Recently in Letters Category

Dearest Anne and Caleb,

The year was 2003 and Aunty Min and I were students in Tucson, Arizona. In the evening, I drove to the mountains to photograph the sunset, as I often did, while Aunty Min caught back-to-back episodes of “Friends”.

The skies were a flat grey - terrible conditions for a sunset - and it was threatening to rain. Were it not for the narrow mountain roads that made it hard for me to turn back, I wouldn’t have driven all the way to Gates Pass.

Every evening, the carpark at Gates Pass would be 3/4 filled, with families hiking up the trails and couples snuggling up the side of the mountain waiting for sunset. I was the only one there this evening, and it didn’t look as it I was going to see any sunset at all due to the very thick cloud cover. I took a short hike up to the vantage point, looked around a bit and headed back to the car.

“Wasted trip”, I thought to myself.

As I started the engine, the skies glowed a most unreal blue. I grabbed my camera, ran out and took photos from the parking lot.

Like Shawn Colvin’s song goes, “I never saw blue like that before”.

Dear Youths,

we shared our favourite songs last Sunday. I spent quite the better part of the night listening to them, startled at the similiarities in our Christian walks. When I was much younger I made a vow never to look down on young people, even children. Somewhere along the way I became an adult, complete with adult faults. While listening to the songs you chose, the songs you liked, it was clear that we’re in this together. We all struggle with our human natures, and God’s constant working of His image in our lives.

I played basketball this evening with Chris Rice’s Untitled Hymn in my head. Even though it was such a simple song, it really touched me. “Come to Jesus and live”. We often cling on to the vestiges of death we are supposed to leave behind. It was such a fitting reminder in an uncertain time in my life.

Come to Jesus and live.

The few times I gathered up courage to visit the very ill in hospitals I found myself coming out having been more the encouraged than the encourager. Reading Lainey’s cry for help and wanting very much to encourage and comfort her, I find myself again so filled with His forgiveness and love.

This is a song taken out from Psalms 130.

To Lainey, that you may remember that He hears.

I call to You from out of the deep O Lord, Most High. Aware of my sin and the distance I keep from the light, O Lord. But there is forgiveness with Thee, and in wonder I fall on my knees. My soul waits for the Lord in the hope of His promise; in the hope of His promise, deliverance will come. My soul waits for the Lord through the night till the morning like a night watchman waiting for the coming of the dawn.

For D.W., because your pain is my pain, and your sorrow my sorrow.

To my dearest sister with whom I share not only times of happiness, but even times of fleshly death that His life may be made complete in us.

It is never easy. We stand so tall and strong one moment; and in that moment it seems nothing can topple our faith and our determination. In a flash we’re struggling with what is intellectually an easy decision to make, yet our wills find no strength to make it. We find ourselves at the bottom, so it seems, once again.

Yet it is in this same cold, damp, dark place where Paul reminds us that it is in His grace that we stand. Not in our strength of character or in the brute force of our will, but in His grace. No matter how far we’re fallen, no matter how stubborn we’ve been, His grace covers us so completely and totally and His love compels us unto Himself. That His strength be made perfect in our weakness.

Thank you for sharing with me the trials of your life. The glimmer of hope you hold on to has given me strength for my own struggles, worries and fears. I only hope my words, however few and weak encourage you in yours.

May His grace and peace cover us till He comes again.

For Maddie, and the rest of us. May we never forget.

With all the treasures of His throne of the earth and of the skies and of the universe beyond. Our Father gave instead His Son counting His worth far beyond all the treasures of His kingdom home. Our God withheld not His own Son the treasure of His heart poured out for you. Since He already gave His Son what now will He withhold from You His own? -Excerpt from Dana Congdon’s Come Ye Beloved.

Even more importantly, what can we withhold from Him?

To a fellow blogger, a friend, a younger sister, who once upon a time had her own little space.

I know that it hasn’t exactly been the easiest of times for you, and that we often become disillusioned under such adverse situations. It is much easier to just break out and do your own thing, forgetting all the hassle of being a “good” Christian, a hardworking student, or a fillial daughter.

Different influences are now available to you as you progress into the higher echelons of educational endeavour, some good, and others…not so good. It seems that every cell in your being wants to try out the life that you’ve been forbidden to for so long. You see other people your age having fun and living the high life, taking things one day at a time. No worries. No obligations. No responsibilities.

I know, because I’ve been there as well. Truth is, many of us have. It is important that we tell you this right now because your decisions today, right this moment, determine who you are, and who you will be. To be perfectly honest, I do not know what the “correct” choices are, because there just seems to be an endless myriad of possibilities. What I do know is this: Choose Christ.

If at any one point in your life you’ve been shown His light, cling on to it. For to him who has, much will be given, so the familiar saying goes. It is a very real possibility to lose the light that you’ve been given, tempting as it is to dabble in the fun things and then return later on.

Though I’d hate to be all preachy and sombre, I have to remind you, and all of us, that these are times when the darkness seems to suffocate all light. As a brother I would beseech you to choose wisely, and comfort you in the fact that my heart, and also many of ours, go with you.

Grow wisely, for He has shown you what is good and what He requires of you. To live justly, and to love mercy. And to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8).

We have love for you in our hearts. Even if it is from a distance.

To my sister with whom I am enjoined not by blood but by Life.

It has been a long time since we’ve sat down and spoken, and I really treasured what we had tonight. I was reminded of how much you meant to me, and even though I don’t often show it, your presence lights up my heart.

Things have changed since our childhood days. As life would have it we no longer have time to write each other long, detailed letters sharing the inner workings of our heart and mind. These days we seem almost to busy to even share - be it by speech or by sheer affection, whether implicit or explicit. I often look at you from a distance and allow myself the luxury of nostalgia. Someone older and wiser once said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. I feel that when I look upon you. Despite all that you’ve grown to be these years, I am comforted in the knowledge that I know you deep inside, and the young girl is still very much alive in you even today.

The prospect of not being able to see you looms over us as you plan to begin a life on foreign soil, and it weighs heavily on me. Though I know that there exists an affinity that transcends beyond the physical presence, its ethereal nature provides little solace. I know that my reaction is a sort of selfishness and that I should be enthusiastic for you.

I know that I will miss you in the time when you are gone. In this time whilst you are still here, I will treasure you.

And for all times, I love you.

Hi Mummy,

thank you for your reminders. I’ll have to get a sieve before I can make the Chrysanthemum tea. I’ll do that as soon as I get to the mall. I’m feeling much better, if you haven’t already read that in my homepage.

I’ve just banked in my scholarship money and the balance in the savings account now stands at around *. The bank has asked me if I wanted to see their investments people to invest it. I’d much rather you do these things, knowing myself, I’d spend too much time analyzing everything. I don’t want the money to be stagnant here, earning the measly amount on interest. And it’s tying up quite a significant sum you could much rather use. Only problem I see would be the rising US dollar. If you want me to send it back to your account, could you provide me with the details?

How are things at home? I speak to Min on the internet once in a while. She’s always doing her literature. Don’t think she’s found a love for it yet, but at least I don’t detect an insurmountable amount of dislike for the wonderful subject. Things are great here, I’m feeling so much better. I couldn’t breathe in deep for the past few days, then this morning I sneezed and breathed in deep, and a muscle popped back into place. So everything is ok, except for a slight cough. I’ll still stay away from basketball and heaty foods for the next week or so. God has really been watching over me. Haven’t heard from you in a while. You must be pretty busy, or did something go wrong with your email connection? I had a job interview, which I recorded down in my journals on my WebPages. I decided not to go for it, even though the money offered seemed to be good. It’s a sales job, and I cannot sell something I don’t know about to a people I know little about. So I’ll be back this summer. Oh, I’ve to get in touch with the lady at the travel agency, I’ll do that by the end of this week…it’s been a busy few weeks with lots of tests. I’ve done very well, but I don’t want pride to get to my head (again all this is recorded on my homepage).

Well I’ve to go do some homework, and readings. You take care. And send my love to Mama, Auntie Lyn, Daddy and the two treasures at home. Tell them that I love them, and I love you.

your son.