Unmemorable Memories

I have been asked many times by many people the following question: “Is it wrong to do …?”, or “is it right to do …?” I also hear many people say ,”there’s nothing wrong with …” as a defense to something they have done. It’s as if we are trying to draw a fence between right and wrong, and then we try to stay as close to that fence as we can, and if possible we try to push the boundary of that fence farther away to include more and more things and activities that we would like to do. It seems that we are trying to find the minimum requirement that will please our God, and then only trying to accomplish that minimum requirement. We are like a student that is going into an exam with the goal of only making a passing mark. Is this how our relationship with God should be, just accomplishing the bare minimum? On the contrary we are being urged in Matthew 5:48 to be perfect. Our goal shouldn’t simply be to pass the exam, but to gain a perfect score, 100% plus all the extra credit!

Right vs. Wrong? That is not the right question. The question is how close can you get to the ideal of God? Just because an activity is “not wrong” does not make it perfect. If we simply ask ourselves if something is right or wrong, we are short changing ourselves. We are not allowing ourselves to be our best, to achieve that perfection that God so desires. Instead, the question that we need to ask ourselves is whether or not our actions, thoughts or words will more accurately reflect Christ.

“… our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not… we are not going to serve your gods…” - Daniel 3:17-18.

Are we able to utter such a prayer? Do we really believe that God will deliver us? And are we able to maintain our integrity and faith even if God does not deliver us? Are there times when we let our integrity slip just for the sake of not being singled out as “weird” or “different”? Are there times when we conform to the ways of the world just to accommodate our friends and families?

Going into surgery, many people asked me how I felt. Was I afraid? Was I apprehensive? Did I have any anxiety? Did I ever think “what is something goes wrong?” or “what’s recovery going to be like? will it be difficult?”

I can truly say that God has given me peace. The apprehension, anxiety and fear never entered my mind. I never thought anything would go wrong. I never thought that recovery would be difficult. In fact, I expected myself to be up and about a few hours after the surgery. In the last few months, I’ve been noticing God leading me in various ways, slowly making changes in my life, giving me opportunities to share Him with those I come in contact with. And God continued to become more and more real in my life. I began to see that his work in my is not yet complete. He is still converting me, changing me, improving me, and using me. With that thought, how can I think that anything would go wrong on my surgery? God is not finished! He needs to finish his work in and with me. This is the thought that brought me the utmost peace.

And this peace is not without basis. For truly after the surgery, I was walking in a few hours. Pain? It was bearable. Within one day I began o resume all my normal activities (except heavy lifting — as strongly recommended by my surgeon).

Our God is truly our Greatest Physician. Not only does he care about the physical health, he also cares about our mental state.

God be praised.

I’d like to instill Seventh-day Adventist beliefs to my dear Caitlin Ema. She is at an age when she will absorb everything she can experience through her senses. It becomes critical then that whatever I teach her via verbal instruction must match her experience.

Adventists believe in certain lifestyle principles. As an Adventist I’d like to instill those principles in her now. After all the wise man said “Train up a child in the way she should go, for when she is old, she will not depart from it.” So at this very young age of two, I need to give her instruction. And not only that, my instruction must match her experience. I need to give her an example. If I tell her that sharing is good, I should model that and she needs to see me share what I have, not only with her but with others as well. If I tell her that we don’t eat certain foods, or consume certain drinks, I should model that as well. If I say that Adventists should dress modestly, then I should do that as well.

There is a problem when she sees others who claim to be Adventists yet violate the aspects of Adventism which I’ve been trying to teach her. How do I explain to her the mismatch in behavior and belief which she observes? What if that mismatch was seen in family members? I cannot say, “they are not true Adventists”… or can I? I’d like her to stay close to family members, because I love them dearly. Yet I do not want to be put in a position to explain why their lifestyle attitudes are different when they claim to believe the same things I believe in.

Some may think I’m being superficial by focusing on external things. It’s not that I’m fixated on these external things. Caitlin is young. She sees the external things. I can attempt to explain to her the depth of God’s love, and the concept of a relationship with Christ, that we need not look at the external appearances because God looks within the heart, and … Somehow I don’t think she can grasp that concept yet.

It seems the only acceptable time to play religious music on the radio is at Christmas time.