Amazing Creation

Just to share with readers my speech "Amazing Creation" (9th project) which will be delivered at Walton's Toastmasters' Club, this coming Tuesday on the 10th of October.

When Kenny G sang the song, "What a wonderful world", it summarizes the topic I am sharing with you today, "Amazing Creation!" Good day Mr. President, fellow toastmasters and guests.

Can I see a show of hands how many of you love nature? How many of you love animals? How many of you love Animal Planet, National Geographic and Discovery Channels? How many of you believe that the world that has been so beautifully created is indeed a wonderful world.?

Among all the animals I love dogs the most. I am not a theologian, but I would like to think that perhaps God loves dogs the most, because d - o - g is G - O -D spelt backwards. Interestingly too, dogs have characteristics that are quite similar to their creator! Regardless of how their owners look, they think their owners are the best in the world, and they are even willing to die for their owners. Dogs love unconditionally. Dogs are the most faithful of animals.

Once I was seated to a vet at a gala dinner in Kuala Lumpur. I asked him what animals he liked the most and he replied, "Dogs.... they are so forgiving. Assuming you lock up your pet for 3 days and deprive it of food and water, when you open the door, your dog will wag its tail happily to greet you. It would not think, like some human beings might, "How dare you lock me up! I am going to bite you." After I heard that I was determined to be always better than my pets, for I am a human being, the highest form of creation. If my dogs are faithful, I want to be even more faithful than them. If they are forgiving, I want to be even more forgiving than them.

Now I am going to show you some pictures of my 3 pet dogs..... Kamlette, Kambobo and Kam Xiaobai. Kamlette was the first pet I ever had. One day my ACS boys brought back 6 puppies they had rescued from the vicinity of a mangrove swamp. They persuaded me to adopt one puppy. At that time, I could not even tell a female dog from a male dog and called the puppy "King" thinking it was a male dog. My colleague later confirmed it was a female so I changed her name to "Queen". One day, my ACS boys told me they had 2 names for me to choose between Kamster and Kamlet. Kamster sounded like Gangster and I decided to choose Kamlet which sounded more like Hamlet.
And since she was a female I spelt it as "Kamlette" as in Charlotte. Today, I am, ahem, quite an expert on dogs.... show me any dog and I can tell you the breed.

I bought Kambobo from a client to help them out financially. However, the Housing Development Board found out I had two big dogs and hence I had to move or give away one dog. I could not bear to give away either dog so I sold my flat and rented a terrace house at Watten Estate. Kam Xiao Bai was given by a neighbour who hardly knew me but she saw how I took such good care of my dogs. Perhaps god knew that since I love panda bears, He gave me a dog that loooked like a panda bear! (Show pictures of panda bears on the screen.)

Next I am going to show you a picture of a fascinating creature called the seacumber. As it does not move fast, the Creator has to specially equip it for survival. When the sea cucumber is attacked, it would spin a certain kind of silk like substance but if the enemy were to pursue the creature it would do something to protect itself. What do you think the seacumber would do.? If anyone can give me the right answer, I will give him a little prize......

The seacucumber would eject all its internal organs which it hoped to provide as a morsel of food for the enemy. Meanwhile it can live for 9 days without its internal organs!! On around the 10th day, a new set of organs will grow again!

Wow! What amazing creation! How wonderful if it could happen to us human beings. If we have a bad kidney.....eject it out... prut, it will come out and we can grow a new kidney again. All the surgeons will go out of business.! Ha! Ha!

However God reminded me that I am the highest and most precious of his Creation. You and I are uniquely made. There can only be one Vanessas Yong and one Walter Lee. Your thumb prints are yours and yours alone.

Whenever Jesus was sharing his parables, He often used nature to illustrate his points. He asked us to consider the ravens which do not sow or reap. They have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. He also asked us to consider the lilies. they do not labour or spin, yet not even King Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field which are here today and gone tomorrow, how much more will He take care of you and me. Very often little sparrows would fly into in my apartment. I noticed that none of these sparrows looked undernourished. In fact they all looked nicely rounded!

Almost every evening, I make it a point to watch one program on Animal Planet. It is humbling to see the magnificence of creation and somehow watching the program gives me joy and renewed strength. If I had felt anger or unforgiveness towards anybody, all the negative vibes would leave me, as I realise how small and imperfect that I am.... yet the Creator considers me as His highest form of creation!

Hence ladies and gentlemen. Please enjoy all that you are and have been given. When we sing, "What a wonderful world!" let joy and courage fill our hearts and begin each day with renewed hope and strength.

Gan Chau