Today can be Israel

For a long time, we have been appreciating our leaders and our mentors.
Especially during Fathers' Day, I got loads of sms-es and short messages saying "Happy Father's Day, Dad!"

...

But for a long time, I thought it was typically strange.
We can only determine fathers when we have intervening children.
We can only appreciate fathers when we have appreciated children.
We can only elevate fathers when we have raised children.

I remembered my first Bible Study group.
Alan Wong, Rina and Zixiang.

I remembered my first discipleship group.
Daphne, Yvonne and Sarah.

I remembered my first connect group.
Joseph, Adrian and Clarice.

I remembered my first helper group.
Gershon, Shengda, Ying Ying, Christopher and Huimin.

I remembered my first team.
Sebastian, Beiwen, Eujean, Peng Cheng, Kevin, Melissa and Liyun.

I remembered my second team.
Aaron, Janis and Barnabas.

I remembered my third team.
Cheryl and Weeyang.

I remembered my contingent team.
Benedict and Cedric.

And I will keep remembering..

I remembered every single one of them.
Pst YL kept reminding me about creating a list that I pray over them wherever I go.
I remembered praying in sequence: Maturity, Relationship and Faith.

My favorite words from them were always
'Nothing is impossible for us.'
'Who says we can't'.
If we remain faithful, He is ALWAYS faithful.

I love my people.
They cannot be the best. Because they can only be the Chosen.
It cannot be a quest for talent.
It can only be a fire test of potential.

I wish I could include everyone on my team.
But I choose free will.
Sometimes we just got to let go, like a rubber band of momentum, they go higher.
Stretching is not everything.
Turning them into fire-proof rubbers of resilience is the key.

And I am so proud of them.
Many may not like them but they still chose to give their lives.

I have seen them cry as they read their bibles.
I have seen them struggle as they read out prayers.
I have seen them sleep in fear as they prepare for wars.
But they keep coming back.
Going through the baptism by Fire.

_______________________________

I remembered answering a phone call in the middle of the night.
Just because she wanted to give up.
Arguments and lies have gotten the better toll.
It was about 12am and I was still working in the university.
I prayed. I worried that she would bucker.

But the sweet voice answered:
"Yes I will be ok. I will not give up."

That night we slept.
Under the baptism by cloud.
Shelter for the weary but faithful heart.

_______________________________

There were so many opportunities that we went through together.
Heartbreaks, breakdowns, betrayals and lies.

But we were always like kids on a sunday school bus.
We put on oversized armors of faith.
Armed with notebooks of scribbles.
We didn't know what was going to happen.
But we still hop on that bandwagon.
Because we just want to see the Supernatural.

Because we knew.

Putting our best foot forward isn't everything.
Putting up another foot along is then Progression and Adventure.

This is my opportunity.
To say Thank You to all those who made us fathers.

You believed.
And you gave.

And because of you.
Our little adventure together.
Today can be Israel.