22 December
1 Sam 1:24-28
Lk 1:46-56
…and the Lord granted me what I asked him.
If you were to have known or met me pre-COVID, you would have noticed one thing about me – I enjoyed drinking alcohol. In my 20s and 30s (even into my mid 40s), I was well-known to be able to finish off a fair amount of alcohol in one sitting. No meal was complete without a bottle or two of whisky or wine. In fact, I used to begin meals (social ones, of course) with a few glasses of beer or G&Ts.
Then, inexplicably, in March of 2020, I decided to abstain from alcohol altogether. Till this day, I have not had a glass of wine nor anything stronger. Some of my friends have found it ridiculous that I will not let any alcohol pass through my lips and have even asked me if there was anything wrong. For me, I have simply lost the desire and taste for it.
At my recent spiritual retreat, I shared this with my assigned SD and also ‘rationalised’ how it has saved me a fair penny over the years. When he gently probed further, I realised that it is one of the many decisions over the years which has helped me strengthen my faith journey.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not at all saying that we should stop drinking. By all means, let us enjoy ourselves, especially during the festive season. As for me, it is part of a sustained effort to shed myself of certain luxuries and to live a ‘simpler life’, unencumbered by what I call ‘wants’ rather than ‘needs’. Of course, each of us has very different definitions of what a ‘want’ compared to a ‘need’ looks like. And that is part and parcel of journeying with God.
For like the barren women in today’s readings, we will one day be privy to a missive from God – and it can come in any form, through any person (not necessarily someone named Gabriel). Whether we take heed is our choice. I guess it depends on what we (want to) hear. Giving up alcohol is one thing…What about giving up on our luxuries? Like that designer outfit/accessory? Or that extra hour of sleep on a Sunday? Or the regular Friday meetup with ______ that stretches into the wee hours of Saturday? Or the X hours feeding a machine with our hard-earned money?
Brothers and sisters, God is patient, God is kind. All He wants is for us to get closer to Him. He will never give up on us nor stop sending us loving assurances of His desire to meet us where we are. In order to do that, we have to come clean and bare our souls, warts and all. Are we prepared to listen and to obey?
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: We ask of you, Abba Father, to be merciful and loving as we journey through life. Be with us always and send us your loving messengers to remind us of Your undying, unconditional love for us.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all those who show concern for our way of living. Our parents, our godparents, our priests, our spiritual guides. And yes, our life partners.
OXYGEN 
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