After the interesting journey of checking whether I am sick, we went to the boring East Coast Mall, that biggest shopping complex in East Coast. It was big and a lot shops opened, but not many people come. Either finished their pay and po-kai ady or petrol fuel that is too precious for an extra 78 cents per litre after a kiasuism night of jamming petrol kiosks.
Boredom started to dawn when mum said she wanted to visit Auntie Kok who underwent an operation. Well, it's not that I don't care about sick people. The medical check up just made me laughed at all the medical stuff. And we are going to visit someone who is sick and probably can't talk and I have to put up a pitiful face. It's gonna be boring, perhaps less boring than East Coast Mall, but it's still boring.
We arrived at the gate and suddenly laughters burst from within the hall. It was Uncle Bok visiting and they were happy thanking God for getting six good and delicious haruan fish from the wild to make porridge. Expected was a sulking and gloomy lady, but it seems really not like a person who just underwent operation removing her intestines.
God, I really beg for forgiveness in thinking bad of my beloved Sunday School teacher who encouraged me so much. And today she encouraged me again.
When we entered the hall, there was the lively greeting and thanking for coming. She sat on a long chair and her waist seems immovable and her face was bright. We asked how's she feeling and she told her testimony of being touched by God, again...
She spoke how God really gave her peace and she was able to say, "Doctors, do your best. It doesn't matter if the operation is successful or not, because God is there for me!". The power of prayer from the church was dramatically displayed as everything went on smoothly and the doctors were really encouraged when Auntie Kok woke up and said, "God's hand were holding yours as you operated. Thank you so much!" Later the day, many friends visited them and gasped as they see Auntie Kok was so lively and many of them are cancer survivors. Some said "Last time when the day I came out of the operation theatre, I could barely speak and looked dull whole day. You are amazing, so lively even only few hours passed!"
I really haven't seen much people receiving suffering and pain with joy. They grew anxious, guilty and ashamed of getting such and such a disease, as with it's divine punishment or self error. However, Miss Kok was so different. When she knew she had to operate her intestines, she had the peace. It's not positive thinking. It is that assurance to know that no matter what happens, someone is there for you, always ready to let you shelter under his wings of love.
And this is not her first operation, she had cancer before, she had a fatal fall last year too, but she is still able to praise God for who He is.
“Through Kuantan Chapel in 1962, I came to know the Lord, who had a purpose for allowing me to suffer the most frightening and deadly disease – CANCER in late 1994. Great is His faithfulness for He saw me through the operation and provided me comfort through my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ from Kuantan Chapel. And again in late August 2007. I had a fatal fall because of weakening in the right knee. I had two bones broken in my left hand. In this instance, I tasted His mercies, power, love and His hand holding me all the way together with others from Kuantan Chapel. Praise Him for comfort, peace and confidence as I trust in my living and ever faithful Saviour. My Sovereign God walked with me and used suffering and pain to deepen my maturity in Him. May God faithfully walk with Kuantan Chapel too as she suffers from pain and through this deepen her maturity. Kuantan Chapel Happy 44th Anniversary!”
[Extracted from More Than Just A Building – Kuantan Chapel 44th Church Anniversary 2008, page 33]
[Extracted from More Than Just A Building – Kuantan Chapel 44th Church Anniversary 2008, page 33]
When I was working on this project of compiling the church anniversary booklet after RBS, I found this testimony was most touching. I was amazed how she related her pain in the first sentence to Christ than all the other joys she had.
Her life showed me God can change a curse of sin into a blessing of joy. And only He can do that. Undeniably, we live in a world full of suffering and none of us like it. God seemed bad when he allowed all these horrible things to happen. And becoming Christians don't mean we are immune to all this. While still in this present world, we will still have suffering because of sin that entered our world. Only God uses them to make us into more faithful Christians. He has a purpose.
I realise that it often takes pain to heal. Without suffering, we will go on living our lives buried in work and pleasure, forgetting what matters to us most. Suffering, no doubt most of the times is caused by the cruelty of mankind brings, but it also shows out the best in humanity - love and mercy. It's through hard times, faithful relationships are bonded and we realise why on earth are we for.
However, love means sacrifice and there is no greater love than for one to lay down one's life for one's friend. God made the biggest sacrifice to heal us, that is to send His one and only Son to die to take away our sin and suffering. He is our Healer.
He heals our relationship with God. He doesn't just heal the physical body, but also those who are brokenhearted. He heals no because how much faith you have, but because he chose to. No matter how bad and how you were to be blamed for the suffering, he is there for you. And if he seems not there when you are sick, he's among those who have cared for you, it's just a matter whether you noticed it or not.
Auntie Kok's blessing was not just to her, but to us who Christ called to be his hands and feet. Her liveliness is a living testimony of how great is our God. Before we left, I was asked by dad to pray for her. My heart immediately went into reflex of "NO! Not me, who am I to pray for someone who is so faithful in the Lord's eyes?", but then God called in a still, small voice "Pray." I struggled as I prayed and I did not pray a "great and lengthy" prayer, but I sensed God's encouragement there. Then, Auntie Kok prayed for me. I almost went in tears. Her powerful voice echoed in the hall. I really regreted for having the thought that nothing good but sorrow and faked pity would come out of this. We came here to encouraged her, instead we are ones encouraged.
Then, I went back. I am healed of that guilt and promised never take life granted as in the medical check up. I stumbled on Jetjet's blog and there came the song Healer. It seems God really had a purpose linking few of his children. Mike Guglielmucci never though that a song he wrote would one day encourage him as he suffered from cancer. Because of that song, many were touched and healed in Hillsong church. And that song performed by Hillsong United in Malaysia healed many like Maggie and me, who thought Hillsongs and Planetshakers are two competitors. We are healed to know that WE ARE TRULY UNITED when we are in Christ, not just some brand sale or band promotion. For Auntie Kok, she know that her Healer will always be with her.
Share with you this song Healer...
HEALER
Words and music by Mike Guglielmucci
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You
I trust in You
I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need
My Healer, You're my Healer
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
[Isaiah 53:3-5]
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
[Isaiah 53:3-5]
Yes indeed by his wounds we are healed.
I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
Words and music by Martin Smith
Over the mountains and the sea,
Your river runs with love for me,
and I will open up my heart
and let the Healer set me free.
I'm happy to be in the truth,
and I will daily lift my hands:
for I will always sing of when
Your love came down.
I could sing of Your love forever,
I could sing of Your love forever,
I could sing of Your love forever,
I could sing of Your love forever.
Oh, I feel like dancing -
it's foolishness I know;
but, when the world has seen the light,
they will dance with joy,
like we're dancing now.
