KNOWING

One Thursday afternoon, my family and I were watching a movie starred by Nicolas Cage. The movie was entitled "Knowing".

The story was about a man (Nicolas Cage) who has a son who got an envelope from a time capsule in school. This envelope, along with other envelopes distributed to other kids in that school, were written or drawn by students of that school 50 years in the past. The man (Nicolas Cage) saw the paper which his son got and, on that seem useless night, realized that what was written on that paper was a prediction of major disasters in the world. In it was written the date, location, and the number of people who will die in that disaster. So far, all the predictions came true for the last 50 years.

The climax of the story was him knowing the exact day "everyone else" will die - the end of mankind.

While we were watching this, my son Matthew just said, "Dad, people have a lot of problem, right?"

That statement really strucked me because, even if I knew that problem is eminent to people, my son said it in a deeper yet profound way that would make you think again.

People do have problems...

John 12:31 "Now judgment is upon this world..."

Who doesn't have problems and conflicts and sorrows? I guess the hardest thing to having problem is not really the problem itself but KNOWING.

KNOWING the possible effects and results of a problem. This is what bothers us! We worry because we know there will be consequences. How good is it to not know and just accept things the way it is as God allows it.

I guess this is why God did not give us the ability to see the future. If so, then there will be more chaos. People worry about the things they do not know, how much more if they already know what will happen? And even if we know the future, we do not have the power and ability to control it. Even if we have the power to control it, we do not have the ability to do the wise things...OUR WISDOM IS FOOLISHNESS TO GOD!

PRAISE GOD BECAUSE HE'S IN CONTROL!!

Frustrations & Worries...

It seems like we are experiencing a series of 'unfortunate events' - so the world sees it. My son, Matthew, was sick for amost a week last week. After that my daughter, Annika, got sick with a temperature of 40. She got sick for a day last week and then she was sick and weak 5 days now.

Human as we are, my wife and I are worried especially with the outbreak of the A(H1N1) virus and my kids are considered high risk; aside from their ages (8 & 5) my son is asthmatic and my daughter have unknown allergies. Yesterday, we brought Annika to the hospital and our fear were confirmed - she has dengue (which is actually worst than the A(H1N1) virus if you come to think of it.

For a moment there I was frustrated. I didn't know what to feel. I wanted to be angry but I don't know where to be angry. Will I be angry at myself since I waited 4 days before I admitted her to the hospital? Should I be angry at God for these series of unfortunate events? Do I even have the right to be angry? If God is doing this because He loved me, can He just love me less?

But then I woke up to my senses...

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Have I forgotten what God has done in the past for us? Was it easy to just forget how God has made a road out of the dessert for us when everything seems hopeless? Would I just disregard how God has divided seas for us in the past when things seems impossible?

What I'm experiencing now is just 'nothing' in the hands of God...

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million. It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6. A baseball in Mark Mcquire's hands is worth $19 million. It depends whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands. A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship. It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal. A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea. It depends whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy. A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon. It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands. It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse. Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world. It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because - It depends whose hands it's in.

(from the poem "Who's Hands")