Fear Not ... For I am with you always ..

Dear Friends,

Well, it was so ironic that i was reading this daily Good News article ... time and time again, God speaks to me very much through this article. I first experienced this when i had some difficulty with someone in the Parish about two years back and the Lord keep encouraging me to persevere with many persecutions that i had to encounter in my life. Back then, i was even wondering whether that was a persecution... but in any case, that's not the point.

Today, i would like to share something about the article that i read and i guess one of my inner and deeper struggle in my life is fear. I seemed to be fearful in a lot of things as i lack the confidence in myself. But again, as each time I encounter any fears, I always remind myself of my favourite passage which is supposed to be one of the tablets that we have been asked in the community to take each day. This can be found in Romans 8:14 - 16:

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are Children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children ...."

Well, certainly taking such 'tablets' has been helpful for me and as i keep reminding myself that i am the beloved of the Heavenly and Perfect Father.

Perhaps, I should share why I am sharing this ... the story behind all this...Yesterday, I received a message from Roderick Thereseira, the new Overall Coordinator of the Catechtical Ministry. He was tight down with work so he could not make it for the PPC Ex-Co Meeting so he asked me to replaced him. I was struggling to say yes for two reasons. Firstly, I have not been going home early for the past few days as I was having meetings after meetings since Monday and especially now that my mother has started a new job which allow her to come back early... as early as 6 p.m. She always has been coming back late at about eleven .. (oh ya thank God that she found a job!!! And once again, God answered my prayers ... in fact, I had a tiff with her not too long ago suggesting to her to get a office hour job rather than doing sales but she was pretty upset with me for telling her what to do!!!) - so Praise be to God .. opps .. i am digressing again .. anyway, the second reason was because of how people would look at me or perceive me, because of my tactlessness ... often than not, I always have this impression that only tactful peope are called to be in the PPC Exco Meeting. What's more .. i have made so many mistakes to the Community and even at the Parish Level over the last 3 - 4 years as such, i always have this thinking that i should not be at any of such meeting.

But FEAR NOT ... today, as i was reading this article God speaks to me again ... the first statement in this article was "Who sent you to this meeting in Church ... It is the Father who sent you ... so don't think you are not credible" And I believed he has sent me for a purpose which I don't know what ... But I guess my credibility as nothing to do with my past mistakes or my tactlessness ... God the Father has sent me for a purpose which i have yet to discover.

The other aspect which I would like to share .. something very personal especially now that I am not getting any younger is about going overseas. Going overseas has always been a struggle for me ... Each time I desire wanting to go overseas, even for a very short trip, I would have to think twice to even speak to my mother about it. Being an only child and moreover, the fact that I am not so healthy person, I struggled with this quite badly. I am always wondering whether should i go or not ... and am I following the Father's Will... Take for instance, going to Bangkok for the Jesus Youth Conference was quite a struggle for me. I had this fear of bringing this topic up to my mother as I knew that she would probably does not support it with all her traditional and silly reasons ... I am just hopping that she could understand where i am coming from ... So as I was about to bring this up to my mother I told myself that i have to overcome this fear and to really discuss it with her .. despite knowing that she would probably give her silly reasons.

So brothers and sisters in Christ, let us know get so caught up with our fears in our lives but to come out of our comfort zone ... to step up in faith and trust that God is taking care of us.

Colin Sng