POTs

Have you heard of POTs?

Losing a ‘limp’

A familiar noise woke me up yesterday. I groped around to search for the source of the noise, which seemed to come from under one of my pillows, and found that it was from my worn out Sony Ericsson T610 which was ringing and vibrating violently. Who can it be at 6.00am on a Saturday morning? Grabbing it immediately, I looked at the caller ID number and it was from the hospital’s accident and emergency department. Yes, I was on call and it did not end until 8.00am. There was an urgent case that needed immediate attention at the emergency department. So, picking up my clothes, I scurried to the main entrance where the red zone of the emergency department was located.

A young man was lying prostrated on the trolley with two drips running on both his arms. Looking down, I noticed that his right leg was wrapped with a piece of cloth (the familiar sterile green cloth used for dressing). Opening the cloth, I was shocked to see that the whole of his right leg was crushed completely into pieces. He was bleeding profusely and a temporary tourniquet around his thigh was applied to prevent further bleeding. There was no way to save his leg, and it was not the issue at the moment because his life was at stake. He needed surgery and he was wheeled into the operation theater for an amputation.

Losing a limb paralyses a person. That person cannot perform similar tasks nor have the capability of doing the same function as before. That person is said to be crippled, and his disability can only be compensated with a prosthesis or a false limb.

Many times, crisis or life events leaves us crippled, just like losing a limb, it paralyses us. We leave, not knowingly, being injured and hurt. And we carry over this debility with us, running away from the fact that it changes us, to be less of what we can be, should be or ought to be.

Healing from Him, is not like a prosthesis or a false limb, which can only restore partially. Healing from Him, is complete healing. Just like how he heals the blind and the crippled, he can heal you wholly, if you allow him.

“You are set free from your infirmity”

Are you ready to lose this ‘limp’ today?

When I am Sad

When I am sad, what will I do?

Sadness is something people don’t fancy about. People avoid talking about sad things, and sometimes they avoid being with someone who is in grief. Sadness brings an ill feeling inside. But everyone would have gone through this feeling of sadness before.

When I am sad, I avoid it and run away from the situation. I do something else to occupy my time. I watch a movie. I get involved in sports and activities. I break away from the daily routine and take a holiday. Sometimes, I work longer hours and work harder. I do all these to keep me preoccupied and to take my mind off the sad thoughts. But is this the way to overcome sadness?

When I am sad, I express it out. I pour out my sadness in wrath, rage and anger. I express in irritation and discontentment. Sometimes I demand sympathy and attention from others. Sometimes I relentlessly complain to others. But is this the way to overcome sadness?

When I am sad, I keep it hidden. I detach myself from the presence of others, to be alone, to lament by myself, and to cry by myself. I endure it with my own will and my own strength, hoping it will be suppressed and gone someday. But is this the way to overcome sadness?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

When I am sad, I turn to God. I present my worries to him, through prayer, and depend not on my understanding but his decision, not on my effort but his strength, not on my needs but his will. With this I can have peace, the peace of God which is not found in positive thinking or absence of good feeling, but comes from knowing that God is in control of our lives.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

And with this understanding, the circumstances may still be the same, but I am no more saddened, because I know that this is his will, and he will only want the best for me.

What is Love?

Someone asked me this question “What is love?” Is love so hard to find in this modern and post modern world? Is love exemplified in the song popularized by Black Eye Peas, ‘Where is the Love?’

Love can be defined as a ‘tender and passionate affection for another’ or a ‘deep and strong affection for another’. Does it mean that love is governed by this thing called ‘affection’ or ‘feelings’? Can we love another person when we don’t have this ‘affection’ or ‘feelings’? I think love is a choice we make. We choose to love another whether we have these strong feelings or not. We are capable of loving another without any restriction of race, culture or religion.

Everyone is searching for love. I think love is everywhere. It is easy to find if one do not reject love. Love is a language, an action, and a thought, and it is happening every second of our lives if we allow it. Then why some say that “It is so hard to find love?” Maybe, we reject love when our pride, envy, jealousy and self-centeredness take over. Love is patient, love is kind, love is generous, love is humble, love is courteous, love is unselfish, love is good temper, love is righteous, and love is sincere.

Love is sometimes a sacrifice. At times, I had to let go of something or someone, because it was not the right place, the right time, the right situation or the right decision. And this can hurt a lot. It is because of circumstances and not because of unlovingness.

Sometimes, love is rejected. The pain of rejection can be so much and so tremendous that it paralyses and it cripples. It makes one numb to love. It makes one avoid love. It makes one fear love. I do pray that I will not be chained by this… and continue to love.

Let us love one another, because love comes from God.

Distance

Distance can be a measure of separation between two things, place or point in time. It can be a space between two objects. For me distance is something that challenges my patience, perseverance and resilience. It makes me ponder about my priorities. It makes me appreciate those special moments when distance was not an obstacle.

Will distance make me grow weary of my love? I hope it will not. I hope that distance will only make me long for your love more. Longing that one day you will be close to me, lying beside me, holding me in your arms.

So, let distance be something special, something that we can appreciate more and something we can cherish someday.

Windows

I had an argument with my mom this morning about windows. Reflecting on this ordinary ornament, I realized how much it applies to my life. Sometimes I prefer it closed, sometimes I open it up. Occasionally, I hang up curtains to beautify it. Often, I place blinders to mask the room within. Some windows are new and fresh. Some are broken and worn out.

I hope that my window will be always opened; for His love and grace to work within my tight little room. So, when will I resolve this matter with windows?

Why Green?

So, why green? My personal favorite colours are black and blue. Why green then? Is it because of its sense of nature? Or because of its taste of freshness? Green reminds me of someone I love so much. It's her favorite colour. And she is such a wonderful gift from God. She is overflowing with abundant love and joy, and I am blessed to be a part of this. Isn't green such an amazing colour?