Days Of Emails
Once upon a time, there were no
emails but proper mails such as letters, cards, postcards and
telegrams. They were not called snail mails in their prime days.
Life was simpler and slower but more fulfilling then. There was
enough time to write and rewrite pages straight from our hearts.
There was enough time to enjoy a cup of coffee, to watch the flowers
blooming, to hear the birds singing, to catch fishes and to chase
butterflies. There was enough time to wait upon the Lord, and to
renew our strength.
Suddenly, our life outlook took
on an express transformation. The Microsoft Internet Explorer and
Outlook Express Email Programs intruded and invaded into our living
spaces! There was no turning back! Millions are now addicted to
emails and the internet!
Sending and receiving emails are
necessary for communication and doing business in the 21st century.
But multitudes are doing far beyond that. They are obsessively and
hopelessly checking for new messages and reviewing their inboxes
several hundred times a day. They have many email accounts, one for
this purpose and another for that purpose. Each day of their lives
begin and end with their inboxes and outboxes.
Below are some genuine syndromes
of chronic email addicts:
-
Checking and answering
emails before brushing their teeth in the morning
-
Checking and answering
emails after brushing their teeth in the night
-
Checking and answering
emails in between their sleeping hours
-
Having no time for a proper
breakfast after spending hours on emails
-
Having no time for a proper
meal to maintain ultimate connectivity
-
Unable to do other things
without swapping back to checking emails every now and then
-
Checking and rechecking for
emails all the way throughout the day, and in some extreme
cases, almost every minute of the day
Faster and better speed is a
major driving factor in our lives today. We move faster. We travel
faster. We talk faster. We eat faster. We want others to be faster
and to respond faster. We are like passengers aboard this speeding
train. Within it, there are many people bearing various kinds of
pains and shames. Some give, some receive, some take, some trash,
some never reply, some never write, some just forward others'
emails, some love to send junk mails, and some love to read chain
emails. Our lives have become so tightly wound as we race at the
speed of sight and sound. There are many weary souls seeking for a
moment of relief, all crying for love! Why do we check emails so
often? Because we want to be loved! We want to feel important. We
want people to remember us!
But thank God that proper mails
are still alive! I received an excellent present on this year's
Valentine's Day! A postcard! It took almost seven days to travel
from Japan to Singapore. From a 14 year-old teenager who almost
wanted to commit suicide last month because of school and family
pressures. Two good news from this simple postcard. He is alive, and
he is feeling better now! He is among the billions calling and
crying out desperately for love in our world that has gone crazy for
speed, status, sex, satisfaction, sight and sound! I received his
postcard because I had sent two postcards much earlier, written in
the Japanese language, to encourage him.
We must be the first ones to admit
that we too are crying out for love! And we are not alone in doing
so. The Lover of our souls is Jesus! Every day we must listen to our
hearts, hearing what He is saying to us. Even when no others are
around, we must spend precious moments with Him. Closing our eyes
quietly, we can feel our own pains inside as we let go and let Him
take over. Sometimes we feel so lonely in this journey but we are
never alone. Sometimes we want to give up but in turn give in to
Him. Sometimes we are so weak and weary, but He is always strong!
And we are never unloved because Jesus loves us with an everlasting
love - yesterday, today and forever!
Life is beautiful, so we must
live. For it is in the loving, we are loved. For it is in the
giving, we receive. For it is in the going, we come home. Home where
the house of our Father is! Home where we can share our lives with
the people around. And home where we can shower one another with the
love of God!
So is there a cure for email
addiction? Yes, start writing a proper mail such as a letter and a
postcard. Turn off the computer for a few hours or a few days. Paste
a stamp. Get out of the office or home. Enjoy some fresh air. Go to
the post office. Join the queue. Say hi to the one before and after
you. Make new friends without any strings attached or ulterior
motives. Slow down. Fellowship with some close friends over a few
cups of coffee or tea. Think about His love.
Life is a journey, and not a
destination. There is no better time to live than now! So let us
live and enjoy every moment. Every moment is a gift from above.
Can you name
-
3 of the richest persons in
the world?
-
the last 3 Miss Universe
winners?
-
the last 3 Nobel Prize
winners for Peace?
-
the last 3 Oscar winners for
Best Actor or Actress?
This is a rather difficult task!
And don't worry if you are unable to do so. Very few people could
remember the names of these winners.
Applause dies away, and trophies gather dust! The earthly winners
are soon forgotten.
Now can you name
This is more manageable and
easier, isn't it? The people who really mean something to us are not
rated the richest, the best, the greatest or the noblest. They are
the ones who care about us, take care of us, and are close to us!
They are our loved ones! Our beloved!
The most important thing in life
is much more than winning for ourselves. It is helping others to
succeed. Our parents, our teachers, our brothers and sisters, our
friends, our relatives did just that. They helped us to live from
infancy to adulthood. They helped us to succeed in life. They are
the important persons in our lives!
Thus, as others have helped us,
we must help others. We must lend a helping hand! We must reach out
and touch them. Freely we have received, freely give! This is the
beauty of life! Helping others to succeed in life. To help others to
win, we must slow down. In doing so, we come home! Home where our
Father is! Home where all the children of God can live together in
unity and love! Home where our souls can find perfect peace and
rest! Home where the love of God abounds! Home where God calls us
"beloved," which literally means " be loved."
Before you sign off, please enjoy
some photos to revisit our beloved garden city, Singapore. Just
click here.
Written on:
18 February 2006