This is such an outdated post... I had been wanting to write this post long time ago, especially spurned by Pastor Lily being confered to a Pastor. But I lost my laptop & was "laptop-less" for about 2 weeks. So finally, here's a tribute to my 2 greatest leaders!!!
There are 2 leaders who impacted my life greatly. Pastor Aries is a spiritual "father", while Pastor Lily is a best friend I can always depend on.
I remember those days when I will sit beside Pastor Aries in his church office desk every Friday, helping him with simple administrative work & having personal bible study afterwards. He spent a great deal disciplining me, investing time & effort into my life.We can just sit anywhere in a public place & right there & then, he will speak into my life, and those embarrassing moments when I was so childlike that I will even tear (or sometimes even cry) in public because of his words of wisdom & care & concern.
10 years ago, I had some disappointments in our friendship due to some misunderstandings. Some of the cell group members had tried to sown discord because of their bitterness & I had listened to them foolishly. I drifted away from our friendship then, but he never gave up on our friendship despite my cold & childish treatment. He continued to love me unconditionally, & show me a father's love when my dad had passed away. Friends around me would often tell me how much he loves me. When I knew that he kept each & every of the cards (I wrote lots of cards & letters to him) I had written to him, & he would take them out to read often to encourage himself, I knew I was wrong about him. We reconciled back our friendship, & he became even more my trusted friend & earthly "father".
We had gone through tough times together. I was the cell group helper of N11, & cell group was doing so badly that there was only one member who turned up for cell group meeting -- & that was me! He could have just cancelled the meeting but he didn't because he believed that each & every meeting was a commitment to God. He was smiling throughout the meeting while I was tearing even during praise & word. He taught me a valuable lesson that day - to continue to be positive & smile at the storm. I was so discouraged that I was all ready to give up on the members & quit being a helper. But he refused to give up on me & them & he taught me how to reach out to them by investing in their lives the same way he had invested in mine. Most of those who didn't turn out for that meeting that day are now serving God actively in church. Many of them had became my close friends because he had taught me the important principle of investing in their lives.
He was the one who built up my spiritual foundation. Through all those time that he invested in me & gave me so much personal bible study that when I met many crisis in my life later, I could still hold on to my faith & smile at the storm. He had built everlasting fruits in his life.
My friendship with Pastor Lily started unusually. For the 1st 3 years that I known her, we were never close. We seldom talked outside of ministry & I only knew her as my ex-boyfriend's boss who's fierce & unapproachable & not approving of our relationship. I had my reservations towards her then since she had her reservations about me & my ex-boyfriend. 5 years ago, there was a big saga caused by my ex-boyfriend & he was making false accusations of Pastor Lily to me. Of course,being naive, I supported & believed in him since he was my boyfriend then & I hardly knew Pastor Lily then.
I will always remember that on a Tuesday after Easter week in year 2005, Pastor Derek called me into his office & broke the truth to me about my ex-boyfriend. Pastor Eileen & Pastor Tan also counseled me afterwards. I finally knew who was really the "bad" guy & who was really the "good" one. I finally understood that her reservations were out of love & protection for me. My heart was so shattered. I can't explain why but of all people, I just called Pastor Lily to see if I could see her in her office (then LifeWorks). I immediately boarded a cab to find her. She stopped all her work, just sat down with me while I kept crying. She didn't say much, but that was enough. That day marks the beginning of our friendship.
That year was very difficult for me, but she was constantly there for me. Her love & encouragements helped me walk through that dark period. I would have easily wallowed in self-pity, but she didn't gave me any chance to. Despite of the crisis I was going through, she would get me to lead prayer meetings every Saturdays, to give 3 bible studies weekly, & to serve even more actively in e ministry. Because she gave me so many chances to engage with God & into the lives of others, I was watered as well when I watered others. She taught me to live beyond my crisis.
She was also the one who "matchmake" James & me. We held a lot of reservations about starting a relationship with each other, & she is the one who told us to "go out on dates & try". Well, we tried, & we just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary yesterday! During our courtship years, we had our ups & downs, & she would conselled us & reconciled our differences. She was our wedding coordinator despite being so heavily pregnant with Aden then & that held a lot of meaning for our big day. She "gave" me a good husband, & in turn, a wonderful family.
When my brother was disabled last year, she visited us despite her busy big day church events. She fought for financial help for my brother's medical bill from CHCSA, & that meant a great deal to my family.
There are 2 leaders who impacted my life greatly. Pastor Aries is a spiritual "father", while Pastor Lily is a best friend I can always depend on.
I remember those days when I will sit beside Pastor Aries in his church office desk every Friday, helping him with simple administrative work & having personal bible study afterwards. He spent a great deal disciplining me, investing time & effort into my life.We can just sit anywhere in a public place & right there & then, he will speak into my life, and those embarrassing moments when I was so childlike that I will even tear (or sometimes even cry) in public because of his words of wisdom & care & concern.10 years ago, I had some disappointments in our friendship due to some misunderstandings. Some of the cell group members had tried to sown discord because of their bitterness & I had listened to them foolishly. I drifted away from our friendship then, but he never gave up on our friendship despite my cold & childish treatment. He continued to love me unconditionally, & show me a father's love when my dad had passed away. Friends around me would often tell me how much he loves me. When I knew that he kept each & every of the cards (I wrote lots of cards & letters to him) I had written to him, & he would take them out to read often to encourage himself, I knew I was wrong about him. We reconciled back our friendship, & he became even more my trusted friend & earthly "father".
We had gone through tough times together. I was the cell group helper of N11, & cell group was doing so badly that there was only one member who turned up for cell group meeting -- & that was me! He could have just cancelled the meeting but he didn't because he believed that each & every meeting was a commitment to God. He was smiling throughout the meeting while I was tearing even during praise & word. He taught me a valuable lesson that day - to continue to be positive & smile at the storm. I was so discouraged that I was all ready to give up on the members & quit being a helper. But he refused to give up on me & them & he taught me how to reach out to them by investing in their lives the same way he had invested in mine. Most of those who didn't turn out for that meeting that day are now serving God actively in church. Many of them had became my close friends because he had taught me the important principle of investing in their lives.He was the one who built up my spiritual foundation. Through all those time that he invested in me & gave me so much personal bible study that when I met many crisis in my life later, I could still hold on to my faith & smile at the storm. He had built everlasting fruits in his life.
My friendship with Pastor Lily started unusually. For the 1st 3 years that I known her, we were never close. We seldom talked outside of ministry & I only knew her as my ex-boyfriend's boss who's fierce & unapproachable & not approving of our relationship. I had my reservations towards her then since she had her reservations about me & my ex-boyfriend. 5 years ago, there was a big saga caused by my ex-boyfriend & he was making false accusations of Pastor Lily to me. Of course,being naive, I supported & believed in him since he was my boyfriend then & I hardly knew Pastor Lily then.I will always remember that on a Tuesday after Easter week in year 2005, Pastor Derek called me into his office & broke the truth to me about my ex-boyfriend. Pastor Eileen & Pastor Tan also counseled me afterwards. I finally knew who was really the "bad" guy & who was really the "good" one. I finally understood that her reservations were out of love & protection for me. My heart was so shattered. I can't explain why but of all people, I just called Pastor Lily to see if I could see her in her office (then LifeWorks). I immediately boarded a cab to find her. She stopped all her work, just sat down with me while I kept crying. She didn't say much, but that was enough. That day marks the beginning of our friendship.
That year was very difficult for me, but she was constantly there for me. Her love & encouragements helped me walk through that dark period. I would have easily wallowed in self-pity, but she didn't gave me any chance to. Despite of the crisis I was going through, she would get me to lead prayer meetings every Saturdays, to give 3 bible studies weekly, & to serve even more actively in e ministry. Because she gave me so many chances to engage with God & into the lives of others, I was watered as well when I watered others. She taught me to live beyond my crisis.
She was also the one who "matchmake" James & me. We held a lot of reservations about starting a relationship with each other, & she is the one who told us to "go out on dates & try". Well, we tried, & we just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary yesterday! During our courtship years, we had our ups & downs, & she would conselled us & reconciled our differences. She was our wedding coordinator despite being so heavily pregnant with Aden then & that held a lot of meaning for our big day. She "gave" me a good husband, & in turn, a wonderful family.When my brother was disabled last year, she visited us despite her busy big day church events. She fought for financial help for my brother's medical bill from CHCSA, & that meant a great deal to my family.
When she was conferred Pastor by Dr Yonggi Cho in Asia Conference last month, I sheded tears of joys in the service, even in the midst of praise of worship. I left Charis alone in church nursery (after much pleas & appeal to the nursery workers) for the first time in church because I want to be there in that service to witness her promotion & to cheer for her. She truly deserves this promotion -- not from man, but by God!
All these years, I had probably shared more secrets with her than anyone else besides James. I know I can always trust in her. She had been a rock in my life -- unwavering & always there for me.
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