Just Musings...

So much has happened recently. Not so much in my life exactly (sorry to those who are expecting exciting life accounts, but my life is kinda boring at the moment), but rather in the world around us. Yes, most of you will probably guess easily that I'm talking about the twin tragedies in Asia--the Sichuan earthquake and the Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar. Amidst these, everyone's talking about rising fuel and food prices. In neighboring Indonesia, civilians have taken to the streets to protest the escalating fuel prices, hurling molotov cocktails at police officers and being subdued with pepper spray. American Idol season 7 just crowned David Cook as their latest winner...(okay just to point out the diverse things happening in the world...not that it's a major upset--I like the fella). 

Seeing images of people devastated by the catastrophes has brought me to tears. I'm really a crybaby at heart. Cast aside that confident and poised facade, and you'll see a very vulnerable me. I read the newspapers, and tears can just well in my eyes. When the twin towers were struck in the 911 incident and CNA kept screening the clips round-the-clock, I seemed as though I was on some korean drama marathon, one of those "Winter Sonata-Stairway to Heaven" ones of course, for the subsequent weeks. Not going to start about the time when SQ06 crashed in Taiwan...

As people from all nations rally around the bereaved and help in efforts to reconstruct the country and mend the broken hearts, the resiliency among the adversity is simply remarkable. Grieving is normal in the first instance, but ultimately, most cope, adapt and pick themselves up. You see people who have lost loved ones step up to tend to other survivors--for example, the Chinese female police officer who is nursing several children who had lost their mums. The altruism is equally amazing. Of course, there are many people who don't give a hoot about these things. We can't really blame them cos' these may be of remote significance to them--these events happened thousand of miles away from us--and imagine if we were to be so affected by everything that happens in the world...we'll be crushed every time something major strikes the world. Life still goes on and people need to function per normal. Nonetheless, events like these present a strong reminder that life is uncertain and fragile for that matter. Our country is fortunate to be buffered from natural disasters, but accidents or illness can happen to anyone of us. Life is like a vapor, transient and fleeting. But in our short lifespan on earth, it would be ideal to savor every moment and enjoy the gifts of family and friends. Events such as these serve grave reminders to the father that returns home from work every night to a sleeping household, the overachiever that spends more time socializing with his computer at work then his parents at home, the online junkie that lives his entire life virtually (no pun intended) in the Cyberworld (all references are not specific to the male species of course).

The ironic thing about humans is that we know what is good for us, we know what we should do, but our human flesh always wrestles with our will and wins. It takes major crises that are personal to us to jolt us to our senses. Sometimes, it may be too late. Lost time can't be reclaimed. Sometimes, learning doesn't last; as memories of these incidents fade overtime, we return to our baseline. Unrealistic optimism and complacency seem to reign in our human faculties. Psychologists study these and related fallacies that humans commit. We aren't as logical as we think. We minimize possibilities of mishaps and failures. But that's who we are! And it helps us cope with things in life. These human adaptations, as evolutionary psychologists term them, perhaps enable us to cope with the uncertainties in life and instills in us hope. We all need hope to function, don't we? In my opinion, both our logic and the lack of it makes us totally human. That's why we are so unpredictable at times and the social sciences are not as straightforward as the natural sciences because of this. 

Through all these, my awe for God has augmented. He has created such interesting creatures--humans are fascinating. I guess that's why psychology is such a captivating field. In our frail humanity, we can be resilient. Despite circumstances, we can forge ahead in our lives. In spite of our weaknesses, He can help us triumph over overwhelming situations and formidable obstacles and He delights in doing so. Just like how He helped David defeat Goliath, His divine power equips us with the means to overcome whatever adversity comes our way. Just like how we are thrilled seeing a dark horse win a competition, because it gives us the hope that we too can be like that person. In addition, intelligent as we may be, we are often illogical. We knowingly do what we know may not be good for us. Many times we know what we need to do, but we refuse to do it even though it may be best for us to do so. Sometimes, we allow human emotions to cloud our logic or trade away our values to enjoy a moment of rebellion that will cost severely. Our incredibly human nature contrasts starkly God's truly divine, supernatural and supreme nature, doesn't it?

Okay, I've emptied my thoughts and its time to stop. But let me end with this quote--my fave one for now. From 2 Corinthians 12: 9,

But He said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that 

Christ's power may rest on me. 

It reminds me that I am weak, but I need not worry and instead should delight in it because I can give Him the due credit when I succeed and His glory will be revealed through me. My weakness make me rely on Him. In the uncertainty, I can rest on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.