Day 8 – A Moment You Want To Relive

Oh my this is a very tough one. Life gives so many great memories and there are many moments that you cherish. I'm tossing up between family camp, persecuted church or my 17th last summer. I think I'll choose my 17th since my family camp moment was rather solemn. Without family camp though I wouldn't be who I am but I guess my 17th reiterates it. Enough banter. I will write all three. Deal with it.

This year I celebrated my 17th; a rather odd year to celebrate it but I've never really celebrated my birthday ever, so it was still a special one for me. After having spent so much of the summer together with my fellow churchies who are like my family, watching movies, going to the beach, going to bounce and just having some good bonding time, I felt like celebrating my insignificant birthday with them anyway. With Nat's friend Bianca joining too we went and watched Les Miserables, in an absolutely blazing hot day. I remember having almost everyone close to me there at mine for dinner after, everyone except Yongos who was overseas who we skyped anyway!! That cover photo that I have of that moment after the peking duck and other delicious foods is probably one of the most sentimental photos to me. It reminds me, after my past, that I am never alone. Nor will I ever be. I remember every ounce of God's love for me because not only did he send his son to die for me, he gave me other brothers and sisters who I owe my life to forever. That night I couldn't be more ready to take on this year and any year ahead. It had been a little tough here and there in the past, but I moved forward that day, and slept with the greatest peace.

Family Camp. A 4 day camp replacing Easter Camp that turned out to be one of my life's most amazing moments. Having all the youth as well as the wise and energetic uncles and aunties all together as the church for a marvelous time and to be on an escape; a haven where we're surrounded by the ones we love and focused together on God. I think we experienced what heaven is going to be like when Jesus returns once again. Aside from the great games and friends, I remember we redid persecuted church, but with the whole church this time after 5 years. Following that spirit moving night, I took the lead, to start up another worship session where all were invited. To wreck up some classic Easter Camp worship that we had in the past. No practice, barely any music, just going as the spirit moves. Some oldies joined and they loved it. We were then lost in prayer for each other, and I remember we could take turns on the mic sharing. Joel came up and prayed for me. That moment is etched into my mind. Praying for me because I was praying for everyone else and he wanted me to have my fair share of love :) I was so touched and we grouped up after to pray for each other. I remember crying that night. I remember that night was the moment I remembered that God hadn't and never will leave me behind. I remembered that I would never be alone ever again in my life. Before camp I had suffered from depression that had ached me since Year 9. I remember that night that a massive weight lifted off my shoulders. I remember that I could choose joy because there were so many things that I could be joyous about. That was the night where my whole mind had changed. I knew that there was much more to life than myself and I could let go of all pride to put others ahead of myself for the rest of my life. 2 days after when camp finished, driving home, my dad told me he had witnessed me lead and take care of my friends, praying for them. For the first time ever, I heard those words: 'I'm so proud of you son". Oh man I think I want to cry now.

Persecuted church is my final story. In Year 7, back when I was just a child attending church for the sake of doing so, hating my relationship with my brother, mildly contented with life and immature, I went to my first Easter Camp. Every morning we'd had discussions in small groups, and everyone knew how much I despised my brother. I always thought I was so strong but I was weak beyond my very idea of myself. The second night we had persecuted church. It was where we pretended to be Russian Christians in the dead of night and fake guards (Trevor, Andy and Liang) were chasing after us. We were a church that though persecuted, never failed to meet up. We ran out and out in the moonlight and deep in the trees, there were benches like the pews of a church and we sat together. One lantern in the middle, someone began to sing. No microphones, one guitar, one church, one people. People began to sing and were lost in the notion that God is with us no matter where we are. With people all around, some crying, some huddled together in the cold praying, I remembered thinking: 'Why can't I be like this? Why can't I love as they do and see God as they do?' That was the very moment the Spirit touched my heart and I would remember that God is real. 'It's not the ability, but the choice.' I heard those words speak to me. I heard my whole life tell a story of callousness and unforgiveness. I had tried to be a good boy to my parents, thinking I'm so wonderful only to know that God is a God of grace and that I am his son; made to be graceful and loving like the Father. I remember letting go of my grudges, loving all those I come across and my decision to give my life for everyone else like Jesus. A banner still hangs above my wall today: 'This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.' - 1 John 3:16. I live by that verse. Similar to John 3:16, the verse that sums what we believe in, I dedicated my life then; to always be willing to love those whether they or others felt they deserved to be loved. To be kind, to have grace, and to be forgiving. That was a night I will always remember till the end of my days. That was the night I asked for Jesus to come into my life.

These three events are the momentous occasions of my life that I would love to relive. To remind myself of the God I choose to follow, his people that I choose to love, and his people that chose to love me.