the 3 step reflection program: past, present, and future

hello ladies.

i had to do a cram session on the reading this morning, trying to catch up on the missing days. i used to just skip the days i skipped, and jump onto the current date. but since it's like a story of moses and the jews, i figured i wouldn't want to miss out on something.

but i gotta say, reading the bible has always been a challenge for me, especially because of my short attention span. so reading 3 days worth of bible was like swallowing a dry, but very healthy, pill down my throat. (little bit. but maybe not as unpleasant actually. but you get a better picture thru exaggeration, in my opinion). so if you are like me and 3 days of reading seems daunting to you, i suggest you skip to todays because you don't want to miss todays.

the reason why we shouldn't miss today's reading is because it's very congruent with our favorite past time activity du jour: reflection. moses urge his people to stop and look back at their past. how much they had gone through and what they had to endure. these people were slaves. and moses got them out of egypt for what? 40 years of wondering in wilderness. however, moses remind them how God took care of His people. the time of wilderness was "to humble and test...in order to know what was in your heart." (v.2), to let us know "that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (v.3) God disciplined His people just like a parent disciplines his child. however, because our Father loves us, like a parent loves his child, he protects us.

just to briefly reiterate the future part, God urges us to keep His commands. and if we do so, He will continue to bless us with things unimaginable to our human mind. He will bless us and our children. However, we must keep in mind, that He blesses us because He loves us. not because we are so awesome and great. We need to stay humble and give thanks to God, our faithful God.

i went to berkeley, and it was possibly one of the hardest times i ever experienced. i never felt more incompetent and helpless in my life, in both studies and relationships. and i used to think i had it all. i thought i was the smartest and the most capable person i know. the world came crashing down as i was humbled and humiliated to the rock bottom. but now i know the time i went through was necessary, to be truly grateful for God's blessings and to be ready for His plan for me.

i gotta wrap this up cuz i gotta get back to work! i just want to say God never gives us more hardship than we can endure. and He won't bless us too much to a point where we'll become arrogant and ungrateful. we are at a great time in our lives where we can stop and reflect how God has provided for us in the past, and how we can keep His love in the future. i pray that God's love will flourish among us today, as it did in our past and as it will in our future. love you both.