Be Still and Know that I am Your Lord of Your Life...

Hi Friends,

Be prepared for a super super long blog i am about to share and these are some of the many thoughts and reflections i had over the weekend and including some interesting experiences. ... Are you ready?

Well, I kinda of missed out something which i felt was very important for me to share. Last Monday, during the Men's Cell Group Meeting, we had a Priest from India, Fr Aloysious. He preached something about prayer. And it's so ironic that last night, Terence K., was sharing something that was supposed to be practised in our Community but we did not persevere enough to practise them. In one of our AGM, about two years ago, we did mention that we are going to spend at least 15 minutes each day to pray .. but have we done so as a Community, during our own private time? Well, I must really thank God, through Fr. Aloysius, I was once again reminded to spend some time in prayer. And I have to admit that if not for my medication, I would not be have been able to wake up early .. as early as 5.30 a.m. automatically, every morning to spend at least just 5 - 10 minutes to pray. When I say pray, I meant silent time in the darkness (i prefer to be in the darkness anyway) ... trying my best not to talk to God but be still in the presence of God - to myself to 'soak' in His Graces and His Love.

I did this for the whole entire week except for Saturday morning. I was asking myself what is happening to me .. I seemed to be so larthargic (hope i have spelt correctly), lazy etc not motivated to leave the house or do anything ... i was lazing throughout the day. As i was reflecting, I came to realise that i was not spending that short period of time with God... not at all.

I must also thank God for giving me so much privacy with my new office setting. (oh yes, with my favorite picture of Jesus ... it makes a lot of difference for me too.) With my new office setting, I am given so opportunity to pray in the morning before i began my work each day and it has been very helpful. It is so conducive to pray and I am able to turn on some praise and worship song ... very softly la. One of the things i asked of the Lord each morning is to give me the strength to pull through the day though it may be difficult, tiring and at times stressful.

Take for instance this morning, I must say that yesterday 5th Sunday of Lent First Reading was really great. I needed to hear those words as i was struggling quite badly this morning with so much negative inner voices which I know it couldn't be from God. The voices of my past sins, mistakes etc was haunting me very badly. It affected me quite badly as I was struggling about my inadequacy and unworthiness in my service and ministry with the Lord. It haunted me so badly that i nearly break down. But the Mercy of God penetrated my heart this morning when i was inspired to read yesterday 1st reading ... (Isaiah 43:18-19)

"Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new! Not it springs forth, do you not perceive it?"

This morning, as I was flipping my bible to Isaiah 43, I was also turning on my CD not knowing what the first music was. The CD was actually burnt by Marcus Foo a few years back so there was no title on it; just numbers... little did i know that it was the song Isaiah 43 ... it literally opened my eyes once again to experience the Presence of Jesus being with me despite my struggles of the negative inner voices. I felt that Jesus was speaking to me and affirming me not to fear for He is the Lord of my life. At that point in time, I was staring very closely upon Jesus ... contemplating upon His Loving Face. Praise be to God!!!

On top of that, God spoke to me once again through the Good News Reflection for today... to tell me not to fear but to be courageous ...

So let us encourage each other to pray each morning ... to spend time with God each day of our lives.

Colin Sng