【Tears Of My Heart】9. Tears of Friendship
Raymond Eng
No man has the power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. (Ecclesiastics 8:8)
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
I have a several friends whom I have known since my childhood, so we are all about the same age. One had a heart transplant, another had lung cancer, a third had a heart bypass surgery, and still another had bladder cancer. They labored their whole life and towards the end, they are wrangled by sickness. Each day, they have to take a lot of prescriptions just to stay alive. I feel for them. I recall when we are younger, how we played ball together, our carefree days, yet time flies so fast, we sigh at life’s brevity, to recall our youthful innocence days… I shed tears of friendship.
Indeed, human life is fragile, I sensed having good health isn’t an entitlement. Perhaps people will ask what is more important than health? Is it money? I don’t think so. Matthew 16:26 says, “If a man can gain the whole world but lost his own soul, what does it benefit him?” What can man do to exchange for his life? I know someone who is a cancer patient and he said to me, “If I can buy health with money, I am willing to give everything to exchange for a few more years on earth, yet, this can’t be done.” Indeed, money can buy you the best food but not good appetite; money can buy you a mansion but not the family warmth; money can buy a comfortable bed but not sound sleep; money can buy you entertainment but not joy; money can buy the best medicine and get the best doctor, but can’t buy health and longevity. Money enables us to buy the finest enjoyment, but not eternal life. Knowing God is more important than health.
Since Adam and Eve sinned, sin entered into the world. It created chaos and upset the world’s order, and the whole creation was cursed because of it. Since then, mankind has experienced death. But, if we are willing to accept Jesus as our personal Savior, through Jesus’s death on the cross, his sacrifice and great love, we can be reconciled with God to have eternal life. Therefore, I thank God! Though “my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26) Though on earth we shall experience aging and death, but because of Jesus we can enter into eternal life, it is indeed so much better to be with the Lord. Therefore, I like to quote a phrase from sister Yan Pui So, “Death, be not cocky, for I live much longer than you.” So, if you are willing to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can pray the following:
Dear Jesus: I confess I am a sinner. Thank you for your shed blood on the cross, to save me from sin’s bondage, so that I can be reconciled with God the Father, and to have eternal life. I am willing to accept you as my personal Lord and Savior; I ask you to cleanse my sins. I pray for the Holy Spirit to enter into my heart to help me to live a holy life. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Credit: Eng, Raymond. Edited by Angelyn Loh. Translated by Abraham Koo, Raymond Eng, 2020.
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