Such
a
love
is
Those who have glimpsed the truth of the
One born at Bethlehem – in the faces of
strangers who are so precious, and in the
faces of precious ones who can be such
strangers – will follow Him. As His image
bearers, they will walk as He did into the
world’s darkness, and throw themselves as
He threw Himself for the love of a dark
world. It is a selfless love that defies all of
our selfish nature. But by believing against
all odds and loving against all odds, we
will let Him be shown in the world, and
transform it.
THE FACE OF JOY
A FATHER’S TRANSFORMATIVE LOVE
Samuel (pseudonym) first dabbled with drugs on his
fifteenth birthday out of a desire to belong with his
friends. As the only child of his father’s current
marriage, Samuel grew up lonely. His parents worked
tirelessly and their aching absence from home lodged
a chronic belief that unlike his friends who could be
there for him, they could not. This quickly proved to be
an illusion when his “brothers” abandoned him to face
the consequences of his drug habit and trafficking
alone.
But abandonment was not his foregone conclusion as
his father was there for him, through all four of his
drug-related incarcerations. He would hire a lawyer,
post bail and visit his son in prison. Samuel’s initial
immunity to this repeated display of forgiveness
finally caved in to his father’s desperate last resort.
Upon discovery of a new stash of drugs (just before
Samuel’s fourth arrest) his father offered to buy it all,
to save his son from surrendering his will to the
tyranny of trafficking. He went on his knees and
pleaded with Samuel, “If my death can bring about
change in your life, I would rather be dead.”
Samuel’s heart broke. He was confronted by the depth
of his father’s love and it became his turning point for
potential change. He was resolute, “I want my dad to
be proud of what I’m doing”. Not one to pay lip
service, he wrested personal growth from time behind
bars, and voluntarily extended his prison sentencing
by five months so that he could study for and complete
his O’ Levels. He excelled, scoring a string of A’s. He
holds his father’s trust in high regard. “For the past
eight years, I have been disappointing him. To earn
back his trust is very precious to me.”
How irreplaceable is the love of a father, which refuses
to give up on his son and compels him to change. It is
what makes life wondrous and rich, even hopeful. But
no matter how beautiful, life itself does not have the
final gift to give for it cannot promise, “Truly, I say to
you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
out of this
Photo credit: Alice Donovan Rouse on Unsplash
With tears in her eyes, Aunty Lois, a staff of Tamar
Village (YWAM’s ministry to the red-light district)
lamented, “Joy, when I go up to heaven, I want to see
your name there.” Joy, who was used to watching her
deepest fears realised in what appears to be a brutal
and uncaring world was stunned that someone would
cry for her.
Seven years ago, her life was a perpetual mess. Unable
to repress her uncontrollable desires, or even act in her
own self-interest, she indulged in worldly pleasures that
mocked her name. Instead of bringing her much needed
comfort, they vanquished her joy and left her struggling
with depression and suicidal tendencies. Her compulsive
dependence on drugs, smoking, drinking and a lesbian
relationship easily trumped both her reason and her
morality.
Raised in a dysfunctional family, the mark for normalcy
was associated with violent fights that saw her parents
fling chairs and tables at each other. She seldom saw
her six older siblings who had either moved out or were
busy gambling. Life at home inevitably created a void in
her heart that she did not know how to fill. But under
Aunty Lois’ benevolent and intentional watch, Joy
would soon familiarise herself with a radical love that
was long denied from her. They would run into each
other around Joy’s apartment in Geylang and Joy
would accompany Aunty Lois on her street walks,
astounded by the immense kindness she dispensed to
the street ladies. “Even though they cheat her and lie to
her, she keeps helping them. No one can be that stupid,
right? Why does she still do it?”
This was an incomprehensibly stark contrast to the
world she knew, where money always triumphed over
her welfare. When her mother died, she sought solace
in her friend’s home in China, in hope that it would be a
safe place to grieve. But her friend’s mother chased her
away with harsh words, “If you have money, then you
can talk loud. If not, shut up.” Upon returning, her
friends in the back alleys of Geylang cheated her of the
little money she had for rent. In desperation, she took
the risk and became a loan shark runner. The money
earned was substantial but she would spend it as
quickly as it came, on every distraction that could
obliterate her overwhelming pain.
Joy would soon discover that the truest luxury is a
revelation of God, and God met her in His truth and
comfort. Whilst smoking in a back alley one day, she
looked up at the swirling smoke and saw an image of
the Father playing with His little girl, swinging her in
the air. Joy realised that this is God’s heart for her – she
is His little girl whom He delights in.
The hallmarks of divine intervention continued to shine
with candour in Joy’s life. Caught red-handed for the
illegal handling of work permits to Chinese street
ladies, Joy should have been sentenced to at least
three to seven years in prison, but fervent intercession
by the team at Tamar Village demonstrated that the
prayers of saints can mitigate one’s ineluctable fate.
She remembers the parole officer telling her, “This case,
you confirm supposed to go to jail one. Don’t know why
it was dropped. You better go be a good person from
now on.”
As she committed her life to Jesus, Joy’s life began to
change. The seduction of illegal businesses lost its
allure and she eventually left the trade. Drugs, smoking
and drinking also became a lifestyle of the past. But the
process was not easy and she took years to overcome.
She gave up many times and ran away, but her huge
church community constantly encouraged her to
persevere, rejoicing every time she walked back to God.
Aunty Alice, a staff at YWAM, fostered her and became
her spiritual mother. With the support of those walking
alongside her, Joy did a DTS (Discipleship Training
School) at YWAM Singapore and her heart opened
wide to the mission field.
As she taught and played with the village children in
the city of Palembang, she felt a joy she had never felt
before. She realised that happiness and contentment
were not as elusive as she was led to believe when one
has little. Currently a DTS staff, a deep sense of joy has
gradually introduced itself into her life especially when
she is out on the field. She now knows that God is her
Father, and to see Him is to know that His kind of life is
the only one worth living. Out of the moments of her
secret grief and pain, He calls her to the self He would
have her become.
Come He did, to heal and save.
And joy to the world for the Light
of the World has come.
world
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