Knights and Princesses

I was excited to attend the Women’s Retreat, but with sadness, wasn’t able. But I am happy to be part of the service team (only before and after the event and not a full time ST due to my holidays and schedule)…’nuff explanations!

I did not want to miss the chance of being part of this lovely event, so I decided to leave Habtour Hotel in Dubai Marina at 115pm and reached Ewan Hotel in Sharjah few minutes before 2, just right on time for Ate Sam’s talk.

After the retreat, I watched the AVPs, I heard feedback from our SFC bro and sis and I saw the snapshots taken. I saw many knights and princesses, heard their stories, witnessed different kinds of hearts, and perceived different beauties lying within them…

What a Beautiful Empty Frame

Most of the time, our fascination with beauty, whether consciously or not, is a reality we are all living in and out. I think there's something in us that desire for beauty. Sometimes, we are like an empty frame hung on a white wall. Looking at the empty frame, we do not know what to fill it with. It seems that nothing is worthy of such a picturesque fragment.

With all the beautiful sceneries, pictures, paintings, collages – we do not know what to put on that frame. No doubt they are all beautiful in their own unique ways. But somehow, even such awesome speechless beauty doesn't hit the achy-breaky spot within us. They just don't measure up.

Come to think of it, our yearnings for beauty, for a better word, for things to be beautiful, are actually a yearning for acceptance - a yearning for love, a yearning for God.

Only God can fit that empty frame on our white wall - because He is beautiful, because He is love. Remember, we were created with a God-shaped hole in our hearts that only God can fill? That empty frame on our white wall is reserved specifically for that overwhelmingly and extremely beautiful and stunning God.

I praise Him for His beautiful creations: the people I meet (no matter how lovable or unlovable they are), the wind caresses my skin, the challenges I have, the wonderful relationships my parents have, my complete senses, the opportunity to laugh (until I cry), the smooth road I have to take everyday on my way to office, the rising and setting of the sun, the SMS I received that doesn’t say ‘Etisalat’...


Beauty is Like Music

People always say God looks on the "inside", and that it is the "inside" that really counts. God pays much attention to our soul - our character.

But He also pays attention to our physical appearance. You can't deny that God also looks at our "outside". He knows the number of hair strands on our head, knows the blood type we have, the colour of our eyes and skin, the length of our legs, etc.

Think of the music that you listen to, the kind you enjoy and love. Personally, I love sentimental music, love songs, ballad, music from the 80’s, bossa nova, emo songs. That music is beautiful for me, that is the epitome of perfection. To me, that genre is beautiful.

I cannot physically touch that music I like, I can't hold the music in my hands. But I can hear it, it gives me goose bumps, especially when I hear my favourite songs- Somebody being sung by Depeche Mode. But I can't touch it. This track gives me roller-coaster of emotions ride, I can tap my finger on the table or on the steering wheel but I can't touch it.

The closest I can get is by touching the medium that holds it - the CD, the iPod, the laptop. These media all look, feel and presented differently. CD covers have different designs, iPods are customisable, and they have differently designed cover pages. They appeal to different people. All are beautiful in their own right.

I think we are like music, either you are a Knight or a Princess.

God made the physical body to house the soul & spirit. We sure look different on the "outside" but we are all beautiful in our own right. As I mentioned in my talk (during Natcon) we are all beautiful in God's eyes simply because He made us. There may be many reasons why God made us physically the way we are. Maybe it is to reach out to that one person who otherwise wouldn't talk to anyone, maybe it is to keep our substance in check (it should not always be the ‘form’), maybe to be His servant leader…

But I am 100% sure how we look like on the "outside" should not engross us from the real beauty of God.

No matter how we pretty or ugly we think we are it should lead us to God.

A beautiful heart and mind is a powerful thing and tool. Heart and mind grow sharper and stronger each passing year, while the body dies.

As the body fades to dust, the soul and the spirit remain. That is what we are. That is who we are.