Friends For Life ©
Shivering, Kew sits with her class on the floor. Teacher towers over holding a yard-long ruler. Her stick points to a word on the blackboard and swings to a child, “You!”
Sometimes, her ruler nudges the legs of students whose eyes stray.
Whenever the yardstick moves, “Help me. Please help me,” Kew prays silently. “YOU!”
Frightened, Kew jumps. She feels something drop from her eyes.
“CAT!” she shouts.
Stunned, she remains standing.
“Sit down!” The teacher instructs.
Kneeling, Kew whispers, “I read my first word. Happiness is knowing you, Jesus.”
She met Jesus, her friend for life, when she entered Primary One.
(Friends For Life © A 102-word story.)
You guessed right! I am that girl in the story “Friends for Life”. I met Jesus in Methodist Girls’ School (MGS). On Monday mornings, students attended chapel services in the auditorium. On other mornings, we listened to devotions led by the principal or a teacher through the PA system in our classrooms. These short in-class sessions invariably ended with the prayer song, “Come Into My Heart Lord Jesus.’
At one of these mornings, I accepted Jesus as Saviour and Lord. I kept my faith a secret till I joined the workforce after completing pre-University. The day I received my first salary, I declared, “Ah Ma, next Sunday, I will be going to church.” From thereon, there was no turning back.
School was a scary place when I entered Primary One. Not having had pre-school education, I knew only Cantonese. Being an employee for the first time was another strange new experience. Added to the extra load of part-time studies, I needed energy and enthusiasm. With God’s help, I overcame the hurdles. Over the years, Jesus accompanied me through valleys deep and mountains high… my ‘Friend for Life.’ All the way my Saviour leads me; What have I to ask beside?
Fast forward to May this year, the CCMC Choir under the direction of Mrs Lily Wong received a WhatsApp invitation to collaborate with the MGS choir. I was the first to indicate interest. But I didn’t want to be the only one. Was I delighted when some members of the choir took leave from work to join this MGS-Inter-Generation Choir experience!
We had several practices, with the first on 28 June, 2023. Over three months, together with some ladies from MWS Wesley, we had a joyful time with the MGS staff and choir members. We sang at the MGS 136th Founder’s Day on 25 July, MGS Sunday on 30 July, National Day Celebrations on 8 August, and at Methodist Schools Annual Long Service Award Service on 25 August.
As I stood shoulder to shoulder with my choir comrades, I recalled my teenage years at the MGS choir. Beaming my smiles in gratefulness to God, I thanked Him for the teachers who taught me academically and spiritually in ten years of tending and shaping.
The walls in MGS carry these words, ‘Here, For A Purpose…’
As a child, I was HERE, FOR A PURPOSE - To meet and know Jesus, and accept Him as my Saviour and Lord; to become Friends for Life.
In recent months at the MGS-IGL, I was HERE, FOR A PURPOSE - To give thanks to God who guided me since the day I entered the school gates of Mt Sophia.
May God grant me the grace to be obedient, “HERE, FOR A PURPOSE – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the LORD and not for people.” Colossians 3:23.
At the services, our MGS-IGL choir sang:
“…You call me to Your purpose As angels understand For Your glory, may You draw all men As Your love and grace demands
And I will run to You To Your words of truth Not by might, not by power But by the Spirit of God
Yes, I will run the race 'Til I see Your face Oh, let me live in the glory of Your grace…”
(Extract of lyrics, I Will Run to You, by Hillsong Worship)
To God be the glory!