A couple of days ago, our office receptionist called and said that someone had just delivered flowers for me. She also mentioned that it was from my church.
I was puzzled. Who from my church would give me flowers? I was speaking to one of the church staff earlier on, and she had jokingly told me that she would get the pastors to buy a gift for me because I was still having to go down to the church office every Saturday morning to sign cheques. Even though I am no longer the church Treasurer, the paperwork (LCEC resolution, update of bank signatories, etc) is still in-progress, so until that is finalised, I will still have to continue this routine.
Well, as it turns out, the flowers were not from the pastors, but from my previous cell group, 3L2!
Oh by the way, I have received flowers in the office before.My wife has a sense of humour (one of the reasons why I love her so dearly), and she sent me flowers for my birthday back in 2005 [talk about role reversal :-)].
My colleagues were very amused by this lovely gesture of hers. The flowers are currently hung on the pillar behind where I sit (just above the A3 poster with the pictures of our son clowning around.
Anyway, I am digressing, so let's get back to the subject of today's blog entry.
The flower vase had the label "Brother Malcolm Loh & Family, 'We All Love You', PLMC 3L2 Cell Group Leaders Eugene, Jane and Members" stuck on it.
There were also 3 neatly-wrapped presents tied to the vase
with a silver ribbon. On one of the presents was stuck a note that read, "Brother Malcolm Loh, Mum, Dad and Family, With Love, Vincent Chong, 3L2 Cell Group."Gifts that come when one least expects them are always pleasant surprises.
But what makes this gift all the more touching, meaningful and heartwarming is that it came from Mr Vincent Chong, the very brother whom I had been deeply hurt by my "spam" emails, and to whom I issued a public apology to.
And that, my friends, is the significant difference between the secular world and the Body of Christ.
In the secular world, when two people end up fighting or quarrelling, they would inevitably go their separate ways at best, or end up plotting and taking revenge to their third or fourth generations.
In the Body of Christ, the love of God compels us to look beyond our differences and seek reconciliation with one another, just like how God reconciles us to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.
Dearest brother Vincent. I want to record my sincerest thanks and gratitude to you for your most wonderful gift. I really treasure the friendship that we had built when we were both together in 3L2, and I thank God that because of His great love, we can put the unpleasant situation behind us and move forward.
Dear friends. Do be encouraged by this pleasant episode. Commit whatever broken relationships you have to the LORD (be it with a family member, or relative, or colleague, or churchmate, or pastor). In His time, God will restore them and make everything beautiful! Amen?
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