Monday, April 18, 2005
suffering vs joy
wish to share this blog with sally, mag and kenneth in particular.
it came from the homily i heard today.
Father started by relating an article he read about an experiment carried out by Oxford - to measure if one can endure higher level of physical suffering if he has faith. the congregation laughed big time - i thought that was a silly study.
then he went on to talk about suffering for love; parents sacrificing for their children, spouses who put the other before self, a new mother who must endure the pain of delivery before feeling the immerse joy of seeing the newborn.
honestly, i am seldom so attentive during homily. my mind tends to wonder in my own thoughts or just day dreaming away (ooops...). i found today's session very refreshing. the topic is not new. you guys must have heard variations of it 10 thousand times.
but i have a new appreciation of it today when i finally realised i have closed the chapter to my ordeal. i won't dare say i suffered for love for i am not so noble. But nonetheless, it was a very painful experience. But i have seen so much and learned so much from it that secretly, i am actually thankful for the experience. (secretly because i dun ever want to go thru' it again!!!)
i saw how my family supported me, how my parents fought for my rights, and how my siblings -Patrick, you are included too - (even cousins) rallied beind me. then there are frens like you guys (i must mention my strength booster - Hui Yan) who stood by me all the way. and i am also able to better define the term - fair-weather frens.
sure, times were tough and you guys have heard me whine ever so much (sally, remembered my calls to france?). but my experiences these 3 years have actually made me a very conscientious person and opened my eyes to so many things that i would otherwise be oblivious.
surprisingly, i think i am more optimistic than before for i have truly realised how to look for the good stuff even in a lousy situation. ok, i still complaint and kick up a fuss over some things, but really, that's for the fun of it or for the sake of complaining - otherwise, i have nothing to tell you in emails and phone calls!! ha ha ha. but i am conscious that they are not about to affect my well-being.
i never thought that i have good things to say about the whole episode. but as it turns out, i got alot from it, a lot of good things, actually. i suppose this is a manifestation of suffering for love - love of life, love of living (more meaningfully)!!
it came from the homily i heard today.
Father started by relating an article he read about an experiment carried out by Oxford - to measure if one can endure higher level of physical suffering if he has faith. the congregation laughed big time - i thought that was a silly study.
then he went on to talk about suffering for love; parents sacrificing for their children, spouses who put the other before self, a new mother who must endure the pain of delivery before feeling the immerse joy of seeing the newborn.
honestly, i am seldom so attentive during homily. my mind tends to wonder in my own thoughts or just day dreaming away (ooops...). i found today's session very refreshing. the topic is not new. you guys must have heard variations of it 10 thousand times.
but i have a new appreciation of it today when i finally realised i have closed the chapter to my ordeal. i won't dare say i suffered for love for i am not so noble. But nonetheless, it was a very painful experience. But i have seen so much and learned so much from it that secretly, i am actually thankful for the experience. (secretly because i dun ever want to go thru' it again!!!)
i saw how my family supported me, how my parents fought for my rights, and how my siblings -Patrick, you are included too - (even cousins) rallied beind me. then there are frens like you guys (i must mention my strength booster - Hui Yan) who stood by me all the way. and i am also able to better define the term - fair-weather frens.
sure, times were tough and you guys have heard me whine ever so much (sally, remembered my calls to france?). but my experiences these 3 years have actually made me a very conscientious person and opened my eyes to so many things that i would otherwise be oblivious.
surprisingly, i think i am more optimistic than before for i have truly realised how to look for the good stuff even in a lousy situation. ok, i still complaint and kick up a fuss over some things, but really, that's for the fun of it or for the sake of complaining - otherwise, i have nothing to tell you in emails and phone calls!! ha ha ha. but i am conscious that they are not about to affect my well-being.
i never thought that i have good things to say about the whole episode. but as it turns out, i got alot from it, a lot of good things, actually. i suppose this is a manifestation of suffering for love - love of life, love of living (more meaningfully)!!
# posted by nic @ 12:33 AM 
