Locks of Love III

It had been over two years since I last donated my hair. My hair had gotten long enough to donate again so a few weeks ago, I had another 12 inches of hair cut to donate to Locks of Love. It was wonderful to be able to do this again!

Before

 

After

Birthday

I had a wonderful birthday recently.

It was the best birthday in a number of years, not only because Hubby did a wonderful job planning the celebration as usual, but also because my way of thinking about birthdays had changed for the better.

When my grandmother passed way at the end of 2004, I developed this acute sense about death. It was neither a knee-jerk reaction to my grandmother's passing, nor was it an unhealthy preoccupation. I mourned, yes, but as I watched my grandmother depart this world at the hospice, leaving a permanent hole in my heart, I also had an incredible peace within me. While I was extremely thankful to be able to go back to Hong Kong in time to be with Grandma during her final days, I was also hopeful that I would see her again in heaven. Hopeful, because I knew a church nearby had visited with her at the hospice and shared Jesus with her. Although Grandma could not talk and I did not have her verbal confirmation that she had accepted Jesus into her heart as her Lord and Savior, the peaceful and beautiful way she passed let me know that she was safely in God's hands. Forever. As I thought more about death, I was also thinking more about heaven, about eternal life with Jesus. I wondered what it was like to be in heaven. Perhaps that is why MercyMe's I Can Only Imagine has remained one of my favorite songs (see video below).

Later, however, as my grief subsided and as I grew a few years older, I became more preoccupied with my journey on earth. At the same time, I was not enjoying getting older, and I became decreasingly open with my age. I was focused on the many goals for which to strive. Little did I know I was losing sight that my journey on earth was just that. A journey on earth. Without a doubt, I knew I was going to heaven after I died. However, I was not longing for heaven the way many first-century Christians were - and many twenty-first century fellow believers under severe persecution still are.

A number of years ago, Hubby wrote me a poem for my birthday and I loved it. There was a line about getting older and getting closer to heaven. I did not fully understand it at the time, but I think I do now. I was too preoccupied with my earthly journey, equating age with things I should be accomplishing. I am still getting older, but instead of secretly fretting over the times past and wondering if I have accomplished everything I should, I have learned that my focus is not on earth, but on heaven. For as long as I am here, I will do what God wants me to do to make a difference and to bring him glory. Yet, I also look forward to getting closer to my real home. My eternal home. I still wonder what I would do when I meet Jesus in heaven, but I have no doubt that I will love it. From now on, I will celebrate my birthday with joy, because it no longer means I am getting older, it means I am getting close to home.

I had a wonderful birthday indeed.

"Olympic Experience" (Part IV)

I was ready at the baseline to receive the serve. It went to the middle of the service box. I moved towards the ball and decided to return the serve with my backhand rather than running around it for a forehand. The return was just high enough to clear the net but was low enough to get past the racket of the net player. Her teammate (the server) did not get to it. The ball bounced twice.

We won the match!

What an exciting feeling! My partner and I had a big sweaty hug. Meanwhile, our other teammates from the sideline ran towards us on the court and we hugged each other. At the award ceremony, each of us received a medal. We even did the funny photo by biting our medals, like some athletes did at the Olympics.  :)

What a joy! The team effort was most wonderful. Whenever my partner(s) and I had a bad few points or games, we picked each other up. Whoever was not playing came along to cheer on the rest of us. When my partner and I had the tough loss, the rest of the team was nothing but encouraging. When my back hurt, my captain gave me a back massage to help relieve my pain. When we won the championship together, we shared the joy.

Loss and triumph sometimes go hand in hand. Looking back, I was thankful for the tough loss in my second match. It was the most disappointing for the first ten minutes after the match, but learning to deal with the defeat (quickly) made me a better tennis player mentally. The wins that came after also became much sweeter because I had tasted defeat.
 
As I mentioned in my first Olympics post, Chariots of Fire is one of my favorite movies. In the movie, when Eric Liddell's sister wanted him to return to mission work in China instead of going to the Olympics, he said:

I believe God made me for a purpose, and He also made me fast. When I run, I feel His pleasure.

My favorite line from the movie. I am no Olympian, but I think we can seek to glorify God through sports (tennis in my case). I was calm during our second match point in the last match, but the calm did not come from me. It came from God. And the backhand return? Totally God.

Off the court, I also had a wonderful stay with my hostess. Before booking, I was exchanging messages with the lady renting the room. At first, we discussed the room and logistics; but she soon opened up about her family. At her house, we had several great conversations, including one about her salvation. Before I left, she gave me a hug, and even a beautiful doily she made as a souvenir.

What a wonderful weekend.

Don't forget the Paralympic Games began today!