'Transform' - Camp 2012

Day 1:

Image of a person sifting for gems in a river with a flat basket (similar to gold panning) - I felt God tell me that we need to go deeper and be patient. It takes time to sift for jewels and we should not just skim the surface of the river but get past the layers of water, sand, gravel, broken shells.

It takes time to recognise when we've found something valuable because it may not stand out to us at first but as we realise what we have found, it motivates us to persist.

God's word (in the Bible or in rhema form) is like an unending supply of gems hidden for us to uncover as in a treasure hunt. When our fingers are finally wrapped around the precious stone, our hearts are delighted and so it goes that we look forward to digging up the next piece of treasure (revelation of His word and character) God has in store for us. 

This never gets dull unless we allow our minds to be sullied by the water, sand, gravel and broken shells, representative of the busyness and distractions in our lives; of our frustrations, hurts, unforgiveness and guilt. 

We need to make time to encounter God.

Day 3:

Vision of a hot air balloon still tied down - the people in the basket began to cut the ropes and release a few sand bags but each time they took one step towards allowing the hot air balloon to rise fully, they hesitated as the cutting of the ropes and letting go of the sandbags brought instability. The shaking of the basket brought discomfort to the people and they began to let uncertainty of the journey ahead hinder them from going further so the hot air balloon remained just suspended from the ground.

The ropes and sandbags represent different things to different people. It could be our need for control, our fear of the opinions of others or our lack of trust in who God says He is and what He says He can do. We prefer to remain grounded as it doesn't require leaving our comfort zone and what we feel is more sure.

This limits how far we can go in our walk with God. It limits us from experiencing what God wants to bring into our lives. It prevents Him from showing us more (imagine the incredible view from a hot air balloon).

It may seem frightening at first but the adventure is one of a life time and it will bring us much joy and fulfillment. We need not be afraid because God will take care of us. His love is unfailing and His sovereignty unparalleled. He is a good and trustworthy God, and His plans to prosper us and give us a future far surpass anything we could ever dream of.

It is time to let go of what is holding us back and give God our complete trust. It is time to let Him steer the balloon and not try to determine the course. We are safer in the air with God than on the ground without Him. It is time to let God take us higher. 

*****

Our recent flight from Singapore was the most turbulent I have ever experienced. The shaking and rocking went on for a good six hours or so of the eight-hour journey. As usual, my anxiety level rose and I looked over at Fab with great concern. 

Turbulence does not unnerve Fab in the slightest but he knows all too well that I'm a terrible traveler. My heart starts racing and my palms get clammy. I can't eat or focus and every ounce of energy is devoted to pleading for God to make the dropping sensation go away. Fab advised me to relax, which sadly is unhelpful in such situations but I did my best to pace my breathing and adjust myself in the seat to be as comfortable as possible. To my defense, I did notice other people on the plane looking quite uneasy too.

It has upset me that my mind and body respond this way, and that though I have prayed over this for more than two decades, history would repeat itself each time a plane or boat entered unstable territory or the car went over a large bump a little too fast. 

I wanted breakthrough badly so my prayer that night turned from begging to commanding this stronghold in my life to be broken. I may have stayed silent and still so as not to alarm any fellow passenger but there was warfare taking place on the inside. My anger grew louder than my nervousness and I said whatever I could think of to cut the wretched fear out of my life. 

I cannot say how long this went on for but a miracle happened. Peace entered and my thoughts settled. The plane continued with its rock and roll performance but my heart was unperturbed. I leaned back in my chair and ate the bun that came with the insipid stew (one must never expect much on a budget airline).

Sometimes I reckon God allows such experiences as opportunities for me to turn to Him, invitations to trust in Him and not try so hard to control everything in my life.  Reason being He knows it freaks me out not being able to determine the outcome of every event or prevent loved ones from getting hurt or sick. When I trust Him with my family and friends and with life in general, it takes the worry away.

*****

Church Service:

God reminded me of the passage about the seed being scattered but taken away and eaten by birds, and the verse in James that likens someone who merely hears the word but does not apply it to a man who looks at himself in the mirror but goes away and quickly forgets what he looks like. 

I felt Him tell me that we need to hold onto what God has begun doing in our lives and speaking to us about. It has been a long time since I have sought after God, and so naturally that long since I have heard Him through words of knowledge or prophecy or through impressions and pictures. God showed me His grace at camp this year by giving me three visions and messages. In the past, I have been satisfied with receiving such gems but then not making the effort to know God more or apply His word. This year I feel a greater resolution to follow Him more wholeheartedly.

With this last vision, God challenged me to not let the 'high' of our camp fade over time, but to make it the beginning of a new chapter. On a practical level, this means being a genuine Christian in my workplace. In other words, not gossiping or instigating gossip just so I can feel like I fit in. It means being an encourager and not being ashamed of my faith (which I can action by boldly praying for my colleagues if they are unwell or going through a tough time, instead of shying away and giving meaningless consolations).

I want to seek God for who He is and not for the blessings I desire. I want to behold His glory and be changed from the inside out. In this third vision, God also showed me a perfume bottle. He said it's pointless to leave the bottle of perfume on our table and not use it. We have to wear it in order to spread the fragrance. So too we need to clothe ourselves with the Spirit and live out God's word in order to make a difference where God has placed us. We were made to be atmosphere changers.

It can be very difficult to stand out from the crowd and be different from our peers. Who enjoys being the odd one out if it leads to ridicule and loneliness or persecution of an even greater degree? Yet God was encouraging us through the vision to remain firm in our faith by keeping our focus on Him. He will be our courage and give us the right words to say at the right time.

As we allow the seed of God's word to take root in our lives and become fruitful, our spiritual reflection will change. His love, presence and holiness will transform us from glory to glory.