3 Score Minus 8!

I am 52 years old today! Gosh! It means I have lived on earth for 18,993 days or 455,832 hours since I was born! It looks like a frigthteningly long time, yet why do most of us say, "Time flies!" In a wink, you realise your hairs have turned grey and so many things have died and degenerated.... your beloved parents and friends, your pets, your plants, your vehicle, your household gadgets, etc. Probably this is the reason why we are told to rejoice and be glad for this is the day that the Lord has made! God has given us so many things to make our lives interesting, so that we seldom realise the passing of time.

The line between life and death is so thin! When I attended the Bodyworks Exhibition at the Expo two years ago, I marvelled at the handiworks of our Creator! The body looks like the most complicated piece of machinery.... even more complicated than the world's most advanced computer! Just a slight disorder, and there will be a malfunctioning.!

I can't help but recall an interesting incident when I was teaching at ACS. My Secondary 2 students were writing their essays and I was marking their creative writing. I was amused when one of the boys wrote an article on "My English Teacher", He continued, "Although my English teacher is old, she looks younger and is actually quite charming".

"Kong Long, how old do you think I am?" I asked the student.

"50!" came the reply.

Before I could speak, another boy shot across, "You're stupid lah.
How can Madam be so old. She's 28!"

I told the boys they were both wrong.... I was 38.

"Madam, I thought ladies usually don't like to reveal their age!" another boy, Kelvin
volunteered. "Yesterday, I asked grandma about her age and she scolded me."

I told the students I am not afraid of revealing my age, as I take pleasure in growing old. Morever, as a Christian, death has no sting for me.... if we Christians believe that heaven is such a wonderful place, why be afraid to go? Hence, growing older implies I can see Jesus faster!

Kong Long explained his reason for guessing my age. "Madam, my mum is 45 years old, but she does not have so many experiences as you do; therefore I deduce that you must be older than my mom".

"Good try, Kong Long. A person can lead a long, quiet and uninvolved life... hence his experiences will be limited by his lifestyle. Exposure is not dependant on age." I had just taught the class how to make sentences with the words "Induction and deduction"!

Two weeks later, Kong Long looked troubled and said, "M'aam. I have put you in a situation now. Yesterday, my mom was setting the dinner table and heaved a big sigh, "Lao liaoh ah!" (Getting old already!) To comfort her, I said, "Mom, don't worry. You can see Jesus faster!" When she found out that I had quoted you, she was angry and wanted to phone the school principal to complain. I smiled and told Kong Long not to worry and I would speak to his mother myself. I called Kong Long's mom and explained to her the meaning of the ressurection, for we Christians believe in the ressurected power of our Saviour. Hence for us death has no sting.

Let us count our blessings and name them one by one. Let us look at the positive side of life and find joy in simple things. If we had been too busy rushing here and there, let us pause and take time to smell the flowers and enjoy the handiworks of our Creator.

As we have many trees near our apartment building, there are many ravens and sparrows flying around. Some of them would come into my apartment in search of food. I notice that all the birds look nicely rounded. I have yet to see an underweight or anorexic bird.! In Luke 12:24 it is written: "Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"

Indeed, by God's mercy, I have been breathing 27,349,920 minutes on earth! He has protected me from so many dangerous moments. Without His grace, I would not be writing this blog today!

Gan Chau