2023.05.27/28
From the Pastor’s Desk: Pastor Jeanie Auyeung
Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,
Psalm 103:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul; bless his holy name, all that is in me. Bless
the LORD, O my soul; forget not all his goodness. (New Bible translation)
The poet David repeatedly spoke to his own heart, reminding himself not to forget God’s
grace!
During the fellowship gathering of the past week, we offered thanksgiving to God through music and hymns. Our time is filled with joy when we give thanks to God.
The church’s annual year-end thanksgiving meeting also encourages brothers and sisters to count the blessings that God has bestowed on us over the past year, but we often hear people say that there is nothing special to be grateful for. In fact, we often have the wrong idea that we need to be grateful only when something special or important happens.
The Bible teaches us to give thanks in everything. “Everything” includes all things big and small. Not just the things that we think are good, which includes bad times, and also to give thanks for things that we may have taken for granted.
Some years ago, a family brought their two children to church to attend VBS. The two
daughters accepted Christ at VBS and they prayed to thank our Heavenly Father for dinner. The father got angry and scolded the child for not thanking him. But rather thanking God because the father was the one who provided their living. Later on, the parents also believed in the Lord and they was finally knew to pray and thank our Heavenly Father before meals.
Many times, we take things for granted we don’t realize, and don’t think of it as being
God’s grace. When I visited patients in the hospital, I deeply felt that being
able to eat and taste the delicious food is not an ability that we will always have. We often don’t know how to thank God and treasure something until we lose it.
I once saw an interesting news item — a 4-week-old little squirrel in the UK was
seriously injured by an owl attack in 2019. A wildlife rescue
organization discovered her and entrusted her to the Harrison family, who was experienced in caring for squirrels. They gave the little squirrel a cute name “Bella” and took good care of her until she recovered. In the spring of 2010, the squirrel recovered well and they released her into the wild. Usually, squirrels who have just left home for a week will return home. But after they have returned to the wild, they will no longer approach humans. Unexpectedly, one day, a familiar little figure was sitting at the front door of the Harrison’s home. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Bella! Later, Bella went home to visit them without fail for the next 8 years after she
was released into the wild. She even went home when she was pregnant. After giving birth to 3 cute baby squirrels and when they grew stronger, they returned to the woods together.
This heart-warming story reminds us that even a squirrel never forgot the kindness of those who took care of her. How can we, who have received the Lord’s love so freely, forget the Lord’s kindness? Let us learn from David and count the Lord’s grace one by one. God’s grace is truly innumerable to us, to our family, and to the church. Because of all the grace bestowed by God, we must offer thanks and praise to Him from the bottom of our hearts!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Jeanie Auyeung
