A CNY with a difference

Many hearts are hungry tonight,
Many trapped in darkness, yearn for the light.
So many who are far from whom, and many who are lost
Oh Lord Your wounded children need, the power of Your cross!

As i went for the reunion dinner tonight, I realised truly, how much people need Christ in their lives. And how many opportunities there are for us to really reach out, and be beacons of Christ's love to all those around.

For those of you who dont already know, my paternal side of the family are Buddhists, and well, my maternal granddad kinda became disillusioned along the way too. For some reason, this year i decided to spend time really talking to them and just genuinely showing concern for them(as a good grandson should, come to think of it), instead of just being my usual switch-offed, grumpy self, just counting the minutes before we get to escape the house where i feel so mega outta place. And well, at the end of it i just felt so guilty that i had waited so long to 'love them'.

My paternal granddad passed away a few years back, and although she argued with him alot, i can tell my grandma really misses him. She stays in a whole house alone for most of the day, since her children are all working busy lives and her grandchildren are all busy secondary school children (we used to be deposited there for kindergarten last time). My uncle usually brings her over to have dinner at her place most days, but man. the immense loneliness she must feel pains me :/

and every year she tells me to drop by and visit her when im free, now that im old enough to 'travel around on my own', but i always nodded and chucked the thought aside casually (i never was close to my paternal side of the family, for various reasons). But this year i was suddenly hit with a sharp pang of guilt. Fine, I am so terribly busy, but surely i could have found some time every now and then to drop by her place, to at least show that there are people that care? Like she said, she doesnt really want much, but it'd have been real nice for ppl to just drop by and say hi, to assure her that everyone else is still doing fine.

And of course, how different would life be with Jesus. In our times of loneliness, in our times of need, or worry, or anything else, we have Him to turn to, to talk to. But for so many of us (myself included), we so selfishly keep Him to ourselves, and it has never occurred to us that we should share him with everyone else. How much difference would Christ make, and oh what joy could this Friend bring into my grandma's life! and yet i never did anything.

And my maternal granddad. He was born into a buddhist family too, but he later came to Christ. however, he got real disillusioned upon the death of his firstborn son, who died of leukemia not long after birth. Why God didnt answer their desperate prayers, he never quite understood. but tonight, as i was just talking and chatting with him about all sorts of stuff (including how he felt singapore was a left-wing socialist country (!!!!!), even worse than a communist state lawl), i just realised that he too, was rather empty inside. Oh how much did my dearest granddad need the love of Jesus, the transforming love of Christ!

Well my thoughts are rather jumbled now (as usual at this time of the night), but well, im making a commitment this chinese new year. Kenneth will really make the effort to talk to my grandparents, to care for them, to love them; to really find opportunities, create some if necessary, to remind them of their first love, or to share the saving knowledge of the gospel. How dearly do i want them to join me in paradise when our times come. Hell was created for Lucifer and his cronies. Not my relatives for sure.

No way.

nor yours.
this CNY, let's make it like no other. Let our hearts beat with the same compassion and love for all our friends and relatives. let us have the courage and determination to really speak out, and talk to someone about our Lord, Saviour, and best Friend, Jesus Christ, Son of the Almighty God

Help us to begin where we are,
Help us love the people, near to our hearts.
and give our faith a mission field,
Wherever you may call.
and love the world through each of us,
Until we've touched them all!