By Josephine Lim
My grandfather passed away on Thursday, 10th February 2011 the day would have been my late grandmother’s 75th birthday. He passed away just three months short of his 86th birthday. It was shocking news whilst on my way to work that morning. I began to feel regret for not spending quality time with my grandfather as I was so caught up with other “impotent” things when I went back home twice for short visit last year. Furthermore he couldn’t hear and speak clearly, it would require lots of patience to communicate. But all in all, I should have made the effort find time to being around him. Time we spent together was too short.
Most of the time, we take things for granted thinking that our family members and friends will be around for many years to come. We do not appreciate them as much by spending quality time with them until we lose them and start to regret. If I could turn back time, I would make it my priority to visit my grandpa and let him talk and pour out his heart contents to me in his mumbling voice. Though I may not understand, though I might miss out on my errands, etc but I wouldn’t have to regret it now.
Life is more important than ambitions, achievements and materialistic gains. Life is irreplaceable and life is so precious that God’s Son paid with his own life to give us life and life more abundantly. Christian life is all about loving God because He first loved us and loving one another as the way we would have loved ourselves (Matthew 22:37-29). If we have done that, we have done it all and it is what life is all about. When we love, we go the extra mile for that precious someone or people we care so dearly no matter how big the obstacles, for life is precious.
Even though yes, I have things require my time and commitment but I have come to realise if at any point in time my family and friends need me around, I would avail myself. If you want to be appreciated, be appreciative of others. If you want to be accepted, accept others. If you want to be loved, start investing in loving and reaching out to others. Do to others what you want others to do to you (Matthew 7:12) and rest assured, all that you do for others will not be in vain, but will surely bear much fruit when you do it with all your heart.
In all our actions, let us always think of the good others. We’ve fallen short and regretted our actions because we are too self-occupied. Sometimes, it could be due to fear of failures, rejections, or being too timid and self-conscious. Sometimes we are overly protective of self for fear of “losing face” or be looked down or despised or humiliated thus we make our decisions from self-perspective thus risking not analysing the consequences of our actions it would cause others. Let us be Christ-occupied because Christ is the best example. He is full of love and wisdom. He’s not a men-pleaser but one who stood for justice and yet full of grace and mercy.
We could never be able to please men 100% but we could start by loving people genuinely and thinking of their good, (little by little) by God’s grace and wisdom. As there are too many lonely and discouraged people out there and we as children of God, let the world know we are His disciples by loving one another (John 13:35). Hint: We could actually start by spending quality time with people who cares and appreciates us the most. Learn to love and appreciate those who truly cherish our presence. Let us be faithful with the few given given to us and eventually God will give us more knowing that we would be able to handle them faithfully (Matthew 25:21).
Let us cherish people God has placed in our lives and not take them for granted. Every single person is precious and let us be worthy stewards and bearers of love, good news and grace to the precious souls around us.
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate (Proverbs 31:31). And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).
