For the second time this year, I've felt my floors tremble. It only lasted less than a minute, so nobody dashed out of the building I was in.
As for me, my heart beat a little faster than usual - and I prayed. But I didn't bother getting out of my chair. I am now wondering where the earthquake hit.
Apart from the earthquake and the bad road congestion I encountered this morning (while driving to a breakfast meeting) it is a pretty beautiful Saturday. The rains came and cleared away some of the haze that have been pervading our noses (and lungs) for the past weeks. While I feel a little lonely now that my hubby's away from Penang for the weekend, attending a CG leaders' seminar in Ipoh, I am enjoying my Saturday so far. Had breakfast with one of the girls I have been discipling and a good heart-to-heart talk on discovering "the meaning of life" and discerning God's will. After that, I went for a hot body-wrap therapy thingy (ah, so relaxing) and lunch. Now, I'm having coffee all on my own - whilst making good use of the Wifi service, since the wireless internet back at my PIL's place seems to be kaput.
We've had a pretty busy and hectic week, preparing to move out of first nest. On Thursday, the bigger pieces of furniture were moved into our new place - into the center of our living room, so that the renovation and painting work can go on despite the silent "intruders". I felt bad leaving Thoven there on his own (Thoven is my portable grand) - but I had no choice. Since there was so much stuff left behind in our old place, my parents-in-law had to come and help us move the rest later. What an exhausting day Thursday was! We drove to Batu Feringghi from Greenlane (and back) 3 times in total.
Ben and I are now temporarily taking refuge in his parents' clean and comfortable abode. (Mother-in-law is 100 times a better housewife than I am, hehe!) I realize that I have not stayed over for more than a year now - since I got married. I'm feeling very, very far from being your proverbial "good daughter-in-law". Not only did I not help my MIL to clean her house - now she's going to help me clean up my old place before the new owners move in next week. *Tsk tsk* On top of that, she keeps telling me to enjoy my stay. "Do anything you want... you want to go out with your friends, then go out la..."
Although it's been more than 4 years since this particular "aunty" (as I used to call her when Ben and I were in courtship) began treating me as her own daughter, it still feels rather odd and surreal. She fusses over me as if I were a princess and never fails to make me feel special, even though I sometimes feel guilty for enjoying the showers of love. I still feel anxious whenever I see her because I am not used to being pampered like that. I don't feel like I deserve to be treated that way (because I have not done anything to earn it) - and I don't know how to repay her (as well as my FIL) for her kindness. A friend used to remark that I should be happy and blessed - but it is strangely not as easy as it all seems. You know what I mean?
Perhaps, this is how God is enabling me to understand grace - and His love. A study of Nahum 1 yesterday uncovered an aspect of God's grace that I have not thought much about. While pondering on 1:2, "...and He reserveth wrath for His enemies..." I was reminded that God saved us from His own wrath! And if wrath is not for us anymore, but God's enemies... we are no longer His enemies; and if not enemies, then we must have been accepted as His friends, whom He is for and whose side He is on. Such grace is mind-blowing, isn't it? What have we done to earn such favour? Nothing. And what does God require from us in return? Trust. (Having said that, I need to learn to trust my parents-in-law. I am insecure that way, haha.)
A verse further on goes as such: "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7) Those who trust God are known by God in the most intimate way. Contrast this with "...I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers..." (cf. Matthew 7:21-23) In other words, "evildoers" must mean those who never trusted God - since God only knows those who trust Him. Even though these "evildoers" did much for God's Kingdom, they probably never relied on God as their source of life. They probably thought that their works would earn them escape from God's wrath - but didn't they know that the way of escape had been provided by God Himself? Or perhaps they had no confidence in that escape God had provided. Instead, they were pretty confident in their many works. Observe their attempt to convince Jesus ~ "Lord, Lord...have we not....?"
And so, they did not trust God - whether for their salvation or for their earthly lives. Consequently, God never knew them. Let us not be one of these "evildoers".
Talk about strong language!
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