Ever been
given the bad end of a deal?
Ever feel
that it is in your right to insist on the necessary services because you have
already paid for them?
Some
weeks before Easter this year, the Swallow's mate had had to travel to Malaysia
on a work assignment. Unlike past work
travels, this time he had been given a room in a budget hotel. Initially thought to be situated near her
parents' home, the Swallow had been happy that her mate could consider dropping
by sometime to say hello to them.
Upon her
mate's arrival in Malaysia, he realized that he had been given the wrong
location. The hotel was much further
away from her parents' home, although it was closer to the Swallow's sibling's home. "Not too bad", the Swallow had
thought, "he just needs to be given a ride to dad and mom's
place." She had been sure that her
sibling and sibling-in-law would be willing to bring him back to the hotel on
their way home, and she had not been disappointed.
Calling
her from the hotel when he had finally checked in, her mate, with humour in his
voice, had described the condition of the room.
There was ample evidence that the housekeeping team had not done a proper job
in the toilet. Sounds from
pedestrians walking past the hotel (situated along a row of shophouses) easily
travelled through the thin walls from the outside. The Swallow was indignant. How could her mate be given such a place to
sleep in? How was her mate going to get
a good night's rest and be able to work well the next day? Already missing her mate, she struggled to
feel as cheerful as he was.
Many times
that night, she asked her Lord for help to conquer the negative feelings within
her.
The next
day, the Swallow's mate managed to work in a visit to her parents' home. Connecting over Skype during the visit, the
Swallow and her young ones were able to chat with her mate and the rest of the
family. She quickly found out that her
mother was having a fever, and her limbs were too weak for her to stand
upright. Two days later, in the early
hours of a Thursday morning, the Swallow received a call from the sibling whose
home was close to her parents'. Her
mother had woken up disoriented, and was not her normal self. She needed urgent medical attention, but her
sibling was unsure of what had to be done.
Praying for wisdom, the thought of her mate being at the hotel close to
her siblings' home came. The Swallow
contacted her mate, and informed him of her sibling's call. An arrangement was made for him to accompany
her sibling-in-law to her parents' home, and thereafter to the hospital. This would allow her sibling to stay at home
with her young one.
When the
call was disconnected, the Swallow was filled with a sense of shame. How could she have forgotten? Her Lord was and is always in control. So many times He had proven Himself faithful
and caring, yet because of a little discomfort (and not even suffered by her!), the
Swallow had questioned...
The
Swallow had thought her mate had been given the bad end of a deal. She had felt that it was in his right to
insist on good accommodation during his work travels. But her Heavenly Master knew what would have
been ahead of them. If her mate had been
housed in the usual hotel, it would have been difficult for him to give his
support in the middle of the night.
Her
mother stayed in the hospital for almost a week. During the stay, the doctors had run many
tests and although it was not until a week after her discharge that the doctors
realized that she had dengue fever, they were able to diagnose other minor
ailments which could be treated. Just a
day after her discharge, the Swallow and her family were also able to fly back
for a quick surprise visit over the Easter weekend. They could see how weak her mother was, but they were comforted that the Lord had made the way smooth for them to fly
back for a visit, and even at a lower cost than anticipated.
Mark 4 :
35 - 41 (NIV)
That day
when evening came, He said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other
side." Leaving the crowd behind,
they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats
with Him. A furious squall came up, and
the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the
stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him,
"Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the
waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was
completely calm. He said to His
disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other,
"Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"
The
Swallow is still learning to trust without wavering in her Heavenly Master. With faltering steps of faith, the Swallow
will continue to lean on His strength to accept graciously the little
discomforts in life, and the unknowns in life.
Easier said than done, right? She
has failed so often....but she will press on - looking unto Jesus, the Author
and Finisher of her faith.
