You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March, 2009.
“Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one …
Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, air-less, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
To love is to be vulnerable.”
CS Lewis
A long highway stretches out straight into the horizon. No end to the road. It just keeps going and going. Turning to the right, a beautiful sight beings peace and serenity to my soul. A river within a valley. See below, for a picture paints a thousand words (of course what i saw was far more beautiful and majestic and much more peaceful.)
However on the left of the highway, the ocean filled with battleships in the distance, smokes and red-en skies. The sight of war, of pain and of suffering (once again a picture to describe what i see but no way comparable to what i saw).
So the question, What does all this mean?
I have been thinking about community volunteering for a few days now and here are some of the questions i have been asking myself.
What is the purpose behind community volunteering?
Which organisation can volunteer my time in?
Should i partake in behind the screen or more upfront volunteering?
Being www-hype, the natural thing for me is to google. So i came to learn a few things about volunteering especially in the community.
The first thing i quickly learn is the great purpose behind community volunteering, which stands on the strong principle to serve and play a part in the community. It is all about the people, and it will always be about them. If my heart is not with people, then i should not be bother about community volunteering, i should try something else. If it is to pass time, maybe water sports will be a better option. If it is to increase my community status, maybe joining the Australian Idol might work. I asked myself these questions, how much do i want to see lives changed? Is this really what i wanted to do? Seriously, i am working on it at the moment – letting God speak into my heart, drawing out a passion for people.
Now there are quite a few organisations out there which have heaps of volunteering opportunities – like Red Cross, Mission Australia, etc . But the problem is, most of them have activities which happens during the week when i am working. Hmm …. i am pretty sure there do hold volunteering activties on saturday, but i just couldn’t find any yet. I guess i will have to keep looking for a right activity to help out in. On the side note, i am looking for a long term commitment to the right activity.
About the final questions, i came to a realisation that there are 2 kinds of volunteers.
1. Upfront volunteering
2. Behind the screen volunteering
Upfront volunteering enjoys meeting with people, spending time listening and talk to them and of course help them. The best kind of volunteering activities will be at the homes or kitchens where there are heaps more interactions. On the other hand, behind the screen volunteering likes to use their hands instead of their mouths to serve the people. So building new homes, cooking, administration usually works best. That brings me to another question, what type am i? I think i am type 2 behind the screen volunteering. I will like to build houses and maybe prepare the cooking (for i am not really a good cook). I am a guy, so i guess naturally, more hands on kind of person.
So volunteering is a great thing, but asking the right questions and setting myself in the right role will greatly enhance the joy of volunteering.
It have been a long while since i penned (type in this case) down my thoughts. For a start, i didn’t stop writing because i was deeply affected by Mikey nor was i straying away from God as some tends to do stop blogging. Well some might asked if i got myself someone more important and the answer straight back is a “Not Yet”. So what have been happening in my life over the past 7 months? Well, i kind of notice that i tends to stop blogging towards the end of the year and starts once again towards the new year.
I think i will call it the “End of the Year Syndrome” … i got distracted by the Work, Busy Christmas Period + New Year Period, back to Work, Holidays and back to Work once again 
Ha … as you can see i am a workaholic or rather i am a momentum guy. Once i get into the swing of things, i don’t stop. Or rather i can’t stop. If i did stop, i find it extremely hard to get back into my game. Same with my life, same with ministries …
Since i came back from Singapore, i am very actively seeking my future, asking God the big picture question.
“What do You want me to do?”
“Where do You want me to go?”
I don’t mind doing about anything and everything, but it is time to be pinpointed to the Big Picture. I am a visionary and i will always be one, so i need a vision to run with. Short-term goals are good but i need something bigger, something huge that i can be involved in. Something which my heart will cry out in passion. Above all these, God is my YHWH Jireh which can be translated as the Lord will Provide or another lesser known meaning, the Lord will See. The whole idea of God as my YHWH Jireh is trust. The notes i am reading reveals this,
“Though our God is YHWH Jireh, He is only revealed to our lives as such when we trust Him with our lives.”
The story about Abraham sacrificing his son (Genesis 22:14) shows his trust in God. As later, it is revealed in Hebrews 11:19, Abraham believes in God ability to raise his son from the death. This really painted a picture of how we can trust God as well. The absolute believe that God is God.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul.
Recent Comments