Its intersting how your disjointed past is sometimes not so disjointed after all once you have the knowledge of looking at it from hindsight.
Looking at me, it probably hard (if not impossible) to believe that I used to be involved in 2 very different kinds of sports and how both have actually helped me and strengthened my faith!
I was forced to learn how to swim by my parents. Long story, they met in the pool, so I guess they thought it was only fitting that I learnt how to swim. Well, I didn't enjoy it then, and really hated swimming lessons; but I was a competitive swimmer nontheless and have a cupboard full of trophies and medals to show for it.
I started learning swimming in 1989, but I guess due to my parent's genes or something, I had a natural affinity for the water, and swam leisurely almost from the time I was born. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy swimming, and I enjoy the water, I just don't like competitive swimming.
On the other hand, I picked up karate pretty much on my own accord. Was bullied a lot when I was in primary one, come to think of it, I still get bullied nowadays; free car rides, kena arrow all the time, fights with a dog named bully over control of the kitchen etc. I picked up karate so that I will never be bullied again, guess not...
I picked up karate in 1988 and I stopped in 1992 when my dojo closed down. But picked it up again in 1995. Anyway, it took me a while, but I finally rose to rank of Black Belt (hard to believe huh?!) in 1996. No trophies, no medals, but I have the scars to show for it, one under my right eye, the others on my right fingers.
You must be asking, how on earth did all these strengthen my faith? And how on earth could they possibly be linked?!
In 1999, I was practicing a seriously difficult manouvre, which required my to jump, turn around 360 degress and kick above my head, almost at the same time. Hard to imagine someone of my size doing it, but I almost mastered it. Unfortunately I had to stop practicing karate altogher that year due to serious back spasms. While they were of unknown origin, it was highly likely that these back pains was due to my karate, and this move I was practicing in particular.
Eventually, I would be diagnosed with a prolapse disc and would require srugery to relieve the pain. To cut a really long story short, I went for surgery more than 18 months after the pains began.
I really hate needles, much less a major surgery. It was a serious test of faith for me, and it served to greatly strengthen it. I will never recover from the prolapse disc but at least the pain is not as bad as before. I wear a 4 inch scar down my back as a sign of victory over this test of faith.
How does swimming play a part in this? The best form of therapy to treat a bad back, is swimming, it is the only sport that I can do without having to worry about back strain. and in the weeks after my surgery in 2000, I swam a lot, and my back receovered in record time. If I had not been a competitive swimmer, I guess, my back would not have been healed so fast.
On hindsight, God used my involvement with swimming and karate, 12 years after I picked them up to test my faith and strengthen it. I never saw this link, till last week. Amazing huh!
But now, as I look back on my past, I see a trend. And perhaps, this is God's way of preparing me to face the kind of life that I will live in the future. If it is His will, then so be it.
I cannot come before my righteous Holy Lord
And offer to Him worldly things I do not need
And hope He's pleased
For He wants me to give, a heart that's truly His
An offering of the highest price
A servant whom, the Lord can use
I will not offer anything that costs me nothing
I'll place before Him nothing less than my very best
And if I'm called to sacrifice
It will be worthy of my Christ
I will not offer anything that costs me nothing
To serve Him is my goal, how could I withhold
Whatever's mine He's given me, it's not my own
It's His alone
Whatever He requires, it is my desire
Whatever He may need from me,
I'll pay the cost, gain or loss
I will not offer anything that costs me nothing
I'll place before Him nothing less than my very best
And if I'm called to sacrifice
It will be worthy of my Christ
I will not offer anything that costs me nothing
(not too sure who is the author of the song)
