Moment of innocence
Moment of innocence
Traveling back home one day, pillion-riding together with Grace on a motorbike taxi - amidst the busy and noisy traffic, there was silence between us, as my own mind was caught racing back to the events of the day (about countless undone things and endless unresolved matters); oblivious to what might be happening there and then around us.
Then in a most unannounced fashion, my attention was suddenly diverted to a most insignificant and unspectacular non-event on Monivong Bridge. A pick-up was traveling closely beside our motorbike. At the back of the pick-up were 3 young Cambodian children happily enjoying the ride, not talking to each other but nonetheless displaying subtle facial expression of simple content and a sense of pure thrill. They moved carefully yet precariously about, changing from one place to another in the moving vehicle just to get a different view, which would have easily earned them the quick reprimand of any concerned Singaporean parent.
The pick-up was a relatively new one and the front seats were spacious and comfortable with air-conditioning, a traveling luxury and momentary relief from the biting heat of the late afternoon sun. Yet there was no one else in the air-conditioned compartment apart from the adult driver. It not difficult to imagine that the 3 children had probably unanimously voted for a seat at the back of the pick-up which provided a better view of their world; never mind the heat – perhaps that was part of their total experience.
And in the instance of a few seconds, my mind raced further back to the early 1980’s when I was a child myself. My father did not own a car. But on rare occasions, my father would borrow a pick-up from a friend and bring my sister, brother and I (that’s 3 of us too ☺) on joy-rides. The best rides were during Christmas light-up seasons along Orchard Road. The 3 of us (and sometimes our younger cousins would join us as well) were simply overjoyed by such simple treats.
In the simplicity of our mind, Orchard Road was a very big world to be explored. Fascinated by the dancing lights, mesmerized by the stylish fairy-tale Christmas décor, breathing in every moment, savoring each simple experience; eagerly looking ahead of us in anticipation of new surprises and yet busily turning our heads behind every now and then less we missed out anything that might have escaped our vision.
And looking back was also a way to recapture fleeting moments of innocence which might end when we headed back for home.
A world of discovery
Little wonder that a child discovers and learns so much of her outer world. In the simplicity of her mind, the world has many mysteries for her to explore – even the simplest of life has much to teach and offer.
In the cluttered-ness of our adult minds, the outer world is being tuned out because we are so caught up re-ordering our inner world, making sense of our muddled inner thoughts. And the simplest of things finds no resting place in our hurried lives.
Perhaps true Sabbath-rest belongs to the child – who with simple faith gets a better grip on the gift of grace, illuminated by even the minute-ness of God’s creation.
“For everyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:10)
Re-discovering life… relearning Sabbath-rest
Join me,
Eli-yah
Traveling back home one day, pillion-riding together with Grace on a motorbike taxi - amidst the busy and noisy traffic, there was silence between us, as my own mind was caught racing back to the events of the day (about countless undone things and endless unresolved matters); oblivious to what might be happening there and then around us.
Then in a most unannounced fashion, my attention was suddenly diverted to a most insignificant and unspectacular non-event on Monivong Bridge. A pick-up was traveling closely beside our motorbike. At the back of the pick-up were 3 young Cambodian children happily enjoying the ride, not talking to each other but nonetheless displaying subtle facial expression of simple content and a sense of pure thrill. They moved carefully yet precariously about, changing from one place to another in the moving vehicle just to get a different view, which would have easily earned them the quick reprimand of any concerned Singaporean parent.
The pick-up was a relatively new one and the front seats were spacious and comfortable with air-conditioning, a traveling luxury and momentary relief from the biting heat of the late afternoon sun. Yet there was no one else in the air-conditioned compartment apart from the adult driver. It not difficult to imagine that the 3 children had probably unanimously voted for a seat at the back of the pick-up which provided a better view of their world; never mind the heat – perhaps that was part of their total experience.
And in the instance of a few seconds, my mind raced further back to the early 1980’s when I was a child myself. My father did not own a car. But on rare occasions, my father would borrow a pick-up from a friend and bring my sister, brother and I (that’s 3 of us too ☺) on joy-rides. The best rides were during Christmas light-up seasons along Orchard Road. The 3 of us (and sometimes our younger cousins would join us as well) were simply overjoyed by such simple treats.
In the simplicity of our mind, Orchard Road was a very big world to be explored. Fascinated by the dancing lights, mesmerized by the stylish fairy-tale Christmas décor, breathing in every moment, savoring each simple experience; eagerly looking ahead of us in anticipation of new surprises and yet busily turning our heads behind every now and then less we missed out anything that might have escaped our vision.
And looking back was also a way to recapture fleeting moments of innocence which might end when we headed back for home.
A world of discovery
Little wonder that a child discovers and learns so much of her outer world. In the simplicity of her mind, the world has many mysteries for her to explore – even the simplest of life has much to teach and offer.
In the cluttered-ness of our adult minds, the outer world is being tuned out because we are so caught up re-ordering our inner world, making sense of our muddled inner thoughts. And the simplest of things finds no resting place in our hurried lives.
Perhaps true Sabbath-rest belongs to the child – who with simple faith gets a better grip on the gift of grace, illuminated by even the minute-ness of God’s creation.
“For everyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:10)
Re-discovering life… relearning Sabbath-rest
Join me,
Eli-yah
posted by eng at
4:50 PM
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