It has been a while since the last time I had a chance to sit down in a quiet time to reflect upon my thoughts and feeling about my church journey. I would like to start by giving thanks to God and all the people who He had sent to cross path throughout my life – including the ones whom I genuinely wish that He had not lead me to know.
In life there will always be hindsight with its “perfect vision” of 20/20, which to me is what makes life fun, challenging, and exciting. Although we often hear phrases like “friends come and go”, what I had discovered and learned is that my experience with many in the past were not just mere friendship, but meaningful and true relationship of family, brotherhood, and genuine mentors. A Bible verse that resonates with me, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov 18:24). If the Lord grants me a wish now, I would still choose to go through the same experience with the people that He had put in my life.
At the age of thirteen, my family traveled a long journey and moved from Malaysia to Texas. One day, as I stood in my room of the new and unfamiliar home in Austin, which was still disheveled and cluttered with my belongings, it hit me that I could no longer easily reach my friends. A long distance phone call from Texas to Malaysia would cost $5 dollars per minute and it was impossible to have heart-felt conversations through a short, rushed, phone call. Once, I had a 2-minute conversation with a friend, which was my weekly allowance of $10 at the time. It was at that moment, I looked around and realized that I had to start all over again – at a new place, 10,000 miles from the comfort area that I was in.
In life there will always be hindsight with its “perfect vision” of 20/20, which to me is what makes life fun, challenging, and exciting. Although we often hear phrases like “friends come and go”, what I had discovered and learned is that my experience with many in the past were not just mere friendship, but meaningful and true relationship of family, brotherhood, and genuine mentors. A Bible verse that resonates with me, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov 18:24). If the Lord grants me a wish now, I would still choose to go through the same experience with the people that He had put in my life.
The need for genuine relationships and friendship among each individuals is real and recognizable, whether in the Christian community or secular realm. Such a need is well established in the Bible – Christians are meant to fellowship and worship together, because God never intended for us to live in isolation (Gen 2:18). I believe this need to connect with another human being is designed and written in our DNA!“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov 18:24).
At the age of thirteen, my family traveled a long journey and moved from Malaysia to Texas. One day, as I stood in my room of the new and unfamiliar home in Austin, which was still disheveled and cluttered with my belongings, it hit me that I could no longer easily reach my friends. A long distance phone call from Texas to Malaysia would cost $5 dollars per minute and it was impossible to have heart-felt conversations through a short, rushed, phone call. Once, I had a 2-minute conversation with a friend, which was my weekly allowance of $10 at the time. It was at that moment, I looked around and realized that I had to start all over again – at a new place, 10,000 miles from the comfort area that I was in.
I went to school shortly after and began establishing new friendships. The common interest at the time was basketball. I remember waking up super early in the morning to get ready with the goal of wanting to build connections in order to make friends. That first connection opportunity I found was on the basketball court. Soon after that, I found another connection to even more people and that was the Church. That was my first Church and it quickly became a home to me. Both places allowed me to get to know people of the same age and, in many times, with the same interest. However, as I grew in age and mature in thinking in regard to life, I started to notice my desire for a genuine relationship have changed. The basketball court no longer quenches this un-explainable void of desire. I still enjoyed the basketball court, but something was missing. I wasn’t quite sure what it was.
At Church, I started cultivating deeper relationships, unlike the ones on the basketball court. Conversations that easily lasted into the late night were frequent. Prayers that bless, encourage, convict and excite were common. My personal prayer time with God was very intimate. Common interests with brothers and sisters were opportunities for growth in which we could learn from each other. When we disagreed, it allowed us to grow and be stretched in the context of relationship based on respect and love. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov 27:17), and true relationship changes us for the better. Our God gives us the gift of friendship, not only because it brings us joy, but because it edifies us. It builds us up and helps us grow.“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov 27:17), and true relationship changes us for the better.
