a time to mourn...

the world is grieving. 2 days ago, the worst earthquake in 40 years hit the ocean off Sumatra, and devastated miles of land across the world and shattered the dreams of so many families and friends.

the newspapers are littered with stories of how the different nations are beginnning to cope. but my heart goes out to the people of aceh, who are stuck in the midst of poverty and despair, thanks to political turmoil that has been ripping the country apart.

the pictures are just so sad. of fathers crying over their sons - who will never know the joys of playing marbles in the street anymore. of mothers with their deep grief and sorrow etched so vividly on their faces. of children of will never again know a father and mother's love. and nations united in their shock that such a quake could have happened so out of the blue and unnannounced, and cruelly stopped the lives of over 27,000 people around the planet.

God, why?

i don't know why God has allowed this to happen. especially at a time when the world is celebrating the birth of his precious Son. but i do have a hunch.

maybe- just maybe - God wanted us to stop all our Christmas festivity and partying and really understand the meaning of Christmas.

after all, Christmas can't have been a very joyous time for our heavenly Father, when He had to let go of his only begotten son and send him to live in the muck and mire of a fallen human race, knowing that He was sending him to his eventual death - death on a cross.

maybe He wanted us to understand just a little bit of what He went through in sending His Son to the earth as a helpless babe 2000 years ago.

maybe, too, He wanted us to really treasure those around us and cherish each and every person in our lives, instead of taking them for granted.

so, as the world picks up the pieces of broken homes, and struggles to understand the reasons why???, let's not just stand by and watch.

let's not, as one journalist put it, say that Nature is master over man, but cling on to the belief that God is truly LORD of all.

let's pray for those who are hurting. those whose hearts now have a gaping hole that no amount of money can ever repair. those whose eyes are swollen after crying for hours and hours into the night. and for those who are unable to or have yet to understand and realise the full impact of the quake on their lives.

let's love those around us. our family, our friends, even the acquaintances we make every day - from the friendly econ-minimart uncle to the surly taxi driver. let's remember that every person's soul is so valuable to God that He sent His only Son as a ransom for them.

let's enjoy life. each and every day is truly a gift from God. the sunrise, the rain, the gentle breeze, the sea - everything is a blessing from above - to make our world that much more beautiful.

and let's not forget that, in the end, our lives really are still in His hands. no matter what happens in the world, we can be secure in this knowledge that He is in control. it's not just a feeling, most definitely, but a fact. let's continue to trust that - hey! He knows what He's doing.

and He cares. as the world grieves, He weeps along with them. as the parents mourn, He kneels alongside them. and as little children call out for their earthly fathers and mothers, He longs to embrace them in His arms and tell them that He will never leave nor forsake them.

let's thank Him that, amidst the sadness and fear, there is Hope. hope that a many eyes have been opened to the transience of life, and to the need for meaning in their lives. hope that many of those who have aching wounds in their hearts will allow themselves to be healed by the hand of God and filled by His love.


We do not do what to do, but our eyes are upon you. - 2 Chronicles 20:12

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. - Psalms 46:1

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalms 46:10

... everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that man will revere him. - Ecclesiastes 3:14