to go through my life with Christ. The problem is... where do I go?
Which group should I join? I'd like to be somewhere friendly (well, all Churches are friendly :D) but also where I could learn about God properly. I guess I'd have to keep praying about this. I better be quick, cause it'll be better to addapt now as a teenager than when I'm an adult. God be with me to show the way...
Once the performance ended (with a 'tip of the hat'), the troupe scattered back to their seats for more singing, before we had an ice-breaker activity: We were each given a card that had a word on it, and in a certain amount of time we were suppose to find fellow people with words of the same cathegory to form a group of 5 members; no more, no less.
For example, X recieved 'Batman', Y had 'Superman' and Z 'Wonder Woman'. Thus, they should all belong in one group under the cathegory of superheroes. After being distributed the cards, the whole lot of us started to giggle on the words we were being given. I had 'Orchird', while Tim had 'Oreo', Joel had 'Escalator' and Ziek had 'Inter-galactic Teleporter(or something like that)'.
Once we were more or less calm on the situation, we were released from our seats and scrambled around the hall to find our different groups. Tim was shouting through the crowds for foods, I was going from individual to individual for flowers or road names, and Joel was just moving around glancing for a machine of some sort.
After a minute or so, a girl then found a way to solve our problem. Noticing that each word was written with the first letter enlarged to almost trice the size of the other letters, she quickly shouted out her letter, soon to be joined in with others intending to see if her theory was correct. Soon, the entire hall was filled with cries of letters and people were running from end to end in search of their case.
When the time was up, and we were told to be seated ont he floor, I found myself in a group with Tim, a girl and a couple of guys. We said a few small "Hi."s before moving our attention back to the stage, where the Pastor then told us that we had to learn the names, schools, favourite colours, foods and a few other random details before he would test a random person on these details.
My group gasped for a little, but we managed to cheat a bit by standardising some of the favourites, like we all 'loved blue' and 'enjoyed Biology'. Then after a limited time, each group was told to send a representative up to the stage. Assuming that these would be the people being tested, we sent Tim to go up.
Big mistake. Apparently, the Pastor later announced that these people on stage were to be spared from the questionare, and that the groups had to send another representative to standup at their spot, this time being the real guys to be tested. Now, my group decided to send me as the sacrifice, so I stood up a little panicked and kept asking for my groups names once in a while.
To cut the story shorter, I managed to slip away in the nick of time when the Pastor found it time-consuing to ask each group once he reached the fourth one. We then had a little more singing till another Pastor came to share a message about the mentality of a Christian. I didn't really catch the last part of the sermon, though, so I can't really describe what he said since I dn't have the final piece ofthe puzzle.
After this, the service ended and we all went down for a burger-and-sushi lunch (To foreigners reading this, this is Singapore - about almost any meal around the globe is concidered an 'ordinary' meal.) It was more of a buffet, with uncles and aunties lined up to help you put the items onto your plate, and after collecting the stuff Tim lead us to the playground to sit down and enjoy our meals.
We chatted a bit, and at times went for seconds. Tim also invited Joel and I to the captain's ball match later on in the day, and so we agreed. After the meal Tim (followed around by Joel and I) went around in search for the area where the match was suppose to be held. We were told it was at the carpark, but it was still filled with cars at that time so we had to wait for a little while.
While waiting, Tim attended a meeting for the Youth Committee of the Church, while Joel and I went to a corner to chat about a game called Command and Conquer and taught me about an element in the game known as 'tibarium'.
After the meeting, everyone went out to check how the carpark was, and there was only onc car left to clear out, so we stayed around the drinks for a few more minutes till the coast was clear. We them went out and assigned ourselves to the two teams available. Throug the game, I couldn't help but notice how well everyone knew each other. They were all laughing and enjoying the fun and bloopers of the game, and even the adults were cheering along candidly at the corridoor just beside us.
Following the lines of what Tim once said, it really did feel like family.
No, I do love my family, and appreciate God's blessings of them. But everyone in the Church at that game was very, erm, united in a way. The many people, lads and gems, all mixing around int heir own way and making the group unique to the extent of great friendship. And with Christ. To also see how well Tim fits in the entire equation of the group.
I miss the good ol' days.
Times when if I had a problem, I could just go to a friend and share my state and we'd all comfort each other and be merry and praise God for each other. Not saying that I'm having problems... erm, I don't know.
I guess it's only because besides school and canoeing, I've got no more friends to be with. True, I've got God to comfort me. And I love Him, even though He loves me a whole lot more. But once you have the love of God, you just need to share it out among fellow brothers and sisters of Christ, or basically anyone for that matter, and let them enjoy it too.
It's something like a glass. (I've bet many Christians have heard about this before.) The champaign bottle is God, and when you recieve the many things from Christ you start to turn full. Now, before you go past the brim and spill out the excess champaign (which would be a waste), you'd get another few cups at the bottom so the overflow would spill into those cups. And then there would be other cups placed at the bottom of those cups, and more under those other cups, and more under those, and more under them, and so on and so forth until you get one of those pyramid structure you see in wedding ceremonial dinners, where all the cups have their share of champaign, all because that first cup at the top spilt its overflow to them all.
In the same way, I guess I just miss having friends. I mean, I do have lots of friends, but I don't really see them as regularly as how people ussually do. Unless this is just some holiday phase I'd have to go through for the next few weeks, I guess I'd just have to pray about it. But nevertheless, I really think I should join a cell group soon enough.
To think that the last 6-8 paragraphs went through my mind during the game. Ah, well.
After a few rounds, Tim Joel and I finally made our leave from the Church and went to the MRT. During the walk there, Tim asked us for comments on how the service was like, since he was part of the Youth Committee and had to know. My comment was that it was like the ussual set-up that the many other Churches I've been to, but somewhat more friendlier and socialble.
After a few more words with each other, we went our seperate ways in the train system and got to our homes (unless differing not specified).
Overall, I guess I had a nice time! [Thanks, Tim! :)] But I also take it that this is another one of God's ways to tell me that I really need to find a cell group to join now. My heart now has an additional longing...
Since I cant describe today's sermon, I might as well just say a few words in place of that. I shall share about Love.
Do you ever feel as if you love someone intensely, maybe even honour someone of the same gender greatly, but know in your heart that you're not suppose to 'fall in love' with that person? If the first example, you could brush it off to be puppy love, but if it was the second one, you might just panick and end up worrying if you're...
Rebuke that thought in the name of Jesus! You're not, erm, whatever-terminology-they'd-use-for-that. Flip to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, and it should say (in the New International Version):
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Sometimes, when you have an intense honour or love for somebody, it may just be because God wants you to teach theperson something. Maybe something you have which the person doesn't have yet. The love/honour for that person is just there to make sure your words, which would be said through God's will, carry dept and ensure that despite whatever respnse you may get from this person, you'd still want to share the good news to him or her.
But don't get me wrong - if you know that your love for her/him is correct and strong enough, by all means go on a date some time. But if you somehow have this small but strong thought in your mind that you're not meant for this person, or that this person is not the one God wants to bless you with a family, this is probably one of the reasons why.
"Then what do I teach this guy/gal?" Well, I don't know. I may or may not know who you are, or who that person you greatly honour is, but the only two beings who should be able to answer this question should be you and God. If you're not certain on what this guy needs for his/her soul, pray to God for Him to show you exactly what he/she needs, and He'll answer if you wait long enough.
And don't worry if you think you won't be prepared or experienced in the matter that this guy needs clarification about. God will prepare His servants before sending them out for His glory. So when it's your turn, you'll know exactly what to do. And if you think God wants you to find out the problem yourself, you can try asking the person directly if the person needs help. He/she may react shock for a while, but sooner or later he'll/she'll spill the beans and that's where you come in with God's help to comfort the person.
And when you and the person know the problem is solved, just give praise to the Lord, and you both now have a testimony to add into God's collection!
Now to unrap Tim's present. Ooo, Left Behind! Sweet! Thanks, Tim!
God loves y'all! Bless 'ou!...
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