SOT graduation today.
For those who do not know, SOT stands for School of Theology.
But before that, cell group and service, and fellowship.
And I felt so blessed.
Truly, church is the place where miracles happen. One moment I felt like I wanted to just lie there and don't get up, before I knew it, the next thing I was doing was cheering for the SOT graduates and singing praise.
It's a resurrection. Not of the physical nature, but a spiritual one...And one thing that struck me again and again, like the hammer knocking against the bell to create that incessant ringing sound in a fire alarm, was this sentence:
"Be faithful in the small things. Be grateful for the small things."
How true that was.
It wasn't that cell group wasn't good. The feeling of heaviness was just too...heavy. Things weighing on my mind, literally. There was this time where I thought I simply wasn't feeling it enough.
Until the arrival at church. Until the small bits and pieces of conversations I keep having with friends on the way. The bits and pieces of conversation I had with friends in church, and the joyous atmosphere due to the impending graduation of students from Bible school.
All these were small things. Seemingly unnoticeable most of the time, but its all these small little things that built up. It's not a big event in church or a big celebration that returned me from the dead, but rather all these small things.
And I wonder: Perhaps I've neglected these small things. Neglected noticing them. Neglected appreciating them. Neglected practising them. And in the process, somehow I felt like I've lost it all, after a few bigger things appeared to consolidate all of these into one or two big, fat issues.
Perhaps we all have.
Small things like talking to friends, having a simple meal with them, giving a word of encouragement, giving just that few minutes of time to reply to them and to meet that need of wanting to be listened to...It goes a long way.
Which is why I'm really, really thankful to all the friends who have spoken to me, encouraged me, cheered me up. Offered to help.
You guys and gals all rock.
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Watching the SOT graduates up there inspired me greatly.
It's been a desire, one that I kept on the back burner for some time, to be up there as well. To be throwing not one, but hopefully two mortar boards in 2011.
Especially the winner of the most courageous graduate, who had to go through many different trials and difficulties, yet managed to persevere and graduate smoothly.
Guess what? He's an old gentleman who looked to be about 70+ years of age!
It amazes me, and I couldn't help but ask: When such a man, so advanced in age managed to pass through trials (probably tonnes bigger than a teenager's or a young adult's), what are we doing with our problems? What are we doing with our time and energy that we can spend in bettering ourselves by enrolling into SOT?
Yes, he's more experienced in life and yes, he has more time to attend SOT. Those are the common arguments used, things that will eventually sound like excuses. Those which are NOT excuses, of course, are work commitments that take up much of your time. For example, a new employee of any company or institution, especially teachers, can't just take six months of leave or have an excuse to attend Bible school like that. Maybe family commitments, and maybe your own level of faith that time spent there will ultimately be a great thing for you and a manner in which to glorify the King.
By the way, 'see how bah' isn't a valid excuse either. I tried that myself on different things, and end up defaulting on them all the time (A.KA procrastinate). Three simple words, but almost equally powerful as those three words that could make your life a *bit* more rosy at a certain stage of your young adult life.
And that's how I thought of it. Maybe it's time to make good that promise to the King. Time to pray and fast again. Just to confirm, y'know?
Who knows...Maybe instead of being the mediocre, nondescript student, I might actually be grateful to the King for every small little thing I did for others, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to Man.
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