I haven’t been having it easy in my life since I finished national service. It’s been tough because there have been constant arguments breaking out in my family about me going to Australia. I guess not all of us is ready to let go. Plus nothing was confirmed at this point to which university I was going. Honestly, I had reached a point where I just wanted to give up. I told GOD, I wanted out.
But something happened today which put me back into place. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone or having big issues to face. Here’s how my interesting sunday turned out.
It started off with a raining and pouring sunday morning. I got up and rushed off to find a cab so I could get to serving in children church on time. But given that it was 8 odd, the chances of getting a cab in my area is way less. Not to mention harder given the rain. So I waited. It was almost 8.30 already. Any later I would have to call a cab. But somehow in my heart, I wanted to wait a bit more. There’s was something for me installed.That kinda feeling. To see whether can have a chance to not pay extra for booking.
But as i was about to press 65221111, a red cab came up. If I recalled, its sign wasn’t lighted to say it was occupied or empty. But it came, thank god for the providence. What i thought would be a normal ride to go to church, turned out pleasantly different. I told the uncle 356 tanglin road (actually its 355) without saying Grace AOG. To my surprise, he knew where it was and he asked me. Boy, why you going to church so early? So I told him. I’m serving in children church And the conversation moved on from there.
As he was driving rather slowly. We spoke and shared about our lives. He initiated another conversation. He told me that he was a born again christian and that he attends this church. So I asked him, what time was your service? He said it was 11 and that he was out to earn a bit of money before picking up his family for service. As we hit at Upper Bukit Timah, he started opening up to me more about his life. What I heard, shocked me. He told me his life story. He said that his wife was in depression and that his daughter was born blind. When I heard it i didn’t know what to say or how to react. I remembered he kept telling me. He trusted god. It was because of him, he is what he is today though there were many times he questioned and wondered why.
He said through such trails and temptations. Only god can change someone and work. I agreed and I jokingly said “Wow..If i were in your shoes,would i have such faith to continue on as well..I give my hats off to you uncle and I can see god working in your life…”
(There was something he mentioned there after but I decided to cut it out to respect his confidentiality)
I told him over his worries. I told him to present it to god constantly. God hears you though he won’t promise you an answer immediately and maybe he is teaching you something. Something like waiting upon him, moulding you along the way. He thanked me. To add to it, I said when we become christian god never promised a bed of roses. In fact, Jesus and his disciples also faced trails and temptations. When we are christians, sometimes we find we face more than we want to compared to others. But. The amazing thing is this. God is with us..he doesn’t present us something we can’t handle right? The taxi driver started laughing candidly.
He started sharing more about his family. His wife was permanent diagnosed to be unable to recover from her depression in the early years but she was able to recover such that she was able to work at NUS for 15 years before the relapse. It gets better. His blind daughter is able to play the piano well enough such that she can serve in youth ministry and even be able to play in front of ministers for charity events, etc. She managed to go for a diploma and did well enough that they rewarded her a sum of money and she is doing her further studies now. Amazing isn’t it?
It was almost the end of the trip and he asked what was my name. I told him my name was Jonathan and he asked more about my ministry and family. As he dropped me at mobil station, the cost was 11.20. I told him to take 12. I felt convicted to give him more but he wanted only to collect 11 stating that I was a student. He cant take more than he should. So i told him and insisted, “Uncle, I should bless you with 12. I’m working part time so 80 cents can be a blessing to you more than to me.” He took it with joy. I ended saying. Uncle, I hope to meet sometime soon again. Come more often to my area on sunday i joked. I told him i was praying for him, his family and assured him that he was not alone. God loved him as well. “Take care, god bless you” was my last sentence to him as I closed the taxi door.
At the end of the day. I was moved. I was moved to the extent of wanting to just fall to my knees and cry. I had never been so shaken from a sharing..Why? Cause. I’ve been thinking my situation was dire and bad. But here’s this uncle, in a situation probably a million times worst of than me! Trusting god more than I do! Believing, having faith that moves. Through this incident, god reminded me. He is always there. He reveals himself in the most unique ways and that we are the ones doing the moving, not him. As I write and recall this, I have very strong emotional feelings. The past few days have been crazy enough. But god allowed me to be spoken through this taxi driver.
This is not the end of this blog post. I called a fellow cell member to share with him that night after what happened. Before I could finish the story or explain further, he asked is it the taxi driver with the blind daughter who plays the piano. I was stunned. So I asked, did you meet the same cab driver? He said it wasn’t him but his sister. At that point, she was in a situation as well. So I now knew what this taxi driver ministry was.
Who am I to compare? I have been given beyond measure. I am blessed enough.
Jonathan "Jonah" Liew 