October 24, 2015

The Shepherd's Corner

THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

It has been a while since I heard a baby’s cry in our home. Lately I have. Our grandson Jed is home once or twice a week as his mother goes to work. That is when I hear him cry. Every time he cries I hear a very sad tone that makes my heart melt. In reality I don’t really know why he cries but the fact that he cries already makes me sad and wants to comfort him so he won’t be so sad anymore.THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

It has been a while since I heard a baby’s cry in our home. Lately I have. Our grandson Jed is home once or twice a week as his mother goes to work. That is when I hear him cry. Every time he cries I hear a very sad tone that makes my heart melt. In reality I don’t really know why he cries but the fact that he cries already makes me sad and wants to comfort him so he won’t be so sad anymore.

Thankfully Jed does not only cry; he also giggles. The problem is, he does not laugh easily or for long. It takes a great deal of effort to make him smile or giggle and when he finally does, it does not last long. It does not matter how hard we try, after one or two laughter, he normally stays quiet and serious. Further efforts are doomed to fail. Laughter is expensive.

I cannot help but notice this stark difference between tears and laughter: It is far easier and far more natural to shed tears than to laugh! It does not take much to make us cry but it takes a whole lot more to make us laugh. Since we are one-day old till we are 90-years old, it is much easier to find reasons to be sad than to be glad.

Today we are celebrating our church’s anniversary. We are supposed to be happy but I know it is still easier to find reasons to be sad than to be glad today. Perhaps we think of our loved ones. They were still with us last year as we celebrated the church’s anniversary but they are no longer with us today. Or, perhaps we are sad because today we are facing a challenging situation.

God understands. He knows anniversary does not make us happy; it is just a reminder that a year has just passed. Anniversary is time to make GOD happy by thanking Him for His blessing upon our church.

Pastor Paul

Thankfully Jed does not only cry; he also giggles. The problem is, he does not laugh easily or for long. It takes a great deal of effort to make him smile or giggle and when he finally does, it does not last long. It does not matter how hard we try, after one or two laughter, he normally stays quiet and serious. Further efforts are doomed to fail. Laughter is expensive.

I cannot help but notice this stark difference between tears and laughter: It is far easier and far more natural to shed tears than to laugh! It does not take much to make us cry but it takes a whole lot more to make us laugh. Since we are one-day old till we are 90-years old, it is much easier to find reasons to be sad than to be glad.

Today we are celebrating our church’s anniversary. We are supposed to be happy but I know it is still easier to find reasons to be sad than to be glad today. Perhaps we think of our loved ones. They were still with us last year as we celebrated the church’s anniversary but they are no longer with us today. Or, perhaps we are sad because today we are facing a challenging situation.

God understands. He knows anniversary does not make us happy; it is just a reminder that a year has just passed. Anniversary is time to make GOD happy by thanking Him for His blessing upon our church.

Pastor Paul

More Shepherd's Corner Articles

Shepherd's Corner - December 7, 2014
Thirty eight years do not fly fast, especially if we are to spend it in a jungle.  But, that’s what Rachel Saint did.  For 38 years she lived in an Ecuadorian jungle among the Auca Indian who killed her brother, Nate Saint, a pilot with the Missionary Aviation Fellowship, along with four other m...
Read More
The Shepherd's Corner - April 11, 2021
If God is willing, we will commence in-person worship in the first Sunday of June.  It is of course a tentative plan contingent upon the upcoming progress of slowing down the spread of COVID-19.  As you might have already known, starting last Monday we have entered the orange tier that all...
Read More
The Shepherd's Corner - March 29, 2015
Yesterday I attended a funeral service of Pastor Ryanto Sindoro, former pastor of IFGF Church. I did not know Pastor Ryanto personally but I had heard about him. And, everything I heard was consistently positive. He was a deeply spiritual man of God.Yesterday I attended a funeral service of Pastor R...
Read More