Psalm 127:4-5
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
El Prince will leave to the university in six months. As mom I tried my best to prepare him. I thought him all household errands, cooking, cleaning, laundry, ironing, folding clothes. How to cook all his favorite food.
We went to a supermarket. In a quest to show him fruits, vegetables, spices all kind of things with all the names. He was 15 at that time.
He asked me how to choose a good fruit? The ripe one, the sweet one? Hmmm good question. “Honestly, mom doesn’t know. I am not good in this. Every time I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to help me. Then I chose what my eyes delight and my hands touched it’s good.” He smiled and said good idea, mom.
Since my children were small they knew if they came to mom for questions, for help, for anything. If I didn’t have the answer, I always say I will pray or let’s us pray. Pray was the word and the posture they always hear and see.
I didn’t chase them away when my time to pray. I let them play in the room. They never disturbed me, I think they knew because they played quietly or just lay down near me. Every meal time I pray with them since they were baby.
As they grow bigger we prayed together. I open a map of our country and teach them to pray for cities, nation and people. I open a map of the world and let them pick which country they want to pray. Which people group they want to pray. Listen to the news and pray after we heard things that happened in the world. I want them to know how to pray and there isn’t such things of what to pray. I want them to experience first hand what they prayed is matter to God, God hears and God answers. I involved them to pray for sick people. I let them lay hand to them without fear.
My desire is my children will fulfill the divine destiny that God has for them in their life time.
I equipped them with what I think they needed to hit the bull eye. Of course Rose and El Prince have different divine destiny. But I sure each have a huge and awesome purpose in this lifetime.
Every night since they were babies I read them bible stories. When they can read I encouraged them to read it every day and every other day I chose a chapter, we read and let them shared which verse spoke to them.
I bought a globe to show them the world is large, pointed where we are and how far we can go. Rose loves traveling, when I write this she has been travelled to 43 countries. I took them for an adventure up high to the mountain, sea, rafting, swimming, many more.
I also taught and played with them many games; Chess, UNO, Scrabble, Monopoly, Checkers and more.
For each them I trained and taught different arrowhead. I introduced and encouraged them to try new things as they like to do. All those will become their arrowheads to their divine destiny.
I would like to share one of the arrowhead, prayer.
I wanna buy a new winter coat, the one that I was wearing is time to rest, lol. I have been looking around for few moths, still can’t find that I like. Winter is still months ahead so I’m not in a hurry. One afternoon after Rose has finished work, we went to the city. I like one long coat with a hoody, I never had coat with a hoody before, I just don’t like my hair get messy underneath it hahhahahhah.They have four colors; black, brown, navy blue and dark green. I tried it all and brown is the nicest on me. The price was 149,99$ not expensive at all for such long coat. But I was hesitated because this coat is bulky, bubbling coat. They have nice rubber belt at the waist so it’s quite slim and feminine. But still not my first choice. I said to Rose, I don’t really need it now let’s wait until it’s on sale. She answered, “Mom, you might not get the color that you want in your size.” “It’s okay.” I replied.
About two months after that, it was Sunday we were at the mall for lunch after church. We spent the afternoon watched a movie. By the end of it it’s time for dinner, when we walk to the restaurant there is the shop who sell the coat. Lucas said, don’t you want to look mom, maybe it’s on sale now. So I went to the shop by myself while they line up at the restaurant.
Surprise….surprise…the coat is already on sale, now is 74,99$. I was very happy. Less than 2 months they already sell that half price and winter is still couple months. I looked at the racks, only left black and green. Not one brown at all. All green in XL size, all black in S size. I quickly walked to my children, they were still in the line. I told Rose to check online shop and see if they have brown color and size S, my size. She did it, they don’t have brown color at all, only black in L size. Lucas encouraged me to go back to the shop and just buy the black one in my size. I did it and put on the black coat, I didn’t like, it’s look not nice on me. I back to them, they were still in the line. After dinner, Lucas wanted me to go back to the shop. I checked at their counter if they can find the brown coat with size S in their shops in town or in different suburbs. The guy kind enough to check, sadly not one brown coat in store.
I just let the coat things go.
On Thursday morning when I was singing a worship song to put my grandson Adriel to sleep. I heard in my ears audible voice. I knew is God. “Olive, do you want the brown coat?” I said in my heart…hmm….I like it but a little bit bulky. I heard His voice again. “Olive, do you want the brown coat?” I knew from the past experienced if God spoke more than once must be very important, I have to pay attention. I answered, “Yes Abba Father I want the coat.” He said, “Open the website of the coat.” I quickly looked for my phone, where I put it? With my left hand I hold Adriel bottle’s milk, my right hand hold the phone. I never bought things online, I didn’t know what to open or how. I googled, tried to open here and there. Finally I got the website. I looked for the women coat…not easy for me. I a bit panicked. Then…I found it. Yes I saw the coat and they have it in brown and S size, my size. I also see the black color all in L size. I didn’t know how to order it. I put down the phone. I used pillows and blanket to hold the bottle, I didn’t want Adriel wakes up. I ran down the stairs, Rose was downstairs. I told her fast and asked her to open the website. She screamed, “Mom, your brown coat on sale and have your size. Do you want it?” “Yes, please buy it for me. Thank you.” I rushed back to Adriel, he still in deep sleep.
Rose sent me the confirmation of the coat through my email. Then out of curiosity I opened again the website…..wow now they don’t have any coat, no brown….no black. Seems just know only for me.
It was Thursday…..Friday….Saturday was weekend….Sunday. Monday just before lunch, the bell rang. My coat in my hand now. So excited. I can’t wait to open the package. They packed it very neatly. They sealed the plastic, inside they wrapped with paper. Yeah….my brown coat, I put it on….looked at the mirror. Still can’t believe it. I checked no brown coat S size anywhere but now I have one in my hand. In my mind maybe someone bought and she didn’t like it and returned it. But the coat wrapped like never been open, also the head of the zip and the buttons each wrapped like if you bought branded item. It’s totally new prepared from my Heavenly Father for me. Thank you Jesus. Praise the Lord! Rose said, “Mom, I think God told the angel: Keep one of the brown coat size S for Olive!” Hahhahahhah, true.
This awesome miracle spoke loudly to my children. They were firsthand witnesses of what was impossible when God intervene is possible. Make them see the power of a prayer.
Few days after that we had a lunch with Rose high school friend. She told her friend, ask my mom to pray for you. Let my mom tell you about the coat. If she has friends need a pray, she advised them to speak to me.
Another arrowhead is love. You can read it at my previous blogs, about El Prince.
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
I want my children to have wisdom in their life but the way to acquire wisdom is to have fear of the Lord. It’s the beginning of wisdom. Fear of the Lord is another arrowhead. Many are misunderstood the word fear of the Lord. We have reverence of the Lord.
I shared to them about how God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
We are saved by His grace through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, let’s anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
In our love toward God we reverence Him, obeying His words. Then He will revealing wisdom that we need in daily life. Very crucial to have wisdom in this chaotic world, uncertainty.
I share to you one story I won’t ever forget. I was nineteen years old, I believe that God called me to help people who are on drugs. I traveled to a country to join The Teen Challenge, to learn more. I ended travelled to another country who got a lot of drugs cases. I visited drugs rehabilitation centers around the country. I stopped at one town, stayed at my old friends house. We went to Saturday meeting in a church, the service was in Chinese which I don’t know. But I enjoyed the worship. My friend told me there is an English speaking church not far from the house. We spoke till late. The next morning when I was ready to go they all still sleeping. I saw her mother in the kitchen, she only speaks Chinese. I point to my bible and point to the road. She knew. She showed me where was the church.
I walked…so near.
It was a big church. The service was on the second floor. I sat about 5 rows from the back. They knew that I’m new. They were very friendly to me. One of them a lady sat beside me, asking me questions. My name, what am I doing etc. I told her about my mission. She talked a lot. The service started, after few songs the worship leader asked if anyone wanted to give a testimony. No one came forward. While waiting he sang one more. Stop and asked again, still no one, he sang again and stop asking, no one came forward. The lady beside me said, “Olive why don’t you give your testimony, you come from overseas.” I politely said, “No, thank you.” The worship leader kept asking and singing, this lady kept bothering me to give a testimony. Finally I said to her, “Why don’t you give your testimony?” Honestly I felt annoyed by her. She answered me, “Okay I will give mine and after me your turn.” She walked to the front. In my heart I said….I won’t do it. Let her do, anyway after this I won’t be in this town anymore. Guest, what she did. “We have a guest Olive she came from overseas and she will give her testimony.” What!!!! She not even gave her testimony, she told the church I’m going to speak. She put me in the corner, I walked to the pulpit, shared my testimony in front hundreds of people. By the end of the service the lady gave me the card for her cell group meeting during the weekday. I left the the town by Monday.
A month after that I was station in one of Teen Challenge rehabilitation center in the South. I was there for almost a year. This was a social work, we have no salary. I prayed for provision, I didn’t need much only to buy soap, toothpaste, shampoo all the essentials. I heard a audible voice, “Proverbs 9:10 and write a letter to that lady.” I wasn’t remember her name…she was so annoying. I didn’t have her number and her address. I won’t write to her for help, no way. One week later, God spoke the same thing, write a letter. Okay…God I want wisdom but fear of You is the beginning. I didn’t fully obeying God. He told me to write a letter but I sent a postcard instead. I only have the address of her cell group. I wrote, “Please give this to the lady who sat beside me in the church.” I also mentioned who I am, the girl who gave a testimony. What a surprised, a week later I got a letter from this lady. Asking me what I was doing etc. I wrote a letter about the mission work I do without mentioning about money. A week after that I got another letter from her with 100$ check in it. It was a lot more than enough for me. I stayed one year there, Lee Phaik Im I know her name now, she was a teacher, every month without failed she sent me a 100$ check. A lady that I didn’t like turned up to be my supporter.
A precious lesson to learn never underestimate people whom you meet. You just don’t know, in the future you could cross path again.
The arrow is Rose and El Prince, my children. The bull eye is the target or goal. The power that pull the bow is Holy Spirit God. The bow is me, I am as a mom is like a tool to direct the arrow to hit the bull eye. The arrowhead are prayer, love, fear of The Lord many others…Art, music, sport, education….you may fill the blank suit to the bull eye. We need wisdom to direct them as God purposes in their life and as their desires.
Let our children be our joy when their young as well as when they are grown up.
From my heart 2 ur heart 