The ragged pieces of ideas and thoughts of my attempt to live a life as a contemporary monastic in the urban city of Singapore..

 

Ability to be grateful



This is a photo of me done up with Photoshop Elements which is going to replace that pair of raggy shoes in my profile. Some people asked me why I could do these type of things ....I just told them 'I just took time to learn'.

A few weeks back someone mentioned something that bothered me. The person responded about something that I should do .."because you are multi-talented". I didn't take it as a complement. I felt uneasy. I never think that anybody is talented just like that. Show me talented people, and I'll show you hours, months and years of effort put into learning that thing that they are talented in. As Christians, I believe that the Lord bestow on us what we are faithful in using for his glory.

I remember the first time that I spoke in public when I presented my honors thesis before a group of professors and lecturers, I bombed out so badly I was a laughing stock in the batch. I remember people's comment of my purple sky and green skin of people when I first started to paint, I remember the first time I posted my songs on the internet, someone said that's the vice of the internet that songs like mine can be distributed to people all around the world. I remember the first website I developed for a customer in Ministry of Education, they say it looked like a cheap porno site. Nothing in my past suggest that I'm multi-talented just like that. I would like to think that everything that I could do today is a result of hardwork, faithfulness and the mercy of a great God. I doubt myself quite a lot but I never doubt God and what he can do. My goal is not to be good in anything but to trust God in my diligence and faithfulness.

I used to be proud of what I could do but I've long realised that its a one of the many man's futile pursuits. Nothing about what I can do drives me today. In the 2 weeks of being without a helper, it is easy to think that Mag and I are okay because we are such amazing people but it would be wrong when the grace of God is powerfully at work to sustain us.

In this world, how evil it is to give glory to self for power bestowed onto us because we are His children. We are robbed of greater glory when we allow ourselves seek glory for work not done by ourselves. If we seek self glory the sad thing is, that will be all we are going to get, 'Self glorification'. It is wise to wish for something more.. and that would be God's glory and the ability to be grateful

Comments:
Yup..Amen.. Indeed, taking time and effort to learn a skill, has created that "talent" in you. And it's in terms of long faithful hours put in. Keep going and never give up! The Lord is always watching over you!
 
You should include that song of yours...about the 'birds fly in the clouds'?
 
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