5 December, Friday – Do You Believe?

Friday of the 1st Week of Advent

Isa 29:17-24
Mt 9:27-31

In a short time, a very short time, shall not Lebanon become fertile land and fertile land turn into forest? The deaf, that day, will hear the words of a book and, after shadow and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.

‘Twas the night before, not Christmas, but the release of the PSLE results’ (Ed: The Primary School Leaving Examination is a national exam that all 12-year old junior high schoolers need to pass). I was not quite fretting, but neither was I at total ease. Some of the anxiety could be due to the fact that we are in the midst of planning, prepping, and packing for a 2-week long road trip to New Zealand’s South Island. Yes, we certainly bit off a lot.  

Today’s passage did not make much sense to me the first few times I read it. The gospel did, but didn’t speak to me. I read and re-read the readings many times over a couple of weeks. I looked up commentaries and explanations of the passages. I went to the Adoration Room with them, hoping to hear God tell me something, anything. But I got nothing. Until now.  

This evening, after saying our usual family prayer, we prayed over my firstborn. It was her younger sister who suggested it. Good idea. We prayed for peace of mind and of heart to accept reality. We prayed that she will always know that God will guide her, that she will always listen to His voice, and to know that she is very loved by God. We prayed that no matter her path in life, it will be the path chosen by God. Coincidentally, our evening prayer and reflection centered on whether we believe God co-operates with us on any task.  

My answer to that question was “sometimes”. When it comes to a task that is in accordance with the will of God, He will help us to achieve it. Many other times, our free will wins out, but when it matters, God co-operates. He works with us, and through us.  

And then, the passage from Isaiah suddenly spoke to me: “He makes all things beautiful in His time”.

The PSLE is the bane of almost every parent. The amount of stress on us (and on our children) to do well in that exam is insurmountable. But of course, not every child is going to get top grades. So what do we do if our child does not get top grades? Well, the answer to that is to trust that God is still leading her and guiding her. And for her to be able to listen to God, we as parents have to show her how to do that. We need to trust in God as well. In the gospel, Jesus asked “do you believe that I can do this unto you?”. Our answer has to be a resounding ‘Yes’. Yes to placing our lives in God’s hands.  

Our God redeems. And this does not only apply to bad grades in school. It applies to all our wrongs, all our missteps, all our shame. God can put this all right again, if we truly believe and turn back to him and not stray from the path He has set out for us. While setbacks, hurt, and pain can make us question if God is even real, faith demands that we cling on tightly to Him, as He is the one who will turn our sorrows into joy.  

No matter where we are in life, no matter the path we are on, God is guiding us. We all have the spirit of God in us and we can hear His voice. When the going gets tough, listen to Him and get going. When the going is easy, listen to Him and keep moving. No matter what life throws at us, we are where we are meant to be. We must trust fully in God’s plan, and trust that He will work with and through us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we walk this life along with everyone else, we will suffer in one way or another. But if God can turn a field into a fruitful forest, make the blind see and the deaf hear, what do you think He is able to do for our sufferings? Have faith, and believe. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Felicia Zou)

Prayer: Dear Lord, grant us peace to accept Your will for us. Give us the strength to carry our crosses. Give us the faith to see You in all our endeavours.

Thanksgiving: Dear Lord, we praise and thank You for all the trials, all the joys, and all the experiences which shape our souls.