The Glove

"You're so quiet, Son. What's on your mind?" asked Ben's father as he stopped at Ben's room to tell him good night.

Ben put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling above his bed. "Oh, I've just been wondering if I should be a missionary."

"You don't seem very excited about the idea," said Dad.

"It seems like such a hard job," said Ben, propping himself up on one elbow. "I have this feeling that I might not be any good at it. What if God calls me to do something I can't do!"

Ben's father thought for a moment, then reached over to Ben's desk and picked up his baseball glove. "What's this?" he asked.

Ben laughed. "Don't be silly, Dad! It's my ball glove."

Dad walked over to the corner of the room. He propped the glove against the wall, found a baseball, and threw it at the glove. Though the ball hit the center of the glove, it rolled to the floor. Dad picked up the glove and looked at it in disgust. "This glove is a total failure," he said, shaking his head.

Ben laughed and laughed. "Oh, Dad, you know it can't catch by itself! It has to have a hand inside."

Dan smiled at Ben. "You're just like this glove," he said. "God has a purpose for your life, Ben, just as there is a purpose for this glove. You put your hand inside the glove to give it guidance and strength - you give it power to catch the ball. In the same way, God will give you power to do whatever He calls you to do. Don't worry, Son, God will never prop you in a corner and leave you alone. It's His mighty hand that does the work when you are willing to be used."

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)

--> Thank you for the assurance

Next

I really wonder how much does God want to stretch me.

U might have the heart for God but when people are more concern about fellowship and bonding, you are kind of in a fix. I pray simply that through our conversations, we will speak into one another life.

As for the learning and growing part, its up to individuals le. I dont think we are at a stage where we can learn together about god yet...

Yet another stage to grow and yet, another stage to say good bye to by the year end.

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- Still, @ the end of the day, to run that race faithfully, it's worth the pain to go through to grow in the Lord

Rest and Fun

I got to admit it. Its been a very fun and happy period of my life. Havent had this experience since last yr before i went NIE.

This time rd, it's the friends from NIE and school that are becoming the core of my life. Things will end soon, but i do hope we can still keep in touch.

Recently, God given me a renewed strength to be calmed and not be overwhelmed and affected by ppl. Of course, that doesnt mean i am totally back to normal. Shutting some ppl out of my life is indeed doing me some wonders. (Thank you Lord for the clearing ups of misunderstanding so I can learn to forgive and seek forgiven as well)

Hold onto those who are really close, who really care and who i really love. The rest is in God hands, I cant force my heart to accept ppl whom i simply cant stand.

Peace

Somehow, God has given me the peace and strength to carry on loving despite all the pains and hurts i have accumulated the past 2 mths till i want to give up alrdy.

Only You Lord, Only You.

Recharging

Its great to be among friends once again after the 10 weeks of attachment. Appreciating the 3 wks break we r having now b4 the final program starts. It's always been a fun time together, something which i will miss it once we go our separate ways.

Still, this was a grp of friends God has bless me with in this journey i have. Till jun when we part, i want to treasure them and be thankful for everything the Lord does in my life.

Ending

1 last day. The day has arrived. Bittersweet the feelings. I've grown close to both teachers and children. Through it all, the Lord is mighty!

Life

It's really short esp when u know time flies by so fast. I only have 24 hrs a day so I need to be wise on whom and what i spend it on. As I see and know more, there are a lot of redundant things that I shouldn't get myself involve in. The cutting off continues.

Winding Down

8 days more and the journey will come to an end. It's been a challenging but pleasure time. God has really seen me through the tough times and surrounded me with his love. He has provided me with an environment where I can not only learn from but also connect with people who are not just the Hi and Byes daily.

Students wise, I'm thankful for everyone of them, no matter how naughty some might be, being able to relate to them beyond not just lessons but into daily life. The learning continues, what the training institute can't teach you is to feel the heart beat of people. That can only come through God and how he teaches me to feel for those around me.

Exams are coming up, pray that they will do well, not so much reflecting how well they have been taught by me but more for their personal growth. It's wonderful to see improvements both academically and in their behavior, though much is still needed for some of them.

I'm drained out from this phrase but knowing that touching lives goes beyond personal recognition, it's a blessing to give.

Wish i could say as much about something else in terms of giving but hopefully God will help me recapture that.

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