I was looking at my reflection files and found the following reflection written when I was about to move from Vancouver to Toronto. I find this interesting specially that it’s been more than one year than I had been away from Vancouver. Reading it now reminds me of the goodness of God in any areas I am assigned. So here it is, throw back December 2011…
“I am starting preparing for my new mission area assignment and to start with, I started cleaning up my room and segregating things. I found out I had a bunch of trash accumulated for almost year and half that I had been in this area. I had more scratch papers reflections notes on it. I usually just write in any paper I find every time I have an inspiration. So I ended up piling scratch papers waiting for those written thoughts to be transferred.
Funny how it takes a reassignment for me to start actually segregating things and throwing up unwanted materials. Isn’t it like life, sometimes it takes external factor for us to realize we need cleaning up. Actually some of the trash I collected are just souvenirs of the places I had been to. It seems like unconsciously I wanted something I can hold about the place, a connection I wanted to maintain. We really are a relational being; wanting always concrete to hold on to. There are so many things we want to hold on to, like funny and memorable memories, cloud nine experiences, and even undesirable encounters that produces deep wounds and hurts that refuses to heal. Life will go on, whether we like it or not, so better move with it, with joy in the heart. Let 2011 be 2011, another lap in the marathon called life. If we made good memories then let it light our way for the new year and if we have some bad experiences then lets get all the learning’s we have, stand up again, pack up all the necessary things we need in life. It’s always good and healthy to look back, if only to learn from it.
I find it providential that my reassignment happens in the first week of the New Year, new start, new beginning. The Lord is really good because he always allows reset. If cleaning up my room makes my travel lighter, well this is the time to clean up spiritually as well, from sins, hurts and other emotional baggages. It’s tiring to journey if we are carrying a lot. The Lord doesn’t want us to carry heavy loads, He said in the bible “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” He wants us to enjoy the journey. Yes, there will valley of tears, but I would dare to say that all in all, this journey called life is fun. So let us throw the garbage, carry only what is necessary. Pack up faith, hope and love and move ahead with Christ.”