Day 16: Look around – what do you see?

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10:00 AM – The usuals and a sneak-browse

Work as usual. Fine day, fine me. One of my boys is celebrating his birthday today and brought us delicious mini burgers. I ate two! My appetite has been quite good for the past few days. I ate banana to start the day, the mini burgers, and a bite of chocolate-filling bread to go with my coffee.

The load is a bit low today, so I can both give responses to my users’ issues and browse the net to read some more about life’s issues and the Christian ways of dealing with them.

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03:00 PM – There is real hope for the future

When you look at the world, what do you see? What will you tell someone who asks you that question? Next question: what do you think about the future? Will you be skeptical or even cynical about it? Will you be scared? Will you be deeply concerned?

Well, I see many things that makes my heart sank. My country is in the top ten of the most corrupt countries in the world. Our economy is surprisingly not that good, considering the amount of natural resources that we have. We are also caught up in a cultural mess, where we are cut from our roots but have not yet discover our new identity as a nation. The incomplete westernization of my people has made my people culturally in puberty. We are adopting many of the western life styles, the good ones and the bad, including pre-marital sex, drug abuse, commercialism, individualism, secularism, and basically gradual separation and alienation from spiritual live. Yet, we still feel the need of religious society’s acceptance and approvals. So, TV with their infotainment sometimes makes me sick because of the people with no integrity and a whole load of hipocrisy on display there.

What scares me is the impacts on youth. If you want to destroy a civilization without hope of recovery, you destroy youth. How? Destroy them through the parents, make them live in broken homes, offer them instant fun, and prevent them to be nourished and grow spiritually. There will be no one left to pass the good values to and no future.

But, browsing through the net, I found encouraging news. There is a Christian 16-year-old who is so deeply concerned with human trafficking and children exploitations that he decides to fight for the cause along with the adults. There is a young Christian female musician who is promoting sexual purity. And just now, I found an article that revealed a research on how religious the world’s youth really is. The finding is very encouraging, especially for my part of the world, UK and the US. Our youngsters still have faith in GOD. That is a good starting point, no matter what the religion is. I believe, with the LORD’s help, many will be led to Christ.

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08.00 PM – The holiday with GOD

It’s been almost half the span of time I planned for a holiday with GOD. I have been led to many resources that help renew and heal me spiritually. I’ve learned so much already about myself and GOD and more. I’ve grown out of my depression. And, I have peace again.

A friend from the community that I feel I need to withdraw from for sometime just sent me a text message. She was wondering how I’d been. I know she’s one of the sincere people that I can find there. It touches me that she cares. But, I’m still thinking what to say back to her. I hope GOD helps me find the right words. I don’t want to keep a distance from the good friends, I just feel I need this period of semi-solitude with the LORD. I also feel that I am not yet fully recharged to deal with the pressure in that community.

Other than that, I am really enjoying this spiritual holiday with the LORD. I really am. Thank You, LORD.

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