Breaking into the new year with the lessons learned from the previous year.

It's the first day of 2013 and I feel that it's important for me to list down everything that I have learned from 2012, not only that 2012 is not the end of the world. Here it is!

1. The joy of giving.
   I'm not talking about Christmas. The true season of giving is not during those holiday season but it's in our everyday life! In our every action and words, our encouragement and support to people around us, even strangers are so important that sometimes, our deeds will brighten up their day without us knowing! I've been visiting the old folks' home in Cheras for the past 3months. I've always looked forward to visit them and talk to them because I find pure happiness when I communicate with them and offer my help to them by teaching them simple exercise and feeding them. The old folks are genuine in their words. Their advice and experience about life is so invaluable. I guess it's true that people say, the more you give, the more you'll receive. I've receive joy when i serve them and i hope that they receive the same joy as I did too.
2. Friends come and go throughout your whole life. They don't stay forever.
   I'll have to admit my naivety when I thought that my best friends will remain as my best friends forever till I die. God has made me see that some things aren't meant to be like that and He wants me to completely rely on Him as my true best friend. It was a bitter experience for me to understand this lesson and I've even seek professional counselling about it as I was really hurt. I was depressed for about a week because of other contributing events too but well, I'm still a mere human being. Thank God for opening my eyes to see that we cannot rely on men and He's the only One we can trust as He'll never leave us nor forsake us.
   "Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of the Lord" 
3. Help is on its way even when you can't see it.
   During the same week of realising lesson no.2, God provided me with other friends whom I'm not really close with compared to my best friends. He gave me them when I was at my lowest point and I really thank Him for them. I cried out to Him when i 'lost' my best friends and He gave me other friends to comfort me. What an amazing Father indeed! If I had focused too much on the absence of my best friends during my difficult times, I would not realised the helping hand that He had provided! My eyes were opened after the counselling and I was comforted when God gave me another way in comforting me.
4. Basic necessities are more important than major developments and technologies.
   After my 2nd missions trip to Kuching in Aug 2012, my mind suddenly woke up from its slumber and my eyes were opened after witnessing the difficulty of the villagers in a rural area without having sufficient access to water. The village had experienced drought for 3 months and all they had was one miserable tap in the middle of the whole village. I became more aware of the importance of basic necessities such as water, food and electricity. What is the use of having magnificent skyscrapers but without electricity to light up the building? What is the point of having a waterpark without any access to water? What is the advantage of having various fancy diners without the supply of food? Hopefuly, this would be my passion that I would pursue in my career and that would be what God's will for me to do after my studies.
5. Last but not least, troubles are here to shape you up!
   Problems after problems kept coming along my way at a few occasions in 2012. I fret and I wrestled and I fret again. But all of my grumbling would not chase them away! I did asked God why and thank God, i got the answers! Or else, I would really pull my hair apart.. For years, I've always prayed that He will mould my love to be like His and to mould me into the clay He wants me to be. So, there it is! I got my prayer request granted by facing these problems! When I go through my troubled times, I've learned alot from them, I can't deny that I've also fell at some point of time but He picked me up over and over again. As i go through them, my self-control, patience and faith were definitely tested! I realised that when i failed the test, new troubles would appear again to test me. By God's grace, I've managed to overcome them with His goodness in me.

We can never be wise enough if we compare ourselves to God's wisdom. He is beyond measure and all his values are too! I have grown wiser mentally, emotionally and spiritually throughout 2012 and I hope that I would be able to give glory to Him who deserves my praise. Even if we stumble, He will pick us up as He is Lord of all! Be blessed in the year 2013!!