Tonight is Chinese New Year Eve. Most chinese families will be having their traditional family reunion dinners. I was at my in-laws having the reunion dinner and was deciding if I should go to a memorial wake of a friend's mother who had just passed on.
Finally, I made up my mind to go. I remembered years ago when my grandmother passed away just before the chinese new year, very few came and it was a very quiet lunar new year for us as we were mourning. So the Spirit of God prompted me to be there for the family.
There were indeed very few at the wake. I also discovered that my friend's father had not only lost his beloved wife, he had lost his brother several days ago suddenly due to a heart attack. As I sat there worshipping the Lord through one of the most famous songs that most of us know (What a friend we have in Jesus), my heart felt so ministered that Jesus knows the pain and understands best the situations in our lives, including this.
As I sat there, I gave thanks for bringing me through another Christmas, another new year, another chinese new year, and another day. Life is indeed unpreditable. We can never be sure when it will be taken away. Just read the newspapers and you will certainly understand what I mean.
It's been almost 4 and half years since Sept 2004. The first time I attended a wake of a fellow cancer friend left me fearful of when my turn would be. My eyes have seen so many I've known in the course of my illness depart one by one. By the grace of God, I'm still fighting this battle with more healing, but more importantly, with more understanding of His Sovereign hand in my life. Like i've always said, "I live today as if I'm going tommorrow." Therefore, I try to live with more passion in living for Jesus today for we know not what will happen tommorrow.
I pray that going around this chinese new year during the visitations will make me feel the burden and compassion for those who still need to experience the love of our Saviour who holds the keys to life and death.
Have a blessed lunar new year!
david
