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Thankful for relationships.
So this weekend was spent with many people, I had one of the most enjoyable weekend ever this year. Firstly it was friday's Dr Robi session, it was all about parenting and how it should be like. All I can think of is that it is like being a referee in a game of soccer, it is all about respect. I cannot agree less, I mean respect is the underlying principle of anything and everything, I mean people even pay respects to the dead. This is how important it is. I don't know if it is just me or anything, but I do respect people, a little too much sometimes I think. So after the session we were on the way back and it was only me, nicole and wanxin because my sis actually got on the bus before us and we didn't manage to board that packed bus. So.. yeah. The 3 of us, we talked all the way back. And it was a really good fellowship time, I realise many things about wanxin that I didn't know even thought we are like cgm for almost 5 years? I mean it was really good time, we talked about parenting and even though we are not parents, we say about how we would 'control' our children in the future. Which I think it was a pretty cool subject, and of course we shared about our childhood, how we were being brought up and how our parents were like. Personally, I think respect goes something like that for me.. First I know the person, I respect him/her, but if that person make me lose respect for him/her, he/she have to build it back up again which is honestly I think something that is almost impossible. We talked about how we respected our parents and how close we are to them. I am not close to my parents, especially my father. However, I still try to respect them. For me, I show respect by not talking back, although sometimes they are in the wrong, but I am not the kind of girl who talks back. That is respect, for me. And all of a sudden, I felt that I have so many things to be thankful about. Okay, not as if I have a perfect family, but at least I have a complete family. I've heard enough stories of broken families especially recently. Honestly, I feel a lot for them, especially if they grow up without a complete family, like without a mother/father, their life would be so different. Just today, after the Atlanteans outing, I fellowshipped with Charis and 2 other guy. One of the guy basically told us so many things that I find it was a huge lesson for me to learn. He grew up in an incomplete family and had a tough life throughout army and everything, he was almost sharing his testimony to us. He told us about him growing up with girls around him and how it felt like, and also all the times he tried drugs, smoking and everything. My life is definitely less exciting than that, but still I think there is a big lesson for me to learn. This guy, whose name I shall not mention, is still so positive and happy as ever. His days are numbered too, because of some sickness. But yet people are out there doing what? Getting all suicidal because they broke up? Or because they failed a test? Or simply being emo because of what other people say about you. But this one sentence I remember very vividly, "as long as you know who you are in Christ, what the rest of the world thinks doesn't matter anymore" and suddenly I get all confused again. All along, people's opinion of us matter so much. I'm sure you all had conversations that go "what is your first impression of me?" But does what other people think of you MATTER that much? That you try to make a good impression, that might be even fake, just for the sake of being 'accepted'? And like what one of them said (I will not mention who), "..but nobody likes me until now and I'm just being who I am" I think personally I face this problem too, it is not something very uncommon, at least to me. Then our conversation went on to talking about relationships as in BGR. This guy that I mentioned above, he said things that I believe all the girls would wish that a guy could understand. Girls don't look for rich guys, it is okay if they are not as good financially, we can always work hard together. Besides, imagine if a person always buys gift for you and then on your anniversary, the person buys another gift for you, the whole 'price' and the 'value' of this gift just drops all the way to the bottom no matter how expensive the gift is. True? Yes. This is just one of the examples he used. But I'm pretty mind blown by this weekend. All the fellowship and stuff, really make me ponder a lot about life. Dr Robi also talked about Work-life balance, and it is to put 100% into whatever you are doing and know that you are doing it unto the Lord and not for men. like wow.. Anyway, this weekend have been many of this kind of fellowship topics and stronger bonds, especially me and Ecclesia. She's like the best bud I ever have now.  I'm thankful for her. Everything. Life is more than about studying and getting good grades. It's about living it to its maximum, and if you actually think that by getting a good score and getting a good job to buy all the things in the world is living to its maximum, then seriously maybe you got to think about it again. Life is so much more than what your eyes are seeing. Really. During today's fellowship we also talk about perceptions, about achieving one's dreams, one's calling. And the biggest enemy isn't anyone else out there in the world, it is YOU. You set your own barrier, you stop yourself, you limit yourself. Most of the time, the biggest battle isn't out there in the field, it is always in the mind. What's God's calling for you? To achieve and go after that calling isn't easy, knowing who you are and standing strong in it isn't easy. Society will always try to tell you who you should be and what is right from wrong, but your moral and values are the ones that people are actually going against. Going after God's vision for you isn't going to be easy too, people will say things and all, but that is when we have to stand strong, stay positive, know that your future is in His hands. I'm thankful that the Lord has placed all this amazing stories and people in my life to let me learn so much from them. I'm thankful for everything that I have now, all my friends. I cannot love them less.. (: And lastly, to end off, a short verse! Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13) |