Ask for a sign
I had a really enjoyable long weekend. Saturday started with breakfast with Josie and Arnaud by the beach at the East Coast Lagoon hawker centre. Josie was rollerblading earlier. I didn’t join her because I slept late and I still have that pain on my coxic bone after falling on my bum from rollerblading last Oct.
Josie and I went to watch MI3 in the late afternoon. The movie was jam-packed with action. There was no space for a breather and I felt tired-out afterwards. Growing old or what?
But let me tell you about Sunday. This will be a long one. Here goes.
I still have not decided on which church to go to so I decided to join Josie at Church of Our Saviour again. The last time I went it was Easter and Easter services are really not representative of what goes on during normal days.
I jumped into a cab because I took the bus the last time and we were late. I asked the cabby to take the fastest way because I will be late. After telling him where it is, him telling me he thinks he knows where it is, etc, he asked me:
“What time is your service ah?”
“10:30”
“But miss ah, it’s only 9:30”
“Huh?”
“You take bus oso can reach lar”
[head bang]
I was so afraid I’d be late again! COOS is really far from where I stay, so the cab fare was about S$11.00. Ouch. I’m literally traveling from east to west. And I sighed at the thought of this being a weekly expenditure.
I reached the church at 9:55 as we took the expressway and there was little traffic. The cabby recommended I go to the famous Margaret Drive chicken rice stall at the hawker centre next to the church. “Very nice wan. Got award some more. Here I give you the card. My friend’s shop.”
I was so determined to get a seat close to the stage but found out that it’s a special service- again!
This time a Rev. Kobus Van Rensberg came with his family from South Africa. He is leading a healing service. I stood at the TV and watch the live telecast from the sanctuary as the first service has not ended.
People were walking from being wheelchair-bound. I didn’t like the Rev’s hair and I didn’t like how cocky he sounded. Just my luck!
Josie and I sat upstairs instead. She had wanted to be downstairs and go for healing prayers but I told her she needs to register first (there were ‘patients’ registration tables at the foyer) and she said nevermind.
The sermon was actually quite engaging. It went along the lines of why not ask God for signs. It isn’t the domain of Old Testament times, he said. I agree because I believe in signs.
After the sermon he asked those who need prayers to come down orderly. I am not exaggerating when I said almost the whole church (about 2,000 ppl in one service) went down for prayers! Kiasu or what??
Miracles did happen. The first person Kobus prayed for was this heavy-set uncle on a wheel chair who has not been able to walk for five years. Almost immediate after two sentences of prayer, he was walking. The whole church clapped and people at the balcony rushed to the banister to look. I was really touched. Others were also, as I could hear sniffles.
In my mind ran the thought that it is not only the lame that was set free, but also the care givers who actually suffers as much as the afflicted. The uncle refused to stop walking. He went on and on, and clapped his hands.
Josie and I were transfixed standing at our places. At one point I felt the urge to kneel. People at the banister cleared out and I went there. Standing, then kneeling. Kobus told the people that it is not he that heals but the Spirit. If the Spirit is here so is the anointing. And if the anointing is here, anyone can pray and heal.
So I prayed for my grandma, whose knees are completely worn of the gel-thingy. She faces pain everyday and minimises her movement. Her agony is also my aunts’ and mom’s. (Somehow all the sons successfully feigned ‘I can’t handle this’).
I felt good after the service.
I remembered the chicken rice stall and made Josie go with me. We had to wait half and hour for hawker stall chicken rice. But it was good. I must say this is one of the rare times so far that I am not disappointed with Singaporean food. The rice was good and the chicken was good.
We went to Queenstown Shopping Mall afterwards because my cross trainers are giving up on me after that tennis lesson. They were old to begin with, and I used them extensively. HC and I went there a few weeks back and he recommended I get the Adidas Barricade 4, which is “the best tennis shoes” at this point in history and even Maria Sharpova wears it.
Let me qualify that I am not seriously getting into tennis although I did enjoy the lesson. I just needed a pair of sneakers and it makes sense to get a pair that allows for all kinds of sports i.e., I can wear tennis shoes to the gym, but not any sneakers will do for tennis.
We went around the whole complex- no UK size 5 left. The whole complex that sells nothing but sporting apparel and goods. I was so disappointed.
To be honest, I really like the Barricade 4 because it is pink and lavender. It’s really the most beautiful pair of sports shoes I’ve ever seen. So pretty!
One of life’s greatest tragedies is that you are willing to spend the money but can’t get the stuff.
I tried another pair of Nike tennis shoes- it was purple and pink but it has an ugly button on the tongue. And the tongue was irritating the base of my sheen (what’s that part called?)
So I got this other pair of Adidas tennis shoes. It has orange stripes on plain white background. Ok, I make it sound worse than it is. Josie likes orange. I like the price- half of the Barricade 4’s. Plus, they have my size and because of the size factor, it was most comfortable.
I was happy again.
On the bus ride home (and it was a long ride), I slowly enjoyed by attap-chee ice cream bought from the uncle by the roadside. I got the front seat at the upper deck and I was enjoying the view. Ah… the simple joys of life.
After a while I got to thinking about the sermon again. I left out something up to now. I had a manifestation of a dream again.
It happened right after worship, when Kobus came up to introduce himself and his wife, and then his wife spoke a little. I could tell for a nano-fraction ahead of time when she would say word for word. And it was the longest manifestation I had. They usually just happen for one or two seconds. This one lasted maybe 10 seconds.
That night, I woke up at 4:30 and felt some sadness. Went to the toilet, and when I got back, my phone beeped. Text message from Chloe!! She said she had settled well in London and got her new number. I was gladdened.
On my pillows and under the sheet, I started to think about the manifestation again. What does it mean? Is it a sign I should attend COOS? Lord, did I ASK for a sign? I think I asked for Him to show me which church I should go to, and I had hoped it would be New Creation since it is the most convenient one for me and I had liked the service.
Didn’t get a restful sleep.
Next morning, as I was getting ready for work, with no good reason my hand reached to press my coxic bone. There was no pain!
Did I press the right spot? No pain anywhere! I kept checking the whole day if I would experience pain. NONE. ZILCH. NADA.
This is the pain that comes if I sit too long, or lie too long on my back even on a soft bed. This is the pain that is searing when I sat on a bicycle I wanted to buy (which I didn’t, of course).
I had wanted to wait for it to heal by itself and not want to make a specialist visit and make an insurance claim two months into my job. But it had gotten slightly worse in the last few weeks. I even got to thinking: If I should ever get pregnant I would really suffer. This from a person who tells people it is a better idea not to have kids.
It is gone. The pain, I mean. Bye-bye.
Stumped. Awed.
I’ve had prayers answered before. I’ve had my prayers for other people answered, too. But when a healing miracle happens to your own BODY, it really is something else.
Stumped. Awed.
Called grandma and told her about the Rev and my prayer for her. She doesn’t believe. Even if I am healed! But I am hopeful.
Emmanuel. Emmanuel. Emmanuel.
