Monday, April 10, 2006

the africans and me (maybe you as well)

No trams were in service on Swanston street yesterday. However, we did not want to miss the Sunday service, not in Palm Sunday.

Well, anyway, the pastor who was in charge at the service is doing his ministry with his family in Africa. Do not imagine him as an old man with grey hair and thick glasses, but a funky man with modern brown highlighted hair. He is a singer (he has a very good voice!!) as well as a pastor. So, that Sunday service became a little bit show on stage.

He told about his ministry in Africa and showed us the video he had taken there. He said that Africa is awfully well known with poverty, hunger, etc. When I was watching the video, something touched and questioned me. Blessed as I am, living in this country which is completely in different condition, I can have good meal everyday, I can still buy things I need, I still have a home to settle in? And cursed as they are, living in such country, they cannot have good meal everyday, they may not be able to buy things they need, and a home they so-call is probably much worse than mine? Of course not. What has touched me, however, is how unthankful I am with all I have right now. The Africans I watched in the video were happy people. They like to dance, sing, play on the field and forest. And I? A little problem (with my hubby, my parents, my friends) can make me straightly furious and have ill-feeling. I never call my days as happy days as the Africans do. They have meal to eat, they’re happy. They have home to settle in, they’re happy. They live in Africa, they’re happy. No complaints, no objection. Yet, why can I not be happy everyday with all I have which they do not have? Do I have a higher level of reasons to be happy than they do? Why can they be happy with simple little things while I cannot be? Perhaps that simply explains one main reason why people even living in better countries often have serious illness, like heart attack, cancer, stroke, etc. They are seldom to be happy.

Well, the Africans I watched in the video have somewhat reminded me how I should live my life. Be cheerful. Be happy. Be thankful. Yes, I can still be sad, frustrated, stressed, I’m still human anyway but I won’t have them living within me all the time. Cheerful heart is really medicine, I’m telling you.

Be happy and make a healthy community. Cheers.

-jessie-
Monday, 10 April 2006
9:16 am

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