People in Penang are People-People

In Penang last week with the best friend, I saw so much of Jesus on the streets we walked.

I walked past a man giving a beggar money - his body language spoke of value and genuine compassion. He patted the beggar on the shoulder as he walked off, with a big brotherly smile.

That simple gesture and smile floored me.

Because it was so genuine, and simple.

It spoke of love and brotherly kindness, to a beggar.

We encountered warm Penangites of all ages, who gave us directions, spare change to take the bus, and appreciative smiles. When a beggar walked down the line at the bus interchange, many people responded to him by giving, not begrudging.

I felt warmed at how these Penangites knew how to live.

On a hot afternoon, we passed by a roadside drink stall (above). 

Uncle told us to sit down, enjoy the drink, and pay when we were done. 

So we sat there and chatted with him. We had his au naturel soyabean drink, which he proudly proclaimed to be free of chemicals. He told us stories, of Singapore and Malaysia, his life and family.

Somehow, I am drawn to the relational nature of this society.

I almost didn't wanna come back to Singapore.

Goodbye Chos, you will be missed....

Spotted at Food For Thought 8Q:

Finally ALMOST through with my series on hearing God's voice at SJSM. I'm beginning to miss my Saturday nights.....

Haven't blogged for a long time, maybe I shall summarize the highlight of my week: I find it so true that when we cease to try to 'fix' people, their characters, or their problems, and just try to love and accept them, our purpose in this world changes completely.

Even if the ones we reach out to never want to accept Jesus, or use and abuse us, what matters is that you were someone there for them no matter what, without conditions or needing to see results.

Failure Is Necessary

Extract from "Thoughts on Calling" by Tim Morey:

"If we are to live into our calling, failure is necessary.

In God's hand, failure, like a woodworker's lathe, becomes a tool by which he shapes our lives and makes us fit for his purposes. God uses our failures to purify our motives, to equip us with tools we didn't know we needed, to adjust our direction when necessary, and to deepen our convictions on who we are and what we are called to do.

Might things have occurred differently for Moses and his people had he not killed the Egyptian? Very likely yes. But still God was at work. For decades Moses lived and worked in the very wilderness in which he would lead his people in decades to come. Moses didn't know that rescuing his people would require him to have an intimate knowledge of the desert, but God did. Even Moses' failure contributed to the shaping of his call."