One morning long time ago, I heard my mother-in-law praying in Hokkien: Tsu-ah, di ho goa eh sue kah tengh hey siu ho e ng hok sai di. (Lord, please grant my son long life that he might serve you.)
Longevity: that is one thing Andrew has never asked and would never ask for. I realised that while she wished the Lord would take her soon, my mom-in-law hoped that her son would live a long long time.
Do we not wish the same for our children? I do not know about how long is long but one thing I am sure of: I pray that my children would not precede me to leave this world.
When my children were small, and during the times they were sick, and I worried about their well-being, I often reflected on the question: would I be willing to give them up if God wanted me to? Just like what He asked of Abraham…
Christmas thought: God gave us the gift of His Son – the gift that no one asks for. In my limited human capacity to think and feel as a parent, how would it feel to give up my own precious child as a gift and have the gift rejected?
This Christmas, let me not belittle the precious gift that God gave me. Let me treasure Jesus – the Christ in Christmas – the reason for the season. The Gift that I did not ask for yet I receive so freely and abundantly… thank you Lord for your Gift!
