hectic semester...tight schedule....limited resources....restricted jobseeking...therefore, sum the conclusion of the lagging in blog post. =P
nonetheless, this is one of the semesters where i grew the most and more in love with the One above...so this is my recent updates. I personally feel a need to blog this down as a significant event of my life in this season. well the writing style is going to be a little different as I intended to only pour the story before I forget any details...and off to rest my heavy head =P....here it goes
Last week all cell groups are to preach on "Finishing Well"....as I was preparing the sermon, flashbacks upon flashbacks ran through my mind. I was not only brought to the remembrance of how Shirley, my dearest leader picked me up from brokenness....but also to the times when she was teaching us about how being a leader it is not easy as it takes one's willingness to open up a really smelly, rotten, worm-filled can...emptying it with your bare hands and cleaning it up. One question she asked: will you clean up the mess in the lives of the people you lead if you find them all smelly and stinky? do you reject them? or do you take them in and clean them up?
As I was preaching the point on accountability to leaders, apart from the arise and build pledge, I just felt there is a need to address to my cell group members....that I am called as a leader at this point of time, not as a judge, or to be more superior than them....but called to serve, love, shepherd and guide them the best way I know how. As I was preaching this point of the sermon, I reassured my members again and again, that as ugly or unworthy they feel they might be, I am willing to be the person who does the cleaning, listen to them and help them through. Good or bad, I will still love them. And that in the long race to run, if anyone gets tired, let the whole cell group be their strength, if someone cannot have faith, we will be their faith, if someone cannot run, we hold them hand in hand and run together until we all cross the finishing line....assuring them in good and bad times, season of strength or weaknesses or defeat, leaders are equally interested in all seasons and all times of their lives....the response for both cells were indeed touching to me.
moving on after cell meeting last friday, I met up with a few of my disciples to discuss on some personal issues. One significant feeling I felt throughout the talk was that as I was with them, there was an extraordinary, divine energy and power to just love and nurture, seeing the brokenness and hurts carry deep within for so many years. God was indeed refreshing and amazing. I just knew there and then that the heart and strength to love is not from me as it was at a different level of capacity and faith. Again, with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I decided to reassure them that I am not just a leader who wants solutions and lives to be set straight, all in all I still care and love them for who they are. And I want the best for their lives. In my spirit, I just felt that these were the words they needed to hear
Eversince, I just felt there is a breakthrough in the atmosphere of the whole discipleship system....after the short discussion we had, the disciples involved began opening up bit by bit of their lives, smses and emails of reports after reports came in over the weekend concerning struggles and needs for breakthroughs from different different cell members - those I have never expected from (usually only my interns and uprising leaders send me reports), my interns are also receiving reports after reports from their disciples wanting to be guided, msn was a great tool for more issues to be tapped in, twitter became a good tool too for prayer requests and keeping touch with me....there was just so much trust and openness these five day (either to me or to one another in the cell). The dynamic took a change. Truly, indeed...just as Shirley had told us over and over again....love conquers all. love covers a multitude of sin...love sets people free, gives people the courage, and even break walls! Love is powerful! = people do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care=
I really want to believe with all my heart that we are moving toward the vision and the direction of running the race strong together as a cell, into the realm of faith and unity, supporting one another. my dearest members, if you are reading this, I want you to know how much I am touched by the eagerness to be discipled and accountable, and I am truly honored. Let this be a commitment to fight the good fight until we all reach the finishing line! =))
thank you for your trust. I love you. and I always always pray that this is the one thing that our cell group will never be lacking of...not today, not tomorrow, or in the near and far future...let this be the season we decide to fight together and keep fighting on no matter what happens. Unity stems from trust, trust and love intertwined, are weapons we can use against our enemy. Stay strong together, ok? Don't drop out halfway through the race...!
WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! walk not, run this race together. you are not alone =))
I truly thank God that despite such a crazy season with so much hecticness, problems, persecutions and difficulties I faced, I did not lose my joy....He is truly my only strength and source of hope....and I thank God for strengthening and encouraging me through looking at the lives and growth of the people I am close to....one way or another, He always find ways to bless my heart....hee...just love Him so so much...! (*snuggle*)
He is indeed amazing, aye? =))
Hopefully this is an encouragement to someone ...let's strive to be the multi-type, all season, all-type can openers!
Bless you!
