Thankful for God's grace and a garden with flowers!

Oftentimes,​ ​the​ ​aftermath​ ​of​ ​​ ​tornadic​ ​activity,​ ​a​ ​terrorist​ ​attack,​ ​a​ ​raging​ ​fire,​ ​or​ ​a​ ​threatening hurricane​ ​shakes​ ​us​ ​to​ ​the​ ​core​ ​and​ ​confronts​ ​us​ ​with​ ​what​ ​is​ ​most​ ​important​ ​in​ ​life.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​not​ ​the things​ ​we​ ​own​ ​that​ ​matter​ ​the​ ​most.​ ​Instead,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​our​ ​very​ ​lives​ ​and​ ​the​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​our​ ​loved​ ​ones.​ ​Our houses,​ ​school​ ​buildings​ ​or​ ​business​ ​premises​ ​may​ ​be​ ​rebuilt​ ​later, but once​ ​lives​ ​are​ ​lost, ​it​ ​is impossible​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​them​ ​back. The only exception, ​of​ ​course​, is at ​Jesus’​ ​Second​ ​Coming​ ​when​ ​the​ ​dead​ ​in​ ​Christ​ ​will rise​ ​first​ ​to​ ​meet​ ​the​ ​Lord​ ​in​ ​the​ ​air​ ​ (cf.​ ​1​ ​Thessalonians​ ​4:16-18).  

On​ ​May​ ​20,​ ​2013,​ ​a​ ​tornado​ ​touched​ ​down​ ​in​ ​a​ ​city​ ​where​ ​some​ ​of​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​live,​ ​and​ ​caused​ ​much damage​ ​and​ ​devastation.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​an​ ​EF5​ ​tornado,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​considered​ ​the​ ​most​ ​intense​ ​of​ ​tornadoes, according​ ​to​ ​Enhanced​ ​Fujita​ ​Scale.​ ​The​ ​intensity​ ​and​ ​destructive​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​tornado​ ​had​ ​“peak winds​ ​estimated​ ​at​ ​210 mph​ ​(340 km/h),​ ​killing​ ​24​ ​people​ (plus​ ​one​ ​indirect​ ​fatality)​ ​and​ ​injuring 377​ ​others”​ ​(Wikipedia).

​ A​ ​few​ ​days​ ​after​ ​the​ ​tornado,​ ​someone​ ​shared​ ​a​ ​photo​ ​(above)​ ​which​ ​contained​ ​a​ ​sign​ ​that​ ​was found​ ​amidst​ ​the​ ​damage​ ​and​ ​devastation​ ​that​ ​the​ ​tornado​ ​caused.​ ​The​ ​sign​ ​read:​ ​“​The​ ​most important​ ​things​ ​in​ ​life​ ​aren’t​ ​things​.”​ ​It​ ​reminded​ ​me​ ​of​ ​what​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​in​ ​my​ ​General​ ​Psychology class​ ​in​ ​college:​ ​“Things​ ​are​ ​meant​ ​to​ ​be​ ​used,​ ​and​ ​people​ ​are​ ​to​ ​be​ ​loved.”

If​ ​things​ ​are​ ​not​ ​most​ ​important​ ​in​ ​this​ ​life, ​ ​then​ what​ ​is​ ​most​ ​important? ​ ​Notice, ​ ​the​ ​sign​ ​doesn’t​ ​say things​ ​are​ ​not​ ​important, ​ ​it​ ​says​ ​things​ ​are​ ​not​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​in​ ​life.

What​ ​is​ ​most​ ​important​ ​to​ ​us​ ​in​ ​life​ ​are​ ​mainly​ ​our​ ​relationships​ ​with​ ​God, ​ ​family​ ​and​ ​close​ ​friends. When​ ​the​ ​tornado​ ​struck​ ​the​ ​city,​ ​people​ ​were​ ​concerned​ ​for​ ​their​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​family,​ ​and​ ​so​ ​they prayed​ ​for​ ​their​ ​protection.​ ​They​ ​also​ ​phoned,​ ​Facebooked,​ ​tweeted,​ ​and​ ​sent​ ​text​ ​messages​ ​to​ ​find out​ ​if​ ​they​ ​were​ ​okay.​ ​I​ ​called​ ​to​ ​check​ ​if​ ​my​ ​friend​ ​(who’s​ ​a​ ​pastor​ ​in​ ​that​ ​city)​ ​was​ ​okay.​ ​Thankfully, he​ ​was​ ​okay,​ ​but​ ​my​ ​heart​ ​ached​ ​for​ ​the​ ​families​ ​that​ ​were​ ​mourning​ ​the​ ​loss​ ​of​ ​their​ ​loved​ ​ones even​ ​though​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​know​ ​them.​ ​The​ ​people​ ​of​ ​the​ ​city​ ​and​ ​its​ ​environs​ ​treated​ ​each​ ​other​ ​as members​ ​of​ ​a​ ​big​ ​family​ ​and​ ​were​ ​giving​ ​helping​ ​hands​ ​through​ ​the​ ​search​ ​and​ ​rescue​ ​efforts​ ​and​ ​the clean-up.

My​ ​life’s​ ​motto-“First​ ​Things​ ​First”-​ ​is​ ​based​ ​on​ ​Matthew​ ​6:33:​ ​“​Seek​ ​ye​ ​first​ ​the​ ​kingdom​ ​of​ ​God, and​ ​His​ ​righteousness;​ ​and​ ​all​ ​these​ ​things​ ​shall​ ​be​ ​added​ ​unto​ ​you​”​ ​(KJV).​ ​I​ ​have​ ​embraced​ ​this verse​ ​as​ ​my​ ​life​ ​verse​ ​because​ ​it​ ​helps​ ​me​ ​clarify​ ​my​ ​priorities.​ ​The​ ​verse​ ​reminds​ ​me​ ​that​ ​if​ ​I​ ​seek first​ ​things​ ​first​ ​[give​ ​God​ ​first​ ​place​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life],​ ​I​ ​will​ ​get​ ​the​ ​second​ ​things​ ​[necessities​ ​of​ ​life]​ ​as​ ​well. However,​ ​if​ ​I​ ​seek​ ​the​ ​second​ ​things​ ​first,​ ​I​ ​will​ ​miss​ ​both.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​some​ ​people​ ​who​ ​put things​ ​first,​ ​but​ ​they​ ​don’t​ ​realize​ ​that​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​day,​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​who​ ​has​ ​the​ ​most​ ​toys​ ​that’s going​ ​to​ ​win​ ​in​ ​the​ ​end.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​the​ ​one​ ​who​ ​knows​ ​Jesus​ ​(the​ ​way,​ ​the​ ​truth,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​life)​ ​in​ ​this​ ​life​ ​and has,​ ​thus,​ ​discovered​ ​how​ ​to​ ​get​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Father​ ​(cf.​ ​John​ ​14:6)​ ​that​ ​will​ ​have​ ​the​ ​victory. 

To​ ​deepen​ ​my​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​God, ​ ​family, ​ ​and​ ​friends, ​ ​I​ ​must​ ​intentionally​ ​spend​ ​time​ ​with​ ​them. As​ ​my​ ​friend​ ​once​ ​said, ​ ​LOVE​ ​is​ ​spelt​ ​ “T-I-M-E.” ​ ​If​ ​we​ ​love​ ​God, ​ ​we​ ​will​ ​spend​ ​time​ ​with​ ​Him​ ​in​ ​prayer and​ ​through​ ​service​ ​for​ ​His​ ​glory. ​ ​Similarly, ​ ​because​ ​we​ ​love​ ​our​ ​family​ ​and​ ​friends, ​ ​we​ ​will​ ​carve​ ​out some​ ​time​ ​to​ ​spend​ ​with​ ​them, ​ ​no​ ​matter​ ​how​ ​short​ ​or​ ​long​ ​it​ ​maybe. 

One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​things​ ​I​ ​bear​ ​in​ ​mind​ ​is​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​this​ ​life​ ​is​ ​a​ ​preparation​ ​for​ ​eternity.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​crucial, therefore,​ ​that​ ​each​ ​of​ ​us​ ​asks​ ​himself​ ​or​ ​herself,​ ​“Where​ ​will​ ​I​ ​spend​ ​eternity,​ ​and​ ​which​ ​kingdom am​ ​I​ ​serving?”​ ​When​ ​we​ ​choose​ ​to​ ​serve​ ​the​ ​Lord,​ ​it​ ​doesn’t​ ​mean​ ​we​ ​won’t​ ​experience​ ​tough​ ​times, but​ ​it​ ​means​ ​we​ ​have​ ​Someone​ ​[Jesus]​ ​with​ ​us​ ​whenever​ ​we​ ​face​ ​tough​ ​times.​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​times​ ​of​ ​crisis are​ ​golden​ ​opportunities​ ​for​ ​us​ ​to​ ​rethink​ ​and​ ​rewrite​ ​our​ ​values. 

In​ ​some​ ​way,​ ​the​ ​crises​ ​that​ ​I​ ​have​ ​faced​ ​in​ ​life,​ ​or​ ​seen​ ​others​ ​face,​ ​have​ ​helped​ ​me​ ​see​ ​in​ ​a crystal-clear​ ​way​ ​that​ ​my​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​God​ ​is​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​of​ ​relationships.​ ​I​ ​also appreciate​ ​the​ ​relationship​ ​that​ ​I​ ​have​ ​with​ ​my​ ​family​ ​members​ ​both​ ​at​ ​home​ ​and​ ​in​ ​the​ ​church.​ ​The relationship​ ​with​ ​my​ ​close​ ​friends​ ​adds​ ​a​ ​great​ ​dimension​ ​to​ ​life,​ ​for​ ​I​ ​cannot​ ​imagine​ ​a​ ​life​ ​without friends—it​ ​is​ ​like​ ​a​ ​garden​ ​without​ ​flowers.​ ​Thank​ ​you​ ​Lord​ ​for​ ​saving​ ​my​ ​soul​ ​and​ ​for​ ​my​ ​family​ ​and friends!

 Action​ ​Points​: 

1.     Where​ ​will​ ​you​ ​spend​ ​eternity?

2.     What​ ​are​ ​your​ ​values, ​ ​and​ ​what​ ​are​ ​you​ ​doing​ ​about​ ​them?