感恩分享 | 歲首到年終的感恩 Thanksgiving from Whole Year 2022
申命記11:12節“耶和華你神所眷顧的，從歲首到年終，耶和華你神的眼目時常看顧那地。”當我們靜悄悄地沉寂於一種忘我的忙碌中，這時我們常常會忽視時光的存在。當我們抬起頭來看春夏秋冬又回轉一圈。一眨眼，又來到季節的溫暖（the Season’s Warmth）。有時我們耐不住這份沉默的時光。有時又堅忍地留下來，卻又被這份寂靜拉長了影子。然而我們始終是上帝的兒女，正是在這樣的沉靜中那些點點滴滴、無聲無息和微不足道的時光，慢慢構建了我們的生命品格, 成就在上帝中我們的形象樣式。
記得自己是孩提時期，盼快快長大，盼時光縮短，恨不得能再生出一雙翅膀飛躍在時光之前。后來，與父母互動的溫情使我們盼望時光凝固在溫馨剎那的時間中，一生期望品嘗那一刻親情的甜蜜。成年了，歷經了愛情的卿卿我我，成家養孩，各處奔走，不知不覺地時光像一溜小跑，進入慢慢回味很多昨天發生的事上。兒女長大出巢讓期盼大過對他們的美好回憶。這其中日子無論感受到凝滯，緩饅或加快，亦是一種心境的經歷。感謝神，上帝給我們一生都如一幅畫，不同成長的時間段，給我們繪上不同的色彩，讓我們以不同階段的角色體會上帝在其中的心意。前幾天和一個弟兄談起養家的重任，知道他三十多歲，孩子小，中間過程非常的辛苦，非常的不容易，但上帝在這階段給我們的重任不是僅僅供給吃飽穿暖而是要尋求上帝的智慧如何將一家人帶到神的面前。我和劉平已經走過了那個階段，而進入下一個階段。雖然在其中的角色發生改變，但有一樣就是上帝在其中參透的美善都是一樣的。我們都是耶和華所眷顧的，祂的聖靈與我們同在，祂的眷顧都是細微周全，全天候二十四小時每時每刻的，眼目不僅看顧我們，也看顧帶領我們來到“去，使萬民成為我的門徒”的應許之地。這個應許之地無論是“耶路撒冷”“撒瑪利亞”“猶太全地”還是“地極”，
上帝的心意是一致的。上帝必會讓我們日子如何力量也必如何。感謝神，神讓我們的經歷那一段時光，都讓我們看到祂為我們翻開的篇章都是何等奇妙無比。
“法老讓百姓去的時候，非利士人之地的道路雖近，神卻不領他們從那裡走；因為神說，恐怕百姓看見戰爭后悔，就回埃及去。/ 所以神領百姓繞道而行，走曠野通往紅海的路。以色列人出埃及地，是列隊上去的。”（出埃及記 13:17-18）
這段經文常常提醒我們，知道神在祂帶領中有時安排一切的環境，一方面來磨練我們的生命，另一方面來實現祂自己的計劃。這裡感受到神以不合邏輯的方式，差遣和帶領我們看似讓我們走到絕路。耶和華大能的手以十災神跡奇事將神的子民領出埃及，然而並沒有以最快的和最便捷的路領他們出來，而是領他們進入被“四面圍困”處境，神卻突圍困境，祂在其中得榮。過去的一年，我們很多方面看起來也被困住了，四面受圍，然而藉著祂帶領讓我們穿過曠野，見証了祂的大能和榮耀。
過去的一年對我們來說，讓我們感受到日子小卻又大；淺卻又深；輕卻又重；浩浩蕩蕩卻又不動聲色。慢慢在艱難中耕耘，沒有驚天動地，在日落日出之間永恆地按照神的時間和秩序流動著。日子每天都在變化，對我們似乎滯靜狀態，可是神讓我們看見每一天都是新的，祂的信實廣大。
過去三年，疫情改變了我們很多，也讓我們在其中經歷祂的帶領，無論我們在2021年述職期間各種出入境的繁瑣和不變，還是宣教工場的改變，也經歷各種壓力和張力，很多無法敞開的心中難處，但神讓我們能為祂服侍這裡的民眾，就是一種幸福。常常在心身靈透支時，時常就有各處弟兄姐妹們送來一句關切的問候，伸出一雙溫暖的手，幫助我們一臂之力走出處境，心靈上得以舒展。感謝神，神的靈將我們以愛相連，在信心，盼望和愛中，讓我們固執、虔誠、堅韌地走這條路，生命卻以我們全然沒有料到的另一種面目呈現於面前，超過我們所求所想。感謝神，在心緒布魯斯時，祂就賜下天邊那抹淡淡的斜陽，就像一朵花，一縷微笑，便使我們如品香茗，似飲甘醇繪下一幅欣慰的圖畫。
常常會想念各處的弟兄姐妹們，知道自己生命的各個時段是和不同的你們每一個連在一起。有直線時間的，更多是重疊的空間。知道在我們感知到或沒有感知到時都為我們的處境禱告，經濟和全方位的支持。感受到一家人裡愛的溫暖。所有這一切都在我們的心裡蒙上一層淡淡的暈光。透過這些都化做一種生命內裡深廣的欣慰和平安。有時這份溫暖帶著從神而來的愛和恩典感動我們，讓我們在極深極深的心底有莫名的顫動，常常不能自已。也讓我們不敢鬆懈手裡所做的工，單單為著滿足神的喜悅。感恩有你們在不斷地鼓勵，支持，幫助我們宣教事工，關心關懷我們個人的各類處境，雨季的濕度，疾病的疼痛，孤獨中憂懵，靈裡的軟弱，毒蛇蚊虫侵擾，酷熱難熬，柬語學習的緩慢，還有那看不見的惡者的攪擾，… … 感謝神，有你們在一切生命處境中陪伴幫助鼓勵，我們一起成為宣教的同路人。
詩篇65:11“你以恩典為年歲的冠冕。你的路徑都滴下脂油。”
彼前2:9“惟有你們是被揀選的族類，是有君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國度，是屬神的子民，要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。”
每到這個時候，數算主恩會讓我們明白，神時時將時光中的美好饋贈給我們，就像經文中提到的為我們以恩典編織冠冕，心中涌出的盡都是作為萬王之王萬主之主的王子公主的那份實在。我們的血性讓我們看到眼前，常常會為生命中軟弱，事工中的緩慢，有力使不出來的壓抑，很多無形的力量會有喘不過氣來的感覺。但感謝神，當我們此時互相鼓勵，看到自己在神眼裡的王子和公主的地位時，看到我們是“被揀選的族類，是有君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國度，是屬神的子民”就知道我們被神賜的地位何等尊貴時就不住地感恩。因為祂一直都是耶和華尼西的神，祂是我們的旌旗我們的得勝。祂的應許成為我們時時處處的保障。祂是耶和華以勒的神，祂在一切的供應和預備上讓我們看到祂的信實。祂感動眾多弟兄姐妹和教會為我們一切的需要供應源源不斷，為著我們住處環境和生活上的方便，為著那些我們自己都沒有意識到的細微需要。感謝神，我們還沒有做出什麼，我們已經不得不以感恩的心傾吐從歲首到年終神的眷顧是何等豐富，超過所求所想。猶如豐盛的慈愛如脂油滿溢流出，不僅福杯滿滿，而且借由我們滿溢給更多的人。感恩能為主而活就是學習保羅“知道怎樣處卑賤，也知道怎樣處豐富，或飽足、或飢餓、或有余、或缺乏，隨事隨在，都得了秘訣。靠著那加給力量的，凡事都能作。”(腓4：12—13)。
感謝神，過去三年疫情也讓Ping沒有機會能去看望在國內的86歲媽媽，更是近期醫生診斷她患有老年痴呆症前期症候群。開始她有點無法接受，問了神很多“為什麼？”然而，當我們一起思想神從來都不會把事情搞砸，也從來不會處事不當，我們豁然明白“我所做的，你如今不知道，后來必明白。”（約十三:7）我們唯一該做的，更加信靠順服。
我們很看重的互動，慢慢學習放手的功課。過去與兒女互動一直很多，進入宣教工場后兩地時間差，再加上孩子們工作學習很忙，與以往不同了，他們不會按照我們過往想要他們網上見面禱告就會立刻進行，而是不斷與他們安排特定時間才有交談禱告祝福。看到他們長大成熟，我們在學習更多放手的功課。這一年來與他們的經歷，讓我們無時無刻體會對孩子們的各樣擔憂和憂慮需要交給神。人的愛有限，神的愛長闊高深。我們每天都為他們禱告求神的靈來帶領和保守他們，神的愛護要好過我們做父母所能做到的。我們知道一切的經歷中天色不常藍，但“神卻曾應許：生活有力，行路有光亮，作工得息，試煉得恩助，危難有賴，無限的體諒，不朽的愛”。因神是愛，祂指給我們行走的路徑都滴下祝福的脂油。
上周六和成人團契弟兄姐妹們分享聖誕信息—祝福臨到“牧羊人”看到當耶穌基督為要與卑微的人同在，為要經歷與卑微的人一同成長選擇了馬槽降生，選擇了木匠的家庭，而且榮耀尊貴的萬王之王萬主之主降生以后神竟然第一個特地差遣眾天使向處在最底層的牧羊人宣告神兒子誕生的消息，而且不是差遣一位天使。這裡讓我們看到神的做法跟我們世人完全不同，神先把無名小卒卑微不被人看得起的放在首位。而后牧羊人的舉動成為我們今天應該效法的榜樣。首先，牧羊人敞開他們心接受，沒有心生懷疑。聽到好消息就憑著信心決定往伯利恆去，看看神所指示的事。第二，牧羊人立刻馬上放下手中的活，毫不耽延的去尋找尋求。第三，牧養人在伯利恆最終尋見了那臥在馬槽的嬰孩耶穌。知道祂是上帝的獨生子，認識祂，跟隨祂，神就大大祝福他們。最后，他們不是隻是停留在那裡或散去，而是這群無名的牧羊人竟然成了第一批傳福音的使者。於是便把基督誕生的大好消息傳開了。路加福音2章17節說：“既然看見，就把天使論這孩子的話傳開了。”這也是每年我們慶祝聖誕時要像牧羊人一樣，不疑惑憑信心，尋找就尋到，尋到就真正看見，然后帶著祝福將好消息傳講出去，成為“去使萬民成為我的門徒”更大的祝福。
願神祝福大家！祝大家聖誕快樂，年年蒙恩，福杯滿溢！
2022-12-19
Peace be upon you there, Brothers and Sisters in Lord!
Deuteronomy 11:12 "The eyes of the Lord your God always watch over the land from the beginning of the year to the end of the year."
When we quietly fall in a kind of busyness, we often ignore the existence of time. As we look up at four seasons going back and forth again. The Season's Warmth in the blink of an eye arrived at the front of me. Sometimes we can't pay attention on this silent time. Sometimes we stoically stay down, but we are lengthened by the shadow of this silence. Providentially we are children of God, and it does be in this silence and so the insignificant moments haltingly mold our life characters to present our image in God.
I remember that when I was a child, I wished to grow matured quickly, also wished time to shorten and a pair of wings to leap ahead of time. In the following years, the warmth from interacting with our parents and siblings made me look forward to enjoying the time and wished freezing the moments forever into my memory. And since the time I had been prepared for viably tasting the sweetness of family moments for a lifetime. As an adult, I experienced building up my own family, raising three children, moving over internationally, and unconsciously time was gone like a trot, falling into gradually recalling many old memories. More recently our children flied out of the nest, and they have a wider and greater vision. We expect then to continue to make good memories from them in the Lord’s love. Whether the days are stagnant, relaxed or accelerated, it is all set up of mind. Thank God for giving us a clear picture of our whole life, through different stages of life, and letting us paint out with different colors in Him. Experiencing God in different stages enjoys our moments in spiritual richness and fullness. A few days ago, I talked to a dear brother through Zoom about the responsibility of taking care of a family. Although his family is in its early stage that means his children are very little, it is a heavy duties for accompanying members to grow matured both physically and spiritually, which will take time-consuming attention on the routines, but the picture that God gives us at this stage is not just to provide food, clothing, and physical warmth, but also by seeking God's wisdom on how to bring whole family to truly God. We have gone through that stage and moved on to the following stage. Although the stages have changed, the key thing is the unchanged goodness that God wants to see in it. As God’s children, we are all cared fully by God and He is with us in Holy Spirit. and His care is meticulous, 24 hours a day with His eyes not only on us, but also on the places where he wants us “Go and make disciples of all nations." Whether it is in “Jerusalem,” “Samaria,” “Judea,” or the “uttermost parts of the earth!” God's mind never changes and He always called us to go wherever you go to make disciples. In Him, our strength will equal our days.
Thank God that He allows us
to go through that time and
owing to our answering
His calling God starts
new chapters for us.
It's so amazing.
" When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.” (Exodus 13:17-18)
The scripture verses often remind us that God arranges some circumstances, on the one hand to hone our lives, and on the other hand to complete His own plan. Here we can sense God sends and leads us in illogical ways, which seems to lead us to a dead end. Jehovah’s mighty hands led God’s people out of Egypt by ten plagues, but He did not lead them out by the fastest and shortest ways to the promised land. He guided them into a situation of being “sieged on all sides.” God broke through the adversity by His Might, which shows He was glorified in it. In the past year, we seemed to be trapped in many ways and besieged on all sides. However, through the wilderness by His leading, we greatly witnessed His power and glory.
For us, the past year has made us feel that the all the days seem small but big; shallow but deep; light but heavy; loudly but calm. Our hands slowly cultivate everything in difficulties, and God’s hands flow eternally insides following God's time and order between every sunset and sunrise. It changes every day and seems stagnant to me, but God allows me to see:” They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:23) In the past three years, the Covid-19 epidemic turned us over a lot, and it lets us undergo His leadership in it. Whether it was cumbersome and changeable during the 2021 furlough journey in Canada and USA, or acclimated to new mission field, there had been also various unseen difficulties and pressures, which in our heart could be deposited. But God sent us here to serve the Khmer people in the remote village for Him, which surely is full of happiness. When we were exhausted physically, mentally and spiritually, the brothers and sisters from all over the world often sent their caring sentences and shared their warm hearts to help us go over the firmness, which greatly relaxes our hearts. Thank God, the Holy Spirit connects all of us with His love, and grants all we need in faith, hope and love, and accompany us by walking the mission path faithfully and firmly.” And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8). Now all God did for us exceeded abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Thank God that He timely supports us whenever we were under hardship. The sun in the sky is just like a flower, or a smile often made us feel as we drink fragrant tea and draw a beautiful picture that greatly comfort our hearts.
We often miss my brothers and sisters everywhere, knowing that we are connected each other by God’s love differently in every stage of life, which is in linear time or in more overlapping moments. We can feel prayers for our situations, see they are cheerful givers to financially support us. We feel beyond the warmth and love in a family. All of them cast lots of beautifulness on our hearts, which is transformed into a kind of deep comfort and peacefulness in life. Sometimes this warmth we feel from brothers and sisters moves and trembles our bottom of hearts because it is from the love and grace of God. As long as we think here, we often cannot control ourselves. This also reminds us work in the field as hard as we could, just to satisfy God. Thank you for your continuous encouragement, support, and help in our missionary work, caring for our personal situations, such as the humidity during the rainy season, the pain of illness, the worry of loneliness, the weakness of the spirit, the infestation of poisonous snakes and biting of mosquitoes, and the extreme heat during dry seasons as well as slow process for learning local Khmer language, and the interference of the invisible evil spirits, …
Thank God, because of your company, help and encouragement in all life situations, all of you become our fellow missionaries to co-walk the spiritual way together.
Psalm 65:11 "You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance."
1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
At this special season, counting the Lord’s grace will let us understand that God always bestows the goodness of time to us, just as God weaves crowns with His grace for us it here mentioned in the scriptures, and all that comes out of our hearts is the truthfulness as the King of kings and Lord of lords treat us like His prince and princess. Our sinful blood always lets us see what is faced in front of us, and we often feel out of breath because of the weakness in life, the slowness in ministry, the depression that cannot be exerted by strength, and many invisible things. But thank God, when brothers and sisters combine us to encourage each other at this time, when we surely redetermined our status as princes and princesses in God’s eyes, we see that we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” and how honorably we are in the positions God gave us. For He has always been the God of Jehovah Nissi, our banner and our victory. His promises provide us safeguard at all times and in all places. He is also the God of Jehovah Jireh, His faithfulness is for provision. He has touched many brothers and sisters and churches to support us for all our needs, for our living convenience, and for those small things that we ourselves are not aware of. Thank God, although we have hardly done anything yet, God still pour out His blessings to us from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, which exceeds what we asked for. We would like to express deeply our thanks to Him. It is the love of God that has been overflowing with bounty, not only the cup full of blessing, but also one to flow over onto more people through us. Paul showed us model for how to live for the Lord, as "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13).
Thank God, the Covid-19 epidemic in the past three years has also prevented Liu Ping from being able to visit her 86-year-old mother in China. Recently, the doctor diagnosed her with early dementia syndrome. At first Ping cannot accept the situation and asked a lot of "why?" However, when we prayed for days and thought that God never screws up or mishandles anything. This lets us suddenly understand that " Jesus replied: You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (John 13:7) The only thing we should do is to trust and obey God.
Attention on children too much is slowly to blur our vision. We have to learn how to let them go by themselves. For all our children, we had always interacted with them a lot. Since entering the mission field, we could not do like before. Because there is time difference and the children busy with their work and study, we were not easily to communicate and pray online as often as before. Instead, we keep praying for them every day. It is so happy to see them grow up and mature in God. We need change our attention less and less on them, we now ask God to take care of them and hand over our worries to God all the time. Parents’ love is limited, but God's love never changed and they can be with God every time. May the Holy Spirit lead and protect them, and God's love and care keep them often in God. It is clear that the sky is not always blue, but "God promised us to live with strength, light the way to go, rest after work, help out of trials and dangers, infinite mercy and grace, and eternal love." Because God is love, the way He walks with us in His abundant blessing.
Last Saturday, I shared a Christmas message with the brothers and sisters of the Adult Fellowship，from Luke 2:8-16. the shepherds in the mid-east wilder saw many angels of the Lord visited them and the glory of the Lord shone around these shepherds.
God first sent angels to announce the birth of the Son of God to the shepherds who were thought at the bottom class, but not to the people in the upper class. Here we can see God’s approach completely different from that of the world. God first consider the people of the lowest bottom. The action of the shepherds became the example we should follow today. First, the shepherds open their hearts to welcome the angels and accept the good news without doubts. Then they immediately decided to seek and verify with faith by going to Bethlehem. Thirdly, they saw the baby Jesus lying in a manger in Bethlehem, which the angels had told them. The shepherds finally knew Jesus is God and just willing to believe in Him. God greatly blessed them. In the end, the shepherds didn't just stay there or went back to the wilder, but the shepherds became the first missionaries to spread the Gospel around. Luke 2:17 says: "When you saw it, you spread the word of the angel about the child." So when we hear and believe the Gospel in our hearts, and then preach the good news with blessings, we would becomes greater blessings on “to go and make disciples of all nations".
May God bless you all! I wish you all a Merry Christmas, be blessed with the cup overflowing every year!
2022-12-19
