This issue struck me last week and it reinforced itself this week.
There's always been this unique ER boy in living springs whom I've found quirky to spend a bit more attention to. He's allergic to peanuts, prone to emotional swings, but is also very passionate and musically talented. Early this year, he dropped out because he mentioned of tuition which was meant to allow him to succeed in his O levels. He would attempt to attend the saturday night service, but sadly, that never transpired.
Much as I thought of him, I didn't do much coz I told myself that I was just a helper and lots of other excuses.
Then, last week I chanced upon him online and had a quick chat. Was overjoyed that he was doing well as he had been reached by a classmate and was now attending one of the fast growing church. With much zeal, he shared with me his renewed passion for God and was attending services on both weekends as well as cell.
Happy as I was for him, I felt a tinge of regret as I realised that it was by God's grace that someone reached out to him and he responded. Could that person be me or anyone from living springs? I'm sure. But why wasn't it the case, simply because we didn't care enough to do what was needed to reach the lost.
Genesis 16:7 speaks of how God reached out to Hagar when she ran away from Sarah, despite her pregnancy. "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur."
I always question why growing churches and mega ones do so well in reaching out to so many lost youths, and I realised that the issue is not about what people do that is different, but the fact that we need to bother to care about others in order to keep our flock.
This week, another issue closer to home popped up. Much as it is disrupting my life and schedule and making me exhausted, I told myself that I need to respond faster so that the end result will not be something I would live to regret. I would be willing to be a vassel sent to to Hagars in the desert.
M.
29 July 2009
Losing coz we don't care enough
This issue struck me last week and it reinforced itself this week.
There's always been this unique ER boy in living springs whom I've found quirky to spend a bit more attention to. He's allergic to peanuts, prone to emotional swings, but is also very passionate and musically talented. Early this year, he dropped out because he mentioned of tuition which was meant to allow him to succeed in his O levels. He would attempt to attend the saturday night service, but sadly, that never transpired.
Much as I thought of him, I didn't do much coz I told myself that I was just a helper and lots of other excuses.
Then, last week I chanced upon him online and had a quick chat. Was overjoyed that he was doing well as he had been reached by a classmate and was now attending one of the fast growing church. With much zeal, he shared with me his renewed passion for God and was attending services on both weekends as well as cell.
Happy as I was for him, I felt a tinge of regret as I realised that it was by God's grace that someone reached out to him and he responded. Could that person be me or anyone from living springs? I'm sure. But why wasn't it the case, simply because we didn't care enough to do what was needed to reach the lost.
Genesis 16:7 speaks of how God reached out to Hagar when she ran away from Sarah, despite her pregnancy. "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur."
I always question why growing churches and mega ones do so well in reaching out to so many lost youths, and I realised that the issue is not about what people do that is different, but the fact that we need to bother to care about others in order to keep our flock.
This week, another issue closer to home popped up. Much as it is disrupting my life and schedule and making me exhausted, I told myself that I need to respond faster so that the end result will not be something I would live to regret. I would be willing to be a vassel sent to to Hagars in the desert.
M.
There's always been this unique ER boy in living springs whom I've found quirky to spend a bit more attention to. He's allergic to peanuts, prone to emotional swings, but is also very passionate and musically talented. Early this year, he dropped out because he mentioned of tuition which was meant to allow him to succeed in his O levels. He would attempt to attend the saturday night service, but sadly, that never transpired.
Much as I thought of him, I didn't do much coz I told myself that I was just a helper and lots of other excuses.
Then, last week I chanced upon him online and had a quick chat. Was overjoyed that he was doing well as he had been reached by a classmate and was now attending one of the fast growing church. With much zeal, he shared with me his renewed passion for God and was attending services on both weekends as well as cell.
Happy as I was for him, I felt a tinge of regret as I realised that it was by God's grace that someone reached out to him and he responded. Could that person be me or anyone from living springs? I'm sure. But why wasn't it the case, simply because we didn't care enough to do what was needed to reach the lost.
Genesis 16:7 speaks of how God reached out to Hagar when she ran away from Sarah, despite her pregnancy. "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur."
I always question why growing churches and mega ones do so well in reaching out to so many lost youths, and I realised that the issue is not about what people do that is different, but the fact that we need to bother to care about others in order to keep our flock.
This week, another issue closer to home popped up. Much as it is disrupting my life and schedule and making me exhausted, I told myself that I need to respond faster so that the end result will not be something I would live to regret. I would be willing to be a vassel sent to to Hagars in the desert.
M.
