Just.

Matthew 6:25

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

I used to think that this had little to do with me till I learned that the Christian perspective of worry is a ’self-oriented assumption of responsibility’. Now that’s interesting to me because I am was a control freak who needs to be on top on everything I do, which is essentially, a worrywart. So yes, I have all the stress related afflictions you can imagine, which is frankly, stupidly self afflicted.

So, one of my resolutions in 2010 to be as cool as a cucumber and to trust in Jesus for all my wants and needs. Shalom!

And I gotta love how I get revelations in my life. It can be a thought placed in my mind, a messenger through spoken or written words or the best – in conversations with my kids during bedtime.

Germs was sharing with me about her church friend who was a stellar student  and who, would you believe it or not, never had a day of tuition or enrichment classes in her life. Yes, none of those Berries/ Kumon/ Tien Hsia/ so many other extras that kids need to plough through after school each day.

I thought about my kids.

Germs aced her English and Science despite no not much help from my department. No, I am so not the flashcards and home experiments kinda mom. I also love how she actively tries to improve herself in the Chinese language and to immense in the culture, despite us being a primarily English speaking household . I used to despise Chinese who proudly proclaimed themselves to be bananas, but now I just feel sad for them, that they have robbed themselves of a culture so richly steeped in history, values, pride and for want of an appropriate English word – ???So I am quite proud that she really makes the effort to read classics like ???? and to explore, say the origins of Chinese festivals. I have faith that she will do well again. Math is a subject that both she and I have been eluded of a natural aptitude so she is getting some help from a really competent teacher, who I can only say is a godsend. The rest of her time she spends doing what she enjoys – reading, playing games on her DS and FB, skateboarding and her school sports.

Gean, my baby girl, just started on Primary 1 this year (which should really warrant a post all of its own!). And bless her, she tells me in that innocence so devoid of arrogance and pride, she finds her P1 syllabus strangely easy. Which is to say that Wesley and YWCA have done great jobs in not only nurturing a kind, sensitive and loving child, they have also educated her well.

I then realize how unknowingly we have been blessed, that in my ridiculously relaxed attitude when it comes to the kids, that in my determination that they should enjoy their extremely limited childhood in this extremely competitive country, He has blessed the children so abundantly in every area, be it their studies, interests, sports, character, health and well being.

I shudder to think of what if, if I had been the same control freak in their lives as I had been in my own. I am humbly thankful.

What I am saying is, when we rest in God, He does his work which is so much more perfect than any one of us can ever achieve.

Time to aim for that level of wisdom in the other areas of my life! And yes, when I got hospitalized (yet again) for a gastro condition, it’s not a lack of blessing in the area of my health.  It’s really Him trying to get through my thick skull – let go.

Tags: Christian, God, blessings, children, matthew 6:25, rest, worry   Posted Christian, Inspiration, kids |