Have just come back from my nature trail with my friend. We walked from Labrador Park to Hortpark to Kent Ridge to Mount Faber. I did not enjoy the trip due to my running nose. Not only am I suffering from flu, I am also suffering from sunburn. My friend was also surprised by how fast my skin gets burnt under the sun. I am like a lobster now feeling burning sensation with aching legs and flu. Whenever I fall sick, I am prone to losing things. I lost my ez-link card which had a value of at least $10. Sigh! So, I had to get a new card which I had to pay at least $15. This is a small matter compared to nearly losing my boarding pass from Australia to Singapore during the WYD08 when I was falling very sick. Apart from all these discomfort and sickness, I enjoyed the walk as my body could perspire and I felt much better. It was also a way of losing weight since I have now turned into a fat cat. I thank God for the nice weather and the companionship of a nice friend. It was nice to have a friend to walk with me through the nature.
I read an interesting article from a Chinese newspaper. It was reported that the weakest organ of people born in my year is lung. I am not sure how true it is to the others. But, this is true to me. Since young, doctors have been telling me my lungs ‘cannot open’ (Don’t really know what they mean) which is why my respiratory system is weak. From the article, it mentions that it will affect the large intestine which affects the bowel movement. It is no wonder that I keep on getting bronchitis, respiratory problems, migraine due to lack of oxygen, flu, bowel problems, etc. Whenever I jog, I have problems breathing which causes my migraine often. The worst thing is it is air-conditioned wherever I go, be it shopping, MRT, buses, workplace, etc. What is enjoyed by the others is often a torture to my lungs. I really hate air con. It often aggravates my condition and I am scared of coldness. Some drivers blast the air con in the buses as if it is free of charge. I thought we are supposed to conserve energy!! Is it necessary to blast the air con until some of us are shivering in the buses?
In an organization or even church, if one or two people falls, it will affect the rest just like how my weak lungs affect my respiratory problems which affect my large intestine and brain and delivery of nutrients to my various organs. Being self centered does not help. If everyone in the organization or church ministry were to be self centered, not caring about the others and continuing forcing their ways ahead, the organization or church ministry will become weak. If nothing is improved, the people in the organization and church ministry will become sick. Sooner or later, the organization or church ministry may collapse. Nobody is God. Everyone has his own flaws who needs others to complement him. Unfortunately, due to self centered or pride, some leaders or individuals refuse to work with the others to keep the organization or church ministry healthy and grow. Some choose to work only with like minded people who tend to have the similar strengths as them, ignorant of the fact that the organization or church ministry can never have breakthroughs since people who are different from them can contribute differently and complement them and yet they are rejected.
Church is the body of Christ with all of us as different parts of the body and Jesus as the head, akin to different organs work together to keep the body working and growing. Since I have left the church, I am not sure if things have improved now. In the corporate world, it is sad to see that some leaders and managers see themselves as God and they become slave drivers to expect their colleagues and subordinates as God. Some leaders even push ahead even though their subordinates can no longer catch up with them. Can such organizations ever grow to be healthy? In fact, Christianity is even more essential to succeed in the corporate world. Why do I say so? How do organizations stand out among the competitors? Most organizations can offer similar services or products at similar standards. In this increasingly cold and individualistic society, more people are basically seeking more human touch and warmth. That is why social responsibility and commitment to charity to help the less fortunate ones have been promoted by various organizations with the aim of showing the public for being not just organizations going for profits but also caring for the people so that people will be touched by these organizations. Why do I mention that more people are basically seeking more human touch and warmth in this increasingly cold and individualistic society? Look at the emphasis on packaging one self, going for slimming programmes, plastic surgery, looking fabulous, etc. people want to stand out among others through the appearance so that they may get the attention that they need. They want heads to turn to take at least a glance at them. They want to be appreciated or even admired. That is why some people invest a lot of money on their appearances.
If an organization wants to succeed, I would suggest they turn to the bible for help. It is God’s guidance for us to be successful in life with the Spirit of Love instead of wars and destruction and fights. Some people think that the bible is outdated. In fact, these people are the ones who have missed the treasure with their tunnel vision. It depends on whether you know which part of the bible applies to which part of life. It is just like applying appropriate formulas to the questions in additional mathematics. The Old Testament looks at the history and how the various kings had ruled their countries and their outcomes. Running an organization is like ruling a country in a smaller scale. The New Testament teaches how to involve Jesus in life so that running an organization is not just about profits but also how to fulfil social obligations and love others in Christ way so that trust from the public can be won which creates a win-win situation between the organization and the people who are the potential customers or target audience.
I have left the church but I still strongly believe in the Catholic church and its tradition and teaching though I do not agree with what some leaders have done. I was talking to my friend who has a desire to get baptised and yet due to some situation, she could not do so for the time being. I told her about RCIA and explained some Catholic teaching and tradition to her. While talking about it, I felt great joy about just merely talking about Catholicism to her. But, I also try to manage her expectation, telling her Catholics are not perfect and some leaders may even make mistakes as all of us are still human beings with sins and we are here to continue to grow to be closer to God. In my conversation with some Catholics, especially the newly baptised ones, they get out of the Catholic church when things are not as perfect as they have visualized or painted. People err does not mean God is powerless or the whole church is corrupted. I explained to her that all of us have free will to choose what we want to do. Some of us choose to go wayward. A person can only serve one master; God or self. I mentioned abit about confession and the beauty of Easter Vigil with the baptism of elects. This is the least I can do for my friend. Hope that she will be able to be baptised. It is a joy to hear that she has always wanted to get baptised.
Ok, time for me to rest. I am too exhausted from the walk and my flu. The sunburn is adding temperature to my body. Rather stuck now. If fan or air con blowing at me, I sneeze nonstop and my flu worsens with body aching. Without the fan or aircon, my body temperature goes up with my skin burning with pain. Arrggghh! What should I do now? Never mind. I have signed up for Safari 6km Fun Run which will be held on 5 February 2012. Hopefully, I will not fall sick again. I will start my training on this Thursday in the stadium. My hiking today was considered warm up for the run. Actually, I prefer to have my training at East Coast Park since I have always loved the sea. Due to my weak health, it is better for me to train myself in the stadium so that there will be people around just in case I faint or anything were to happen to me. Never mind. I will train myself in the stadium first until my health is strong enough for me to train in East Coast Park where it is more peaceful with less people and seaview. Now, I am looking forward to my final panel interview on next Monday. Hopefully, I can get the job. Then, I can start anew in my career.
With Love,
Elena
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