This morning, Dad and Mom went to church to book masses for You. At the parish office, we were greeted by a senior lady. Mom explained that we were there to make bookings for mass.
She asked, "Is this for a **** person?"
Mom was taken aback and instantly felt goose bumps at the 4 letter word. Replying Yes, and then felt like kicking herself for being intimidated by the senior woman, and allowing that woman to make her say Yes, to something she has NEVER seen You as.
In the course of our conversation, the woman mentioned again the bad word, another 2 times.
We don't do masses for **** persons on that day.
Masses for **** persons are on these days etc.
Mom felt a chill shot up her spine, when the woman mentioned the Bad Word again for the second time. When she said it the third time, the word somewhat STUNG your mother and she took it upon herself correct the woman. Mom said : "the RISEN person ..."
The woman said, "Sorry?"
Mom explained in irritation, "Not the **** person, the RISEN person..." and returned her cold stare right back.
The woman shrugged without any emotion, "Say what You like."
Did - You - hear - that???
Couldn't believe the woman responded in THAT way. Did You have to put Mom in that situation? More importantly, why was Mom in that situation? Perhaps the woman talks this way to everybody. Perhaps nobody has ever corrected the woman before. She's working in the parish admin and she talks like that? She might as well just say, Jesus is **** too. Mom felt a sudden maternal instinct to defend her son. Itching badly to retaliate, she spoke loudly in her head:
Ohhhhhh, but my son is very much alive, He's with Jesus. He has eternal life now. And if YOU don't know that, YOU are the one who's downright **** ...
... was what she wanted to yell out, but nothing came out of her mouth. Only her brains heard her. No one else did. Definitely not the woman. Not even Dad, who was seated beside Mom. Mom somehow was able to maintain a reasonable amount of friendly-composure although deep inside, she was seething with an incredibly high level of annoyance. If thoughts could kill, she could be handcuffed and charged with homicide by now.
Please tell God that Mom is sorry for having such angry, harsh thoughts. It will pass, this feeling ...
Anyway, the bookings were made, the payment done, and the receipt was issued. As the woman handed the receipt to Mom, we exchanged a smile. Instantly, your mother felt the tension leaving her.
Did You make the woman smile, Son? Good for You. :D
Dad and Mom spent some time at the Chapel. Whilst we were there, Mom couldn't help but wonder and wonder again, and again, why she had to encounter that horrible incident. Was there a purpose? These days, whatever incident that happens, she knows there is a purpose, and it always results in something good in the end. But what is the purpose there? It did not feel good at all. Not one bit.
About an hour later, we left. Dad suggested we have an early lunch at a nearby chicken rice restaurant. Justine and You used to go there after church when You both were really young. Dad was reminiscing the times when he was feeding You in a baby high-chair in the coffee-shop ...
That afternoon, about 3pm, Mom was writing this Call-Entry. After the first paragraph, she sat and stared at the computer screen for the longest time. She wasn't sure if she should relate what happened this morning at the parish admin office in her blog. How do You write what happened this morning? She typed out the **** word, and she found herself deleting it. As she was debating whether to write it or not at the time, she was typing out and deleting, re-typing and deleting, when her mobile beeped.
There was a text message from Uncle JC.
You will remember Mom has told You about Uncle JC, that he likes to sign his name in those initials because, he'd say, they are the same initials as Jesus'. The time of the sms was 3:18pm.
He wrote to tell Mom that he had forward an email article entitled Prophesy Of The Bible to a cousin of his, a professor teaching in a university in UK, and he said "she got very angry with him for forwarding the article." (she is a pre-Christian).
Mom stared at the sms for a brief few minutes, as she could not understand how this message had anything to do with her. Honestly, she was in a blur and didn't quite know how to respond to that except to type back a reply, "Will pray for her."
At 3:31pm, Justine called from school and asked Mom to pick her up. We were supposed to go to MPH Bookstore at MidValley after school. So, turned off computer, and went to get the car. Driving out from the basement car park at 3:47pm, the song Knocking On Heaven's Door came on.
As she was listening to the song, not really thinking of anything in particular at that moment, except for the sms from JC she received moments ago, she felt a sudden flash of enlightenment and instantly heard these words in her head :
"It's not about You. You're just a messenger."
She sat very still for a few moments in the car, allowing herself to register the message. It's not about her, she's just a messenger ... Mom thought of the earlier incident this morning. What was that all about? So, it's not about your mother, she's just a messenger. Writing about the incident that happened this morning, could be a message for somebody out there.
This is not about her. She's just a messenger. She cannot be sure but perhaps that's the purpose of encountering this morning's incident.
That night, about 10:30pm, Justine hurried to bring her mobile phone for Mom to listen to the song that was on then. It was the song IF I DIE YOUNG. Jus said she likes the song. Yeah, it's a very nice song. Thanks Son, for reminding us that You're safe with the Lord. What an appropriate message after the events of today. :D
"Lord make me a rainbow
I'll shine down on my mother
She'll know I'm safe with You
when she stands under my colors."
Mom has uploaded this video before but she's gonna upload it again. Imagine, only this morning she had encountered the Bad Word. Indeed, this morning's incident was all about YOU, by afternoon she had received a note from JC with contents she could not make head or tail of, but on hindsight, could be linked to the the Bad Word, and some 30 minutes later, she was knocking on Heaven's door.
With all the commotion going on, by night fall, You had sent your mother a song to reassure her that You're safe with the Lord Jesus.
You really know how and when to send in your songs, Daniel. Normally, Mom doesn't allow Jus to have her mobile-phone radio on while she's studying, but somehow last night was an exception.
A beautiful message to wrap up the events of the day. <3
