A God-Protected Tyre

I shifted from the Young Adults cell to the Cheng home cell for one main reason: I hated to drive out from my house alone at night time.

Now all my new cell members lived within the Cheng area. As the Heng couple's house was two streets from mine, we usually went together when the gathering was held in another residential area. This year, I volunteered to be the driver most of the time since I was the youngest of all.

Two weeks ago when I went back from the campus on a Friday, I dropped by at Heng's house to tell them that I would pick them later. Then I was surprised to learn that they and another couple had quit CLA for some reason, so they were no longer members.

After I had reached home, I contacted Aunty Doris to offer her a lift. She would also not be available. Excuses not to attend the meeting began to flow in my head: I would be alone in the car; There would be very few of us in our cell leader's house with the absence of five regular attendees; It would be dull without the guitarist's accompanying music...

God knew my heart. While I could not make up my mind to go, my cell leader sent a phone message to me to ask if I could bring Aunty Doris as well. I gave him her reply and finally made my final decision. Having been a host myself, I imagined the disappointed feeling when guests did not turn up.

The small gathering was quite nice after all. I was leaving at 11pm. I usually liked to switch on the radio or play a CD in the car. That night, however, as soon as I started the engine, I put my concentration on identifying roads to get out of the residential area which I was not familiar with. I was slowly approaching the main road when I heard a strange rhythmic sound. It was not coming from inside my car, but outside. So I immediately stopped at the roadside, got down and instinctively checked the back tyre.

A screw had been nailed into the tyre!

I immediately pulled it out and simply threw it on the ground. Without panic, I continued my driving. I had about fifteen minutes to reach home. I was not really worried but negative thoughts were still being shot into my mind: Had I stayed at home, my car would not have run across the screw; If the tyre flattened, it would be troublesome to get a mechanic to go to my house... To get rid of them, I began to thank God for blessing my safe return journey. The Holy Spirit also reminded me of the improper disposal of the screw. So I confessed my sin and prayed that my inconsiderate behavior would not bring trouble to other road users.

When I arrived at the house, the tyre was still full of air. The next morning, there was no sign of a flat tyre. I was relieved and soon forgot about the incident. I drove to church and to work as usual.

Three days later, I sent my car to the workshop as it had reached the mileage for service. I had planned that morning so that I would spend the whole day in town. When I reached the workshop, it was still close. After fifteen minutes, the workers started their working day even though their boss had not yet arrived at the office. I requested the checking of the alignment and balancing of the tyres in addition to the usual service of my car. Then I sat on a chair outside and started reading "Our Daily Bread".

After awhile, the friendly lady boss appeared. I had been to that workshop several times before and was usually asked to sit inside the air-conditioned office while waiting. That day, she did not invite me. Anyway, I was very comfortable sitting outside as it was not hot at all. She went in and out from her office two, three times. When a young worker was checking the balancing of one of my tyres with a computerised screen, she happened to walk past and told him, "The surface of this rim is very bumpy. Something must be done." Then she turned to me and said, "Miss, if you aren't in a hurry, we're going to get it repaired somewhere else. It'll take about half an hour."

I gave the approval. So she called an uncle to send the rim to a nearby tyre shop with his motorcycle. The man said to me, "Your tyre must have been hit by stones. Didn't you feel any difference when you were driving?" I answered, "I don't remember but it's possible. My car also sometimes ran on potholes. I know very little about cars. As long as I can drive it, I'm satisfied."

After he left, I continued my reading. I suddenly thought of that screw. So I approached the worker who was in charge of checking my tyres and asked him if that damaged rim belonged to the right rear tyre. The young man confirmed my guess.

When the lady boss was passing in front of me again, I told her about the Friday night incident. She said that the screw must have pierced the tyre diagonally and hit the edge of the rim.

The uncle came back with the rim. The repair cost me another RM40 but I thank God that the technical problem of my car had been solved without even my precedent knowledge of its existence.

Two days ago, I went out for lunch with KC. She mentioned an accident happened to her car, so I also talked about mine.

She was surprised. "I would have let that screw remain in the tyre. After you had pulled it out, the air would have gone out of the tyre faster."

"That was my first reaction because the sound was disturbing. I didn't think twice." For the first time, I realized that my spontaneous act would have led to a worse consequence.

She asked, "Your tyre wasn't flattened at all?"

I shook my head and started wondering how the screw could have damaged the rim without affecting the rubber.

Only God knows the answer.

God Has Released My Joy

My original plan for last Thursday evening was to hold a gathering in my house with two couples who recently had quit our Cheng cell group. Instead, they invited me to go to a healing meeting in Breakthrough church together. Personally I did not have any specific healing to be prayed for, but to find out what it was like and to have fellowship, I joined them.

When the pastor prayed for me, he simply asked God to "release my joy". I wondered why, for I was always filled with joy since I had Jesus in my heart, and I judged that my face was often a smiling one rather than a sour one.

"God wants to give me more joy which is already abundant in my heart." I concluded.

Last Friday, I came back to Batu Pahat for the weekend. I told Mum, "If you're willing to follow me to the church service, I'll stay until Sunday afternoon or even Monday morning." (I usually go back to Melaka on early Sunday morning to be in CLA before the worship starts). This time, she did not say no.

Yesterday morning, when we climbed upstairs of Berean church, a lady shook our hands to welcome us. I remembered her face but I could not recall her name. She was a teacher of my former primary school whom I had not seen for twenty years! She recognised me only after I had introduced myself. Emotionally, I held her hand for a long time. What a joy to know that we both were now children of God!

The previous time I went there with PG, God gave us a lesson on giving. This time with Mum, the guest speaker Ps Martha preached about how to be let-go parents. I could not agree more that every time God sends us to the right place to listen to a tailor-made sermon.

The preacher also said, "We all go through afflictions. But no matter how big our tears are, they Bible says that God will wipe them away." I had told almost the same thing to Mum at home earlier when she was nagging about some past bitterness which made her cry. When I turned my head to look at her, she did not have much facial expression, nor did she react when the speaker asked us to say something to our neighbour. Nonetheless, I knew she was listening to the sermon with attention.

At the end, Ps Martha invited those who needed healing, improvement of relationships and personal salvation to walk to the altar so that she would pray for them. In the beginning nobody moved. I encouraged Mum to go out. She was too shy to stand in front of people in a new environment. Even when I assured her that I would go out with her together, she still shook her head.

I did not want to force Mum, so I made the first step. When I looked back at Mum, she was smiling to me. Then I closed my eyes and thanked God for opening Mum's heart so fast to agree to come to church with me. I could feel that more and more people were leaving their chairs. When I opened my eyes again, Mum was standing on my right! I was so overjoyed at her presence beside me that I burst into tears.

Ps Martha asked Mum if she would accept Jesus as her Saviour. Mum hesitated a bit. So, the pastor said gently, "Would you just give Jesus a chance to live in your heart and let Him do the job in your life? If you're willing..."

When I heard Mum's voice saying "Our Father in Heaven, I want to be in Your family and be Your daughter. I don't know Your Son Jesus yet but I would like to know Him. I invite Jesus to live in my heart and be my Saviour. When I read the Bible, let Jesus jump to me and speak to me...", I laid my hand on her shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably like running tap water! Mum's eyes were also wet. I had begun to commit myself to Jesus last year and had been praying for my family's salvation. It was already a miracle for me to see Mum in a church for a Sunday service. It had been even more unthinkable for me to hear Mum praying in Jesus' name, though she was just repeating after the preacher.

After the prayer, Ps Martha said to Mum, "Now you're a newly born baby in God's family. May you let go your burdens more and more and feel lighter and lighter during your walk with Jesus."

Later, I learnt that my former teacher was the one who had invited Mum to join me and be prayed for, as she was wondering why I had left Mum behind. At first Mum was still reluctant, finally God softened her heart.

When we went home, Mum said to me, "I don't want to have commitment now. Don't consider me as a Christian yet and don't say that other gods are bad."

I answered, "Since you warned me last time, I don't criticize other gods, right? I just hope you to know more and more how good our God is and realize that God is our Father in Heaven. If you want to continue to worship the ancestors or observe events of other religions, I'll also not say anything against you. Whether you believe God or not, only God knows. Faith produces joy, not burden."

I will not push Mum to do anything for God before she knows Him. What I am going to do is to keep praying that her heart be open and that other Bereanese would minister to her through their contact, fellowship and testimonies. I believe that once the seed is sown on the right ground, God will continue to let the plant grow in His will and schedule.

This morning, I also prayed with Mum for the first time and left her a Chinese bible before my departure to Melaka. On the way to campus, I thought of those days I used to cry when thinking of Dad. These two years, I always smiled but had not really laughed or cried for anything. I suddenly remembered that prayer of last Thursday and began to understand it. I had missed to interprete the word "released".

God had released my joy within three days, through my tears shed at Berean church.

Melaka: Jonker Walk Night Market

When Ping was in my house, she was the first one to go to bed and the last one to get up. Even after breakfast, she still looked drowsy as if she had been hypnotised. She told me that she had been lack of sleep during her working days in Johor Bahru.

However, when we were outside, she looked dynamic again.

Her revivial came especially when I brought her to "Daiso" at Dataran Pahlawan, a newly-opened outlet which sells imported goods from Japan, where Mum and I spent almost two hours to accompany her to fill her basket with household items for her studio.

Next, we drove to the old town and walked towards the Jonker Walk,

the second place in her "must-go" list.

If they had not come to Melaka, I would have gone for the Good Friday meeting in CLA. Since Ping could hardly visit me here, as a host, I decided to be the driver as well so that I was sure that they reached their destinations without any problem.

When I first started to live in Melaka five years ago, I was very excited to visit the Jonker Walk night market.

All types of toys

and food would have seduced my heart and stomach to buy them.

I also have some nice souvenirs with friends there: Counting down at the last moments of 2006; Chasing after a funny character in ancient traditional costume and some politicians for mandarins a few days before the Chinese New Year 2007.

Now, I only go there with my guests if they do not know this famous street, or if they request the visit.

Ping's happy hours were not yet over. She had the whole evening to shop without having to worry if she would be too sleepy to drive later, for I would be the one in charge of sending them back to Batu Pahat safe and sound.

When she wandered around a shop,

I would patiently sat at a corner to look at stall owners from the back who were probably also contemplating other people when they had no customers.

When she approached a stall,

I would observe individuals at the back scene: An energetic grandfather singing karaoke despite an empty audience;

A lonely grandmother drying her bowls in which she had sold cendols earlier in the afternoon;

A bored promoter expecting customers to enter the Cheng Ho tea house.

I was also amazed at things that I would have never thought existing ten years ago:

Bra stripes which looked like neckties,

and sport shoes which you could carry like handbags.

As we had had heavy lunch, we did not feel hungry. To open our appetites, we bought Indian "wades" and other snacks

before we settled down in a restaurant to take a break and order grated ice

and noodles.

After the dinner, Ping continued to see her decorative items while Mum was more interested in gadgets for massage

and a kind of "hit sweets"

My attention was attracted by a group of line dancers,

the sitting spectators

and another group of young dancers on stage.

It was going to be ten o'clock. We had almost visited the whole night market which was still animated.

I had to focus my mind on the steering for another two hours before I could get a good rest. As long as Mum was happy,

and Ping was happy,

I had no complaint. Knowing that God would send His angels to accompany us during our journey, like He had sent His beloved Son Jesus to die for our sins on the same day about two thousand years ago, I truly rejoyced in His grace.

We were leaving Melaka to head towards Batu Pahat. To some other people, the night had just begun...

Melaka: Tour Of The Garden

One of the reasons that we bought this house in Melaka was Mum's passion for gardening. Every time she comes here, as soon as she steps down from the car, she will walk around the garden to see the plants before entering the house, even when it is dark at night. The next day, she will spend the whole morning trimming leaves, branches, shifting pots, putting fertilizer, etc. I usually let her handle everything.

Last time was no exception. With VC's help, she started the revolution in the first place.

Then she went on to carry out her mission alone. Let's continue to count how many places she covered:

two,

three,

four,

five,

six,

seven,

eight,

nine,

ten,

eleven,

twelve!

After a tour,

Where have all the flowers gone?!

Melaka: Three Meals From Two Food Courts

Two weeks ago, Mum and Ping came to Melaka by bus and stayed three days. Before their trip, Ping telephoned me, “I have very few occasions to travel to Melaka. I definitely want to go to the Dataran Pahlawan and Jonker Street this time. Make sure you don’t fill my stay with other visits until I miss these two places. “

I answered, “Do you think I’ll arrange a zoo trip for you? Of course I know you like eating and shopping. I‘ll make your programme according to your interests.”

After their arrival at the Melaka Sentral bus station, I drove them to the "New Heaven and Earth" food court at Malim

to settle our dinner.

It was always crowded with families.

The location was strategic, for it was near two supermarkets. And people liked the variety of choice there.

We were satisfied with most of the dishes we had ordered. Before we left, we bought from a stall a loaf of wholemeal bread and two packets of rice cakes for our breakfast the next day.

Lunch was from another food court. This time we went to the other side of Malim.

The customers there were mainly working people.

We seemed to be the rare species who were there not because we had no time to cook, but we simply wanted to taste their specialities.

After three nice meals, let's go for shopping!

Happiness Is Discoveries

Happiness is--

When you are watching television with your loved one,

you discover a lark

resting on your plant right in front of the window.

Happiness is--

When you are having breakfast alone in the dining room,

you realize a cat camouflaging under the neighbours' roof,

and later a second one.

Happiness is--

When you are walking around in your garden,

you discover a white flower

and two tiny red fruits hiding among the green leaves.

Happiness is--

When you are coming home from outstation,

you find back your dwarf and his company still faithfully guarding your house.