Yesterday was Polling Day, a big day for Singapore in terms of electing the leaders of the Republic. For me, I finally had a chance to truly exercise my citzenship rights after being a Singaporean for some twenty odd years. Okay, period. That is all I want to say about Polling Day. Remember voting is secret.
Yesterday also marked the day where I would be shifting back to my house after staying in school hostel for some ten over months. As my dad had not have many passengers on Polling Day, he offered to drive me up to NTU to collect my belongings back home in the morning. In addition, he even offered to drive me out for lunch and later to church for my usual tuition project. We had a great day of fellowshipping together as father and son eating chicken rice together at Hougang Avenue 5 coffee-shop. And yes, we enjoyed our usual coffee-0 and for me, tea together too. (I do not want to order coffee as I try to cut down on my coffee intake.)
Moving out of hall was not too troublesome for me as previously I had packed all my things properly and it was just a matter of shifting the things out to my dad's cab. Overall, we took a total of about fifteen minutes which was in fact much shorter than our travelling time. Yah, I stay very far from my Boon Lay campus.
As I reflect after shifting back home, I certainly feel a sense of joy in my heart. This is because I am finally home and I will be spending even more time now with my family instead of only the weekends previously. My home is truly where I belong and I feel most relaxed when I am at home. The main point is I am with my family.
Actually, we are all living in God's student hostel here on earth. Earth is God's training school or rather pre-nursery for all of us. One day, we will truly move out of our hostel and go back home where we all belong. That is when we will be united with our spiritual family, the Church together with our Godly Father. Jesus being our big brother is now preparing rooms for all of us. When that moment comes, it will indeed be "Home Sweet Home".
Hence, let us not burdened ourselves with lots of our belongings. Just like when I shifted to my school hostel, I tried to bring only the necessary things which I needed. The reason is I know that one day I will be shifting home and I will not want to burden myself on that day where I will need to carry lots of my belongings. This reminds me of a sermon which I heard when I was in Shanghai Community Church last year. The main point of the sermon was, "Do not spend all your time decorating the hotel room." Life on earth is like staying in God's student hostel or the hotel room. One day, you will vacate from that hostel or hotel room. Therefore, let us put our minds on the things above. (Matt 6:19-21)
To end off this blog entry, I will like to put up a short story here:
There was a country long time ago where the people would change a king every year. The person who would become the king had to agree to a contract that he will be sent to an island after his one year of being a king.
One king finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island and live there. The people dressed him up in expensive clothes and put him on an elephant and took him around the cities to say goodbye to all the people. This was the moment of sadness for all the kings who ruled for one year. After saying farewell, the people took the king with a boat to the remote island and left him there.
On their way back, they discovered a ship that had sunk just recently. They saw a young man who survived by holding on to a floating piece of wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They requested him to be a king for a year. First he refused but later he agreed to be a king. People told him about all the rules and regulations and that how he will be sent to an island after one year. After three days of being a king, he asked the ministers if they could show him the island where all the other kings were sent. They agreed and took him to the island. The island was covered with thick jungles and sounds of vicious animals were heard coming out of them. The king went little bit inside to check. Soon he discovered the dead bodies of all the past kings. He understood that as soon as they were left in the island, the animals came and killed them.
The king went back to the country and collected 100 strong workers. He took them to the island and instructed them to clean the jungle, remove all the deadly animals and cut down all the excess trees. He would visit the island every month to see how the work was progressing. In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. In the second month, the whole island was cleaned out. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island. He also took with himself useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the months, the island turned into a beautiful place.
The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little from his earnings as a king. He sent all the earnings to the island for storage. When nine months passed like this, the king called the ministers and told them:
"I know that I have to go the island after one year, but I would like to go there right now." But the ministers didn't agree to this and said that he has to wait for another 3 months to complete the year. 3 months passed and now it was a full year. The people dressed up the young king and put him on an elephant to take him around the country to say goodbye to others. However, this king is unusually happy to leave the kingdom.
People asked him, "All the other kings would cry at this moment and why are you laughing?"
He replied, "Don't you know what the wise people say? They say that when you came to this world as a baby, you were crying and everyone was smiling. Live such a life that when you are dead, you will be smiling and everyone around you will be crying. I have lived that life. While all the other kings were lost into the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I have turned the deadly island into a beautiful abode for me where I can stay peacefully."
Let us take a leaf out of this wise king's book, shall we?
Yesterday also marked the day where I would be shifting back to my house after staying in school hostel for some ten over months. As my dad had not have many passengers on Polling Day, he offered to drive me up to NTU to collect my belongings back home in the morning. In addition, he even offered to drive me out for lunch and later to church for my usual tuition project. We had a great day of fellowshipping together as father and son eating chicken rice together at Hougang Avenue 5 coffee-shop. And yes, we enjoyed our usual coffee-0 and for me, tea together too. (I do not want to order coffee as I try to cut down on my coffee intake.)
Moving out of hall was not too troublesome for me as previously I had packed all my things properly and it was just a matter of shifting the things out to my dad's cab. Overall, we took a total of about fifteen minutes which was in fact much shorter than our travelling time. Yah, I stay very far from my Boon Lay campus.
As I reflect after shifting back home, I certainly feel a sense of joy in my heart. This is because I am finally home and I will be spending even more time now with my family instead of only the weekends previously. My home is truly where I belong and I feel most relaxed when I am at home. The main point is I am with my family.
Actually, we are all living in God's student hostel here on earth. Earth is God's training school or rather pre-nursery for all of us. One day, we will truly move out of our hostel and go back home where we all belong. That is when we will be united with our spiritual family, the Church together with our Godly Father. Jesus being our big brother is now preparing rooms for all of us. When that moment comes, it will indeed be "Home Sweet Home".
Hence, let us not burdened ourselves with lots of our belongings. Just like when I shifted to my school hostel, I tried to bring only the necessary things which I needed. The reason is I know that one day I will be shifting home and I will not want to burden myself on that day where I will need to carry lots of my belongings. This reminds me of a sermon which I heard when I was in Shanghai Community Church last year. The main point of the sermon was, "Do not spend all your time decorating the hotel room." Life on earth is like staying in God's student hostel or the hotel room. One day, you will vacate from that hostel or hotel room. Therefore, let us put our minds on the things above. (Matt 6:19-21)
To end off this blog entry, I will like to put up a short story here:
There was a country long time ago where the people would change a king every year. The person who would become the king had to agree to a contract that he will be sent to an island after his one year of being a king.
One king finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island and live there. The people dressed him up in expensive clothes and put him on an elephant and took him around the cities to say goodbye to all the people. This was the moment of sadness for all the kings who ruled for one year. After saying farewell, the people took the king with a boat to the remote island and left him there.
On their way back, they discovered a ship that had sunk just recently. They saw a young man who survived by holding on to a floating piece of wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They requested him to be a king for a year. First he refused but later he agreed to be a king. People told him about all the rules and regulations and that how he will be sent to an island after one year. After three days of being a king, he asked the ministers if they could show him the island where all the other kings were sent. They agreed and took him to the island. The island was covered with thick jungles and sounds of vicious animals were heard coming out of them. The king went little bit inside to check. Soon he discovered the dead bodies of all the past kings. He understood that as soon as they were left in the island, the animals came and killed them.
The king went back to the country and collected 100 strong workers. He took them to the island and instructed them to clean the jungle, remove all the deadly animals and cut down all the excess trees. He would visit the island every month to see how the work was progressing. In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. In the second month, the whole island was cleaned out. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island. He also took with himself useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the months, the island turned into a beautiful place.
The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little from his earnings as a king. He sent all the earnings to the island for storage. When nine months passed like this, the king called the ministers and told them:
"I know that I have to go the island after one year, but I would like to go there right now." But the ministers didn't agree to this and said that he has to wait for another 3 months to complete the year. 3 months passed and now it was a full year. The people dressed up the young king and put him on an elephant to take him around the country to say goodbye to others. However, this king is unusually happy to leave the kingdom.
People asked him, "All the other kings would cry at this moment and why are you laughing?"
He replied, "Don't you know what the wise people say? They say that when you came to this world as a baby, you were crying and everyone was smiling. Live such a life that when you are dead, you will be smiling and everyone around you will be crying. I have lived that life. While all the other kings were lost into the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I have turned the deadly island into a beautiful abode for me where I can stay peacefully."
Let us take a leaf out of this wise king's book, shall we?
Interesting story... =)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I find it very meaningful. :)
ReplyDelete