Wednesday, December 22, 2010

We Are Simply Passersby

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?"  -- Mark 8:36

There were two sisters named Magi, the eldest, and Myra. They both lived in the outskirt of the town. One day they received a telegram – “Me visit tom” – from a famous friend from a far way town; their friend was famous for her beautiful, angelic voice. The thought of seeing their friend in their doorsteps got them on their feet.


Almost immediately, Magi went straight to the kitchen to check on their fridge. After letting out an “F” word, she hurried to the market to buy some supplies. She was panicky.

Myra, on the other hand, paused to think and then decided to clean the house and prepare the room for their guest. She then settled on that task the whole afternoon until it was done.

Then the big day came. There was a knock on their door. When Myra opened it, there was Jessica, their famous friend with her ever-present assistants. After some warm greetings, Myra let their guest into the living room and announced her arrival. Magi rushed out of the kitchen, and profusely greeted Jess. Then she quickly disappeared to the kitchen door to continue with her cooking.

After settling down, and feeling comfortable in her friends’ home, Jess started singing a cappella. Her sweet, melodious voice bounced on the four corners of her host’s home, giving shivers and chills to the lucky recipient; in this case, it was Myra who sat on her feet. Her voice was truly angelic, and soothing. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Magi could hardly hear clearly Jess’ song; her mind was on her task.

When Jessica sang the final note, Magi shot out of the kitchen smiling appreciatively, and clapping her hand, as if she heard the entire live performance. Then she quickly turned to Myra’s direction, her face suddenly transformed from pleasant to angry, to deliver loudly her unspoken message.

Are you busy rushing around or do you stop to appreciate life? Are you the proverbial ever-busy type of guy or the man who calmly settles down?

Our world today is driving us nuts. The number of tasks that requires our attention can be so overwhelming that sometimes we can’t make up our mind. Not only that, it’s also difficult to concentrate for a long time due to the many distractions surrounding us. It’s like a yoke of busyness and interference is put upon us. (I wonder who...)

Here’s one undeniable fact. We can do almost anything, but we can’t do everything. We only have 24 hours a day. No more, no less. So what can we do? Follow Myra. She planned, prioritized and settled down.

Before you rush to your next task, stop and ask yourself – “Will this matter?”

What matters? To me, it’s my spirit and my health, and of those whom I care about; my relationships, and my legacy. We can’t rush around telling ourselves a lie – there’s always tomorrow. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow! Today is all we've got, and it's by God's grace. Magi missed out the special gift of their guest; you don't want to missed out God's gift, don't you? Live His gift by spending this on what matters in the end. Remember, we are all just passersby…

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