When Hannah was in kindergarten, we have a morning ritual. When the school bell rang, she would come to me and I would tidy her up, correct her shirt, dry her perspiration and say a little prayer for her before saying good-bye.

One morning, I was as usual waiting outside the school fence, observing her in the school playground. When the bell rang, I saw her disappear into her classroom together with the rest of the children.

As I looked for her face in the shadows of the classroom, I wondered to myself, ‘Has she forgotten ?’

Then she appeared, and bounded across the school playground to the school gate to my waiting arms.

‘Ah, she remembered’, I smiled.

“Some people have got out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that.” Hebrews 10:25 CEV.

We must not do that, because our Father waits for us and looks to see whether we have forgotten our ritual of meeting with Him.

On Sunday morning, Jonathan was not a very pleasant boy during breakfast and despite several reprimands, he would not behave himself. I had to punish him several times before he stopped his misbehaviour. After a sobbing session, he offered some of his breakfast to me, via his advocate (Mummy). My heart melted. I took his offering and then held him on my lap. I told him not to do it again and he sobbed some more tears of repentance. He was used to being in my favour and he was sad with the estrangement a few minutes earlier.

Jonathan can sometimes be very obstinate in wanting his way, against his father’s wishes. When he realizes he’s gone too far, he knows how to quickly show repentance and go back to his father’s embrace. When he does, his father’s anger melts away and readily lets him know that all is forgiven.

Yesterday, I heard Hannah joining in when we were singing a hymn in the morning.

Jonathan who is just beginning to read, does not always join in but he does in the familiar parts of the service, like ‘Glory be to the Father and the Son and to the Holy Ghost, …’.

In the midst of everybody’s voice, I like to listen out for their little voices when they join in.

Our Father in heaven, is very fond of each and everyone of us. He too listens out for our voices in hymns and prayers, every time we come to Him.

During the last Chinese New Year holiday, we drove up to Cameron Highlands for a day trip.

By nightfall, on the way down and home, our car broke down. It was the holiday season and there was no vacancy in the hotels nearby. As we assessed our options, Hannah who was observing the situation quietly, began to cry. The scale of the problem overwhelmed her and drove her to despair. It was however not her problem to solve. It was a problem for her father to solve.

I held her tight and softly told her, ‘Papa is here, we’ll be ok’.

After she allowed herself to be comforted by my reassurance, the rest of the night turned out to be quite a memorable adventure.

Sometimes we too are like Hannah. We lose sight of the fact that some problems are just beyond our control. At those times we need to remember our Father is around. He will take care of us and we’ll be all right.

This afternoon, like most Friday afternoons, I let Hannah wash her own school shoes. As I watch her go about the task, I was keenly aware that I could wash her shoes much cleaner, wasting less water and detergent, taking less time.

She and I would both be drier too.

But I continue to let and insist on her washing her shoes on Friday afternoons because I want her to learn to do things on her own.

At times in our lives when it seems that life could be easier if only our Father would do more, we can rest assured that He has not left us and He is not far away. He is nearby, getting soaked together with us.

Last week, Jonathan’s Sunday School teacher commented that Jonathan was very talkative during class. Most parents would not like to hear this but to us it was a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

In Jonathan’s early years, a speech therapist diagnosed him with speech delay – cause unknown. We had fears that he would never talk. Looking back, it was a long journey from not talking Jonathan to the Jonathan now that talks too much. Along the way, we had our doubts, worries, tears. We prayed a lot and loved Jonathan a lot.

This is not just about us , the parents, praying and trusting God for Jonathan.

Jonathan too was very frustrated with his communication difficulties. Furthermore, as part of the speech therapy, we insisted that he made the effort to communicate with words or sign language. I wonder whether Jonathan ever felt that he was not loved because his father did not made it easy for him. The truth was his father loved him very much then and today.

When we are going through a difficult time, we need not doubt our Father’s love. He loves us even when we feel like He does not.

We can trust our Father, in good times and especially in difficult times.

During the last Chinese New Year, I had a chance to talk with my father-in-law. One of his gripes about Christians is that some of us do bad things and continue to do them because Christians can always ask God for forgiveness. He says Christians live as if there is no God (that punishes wrongs). I shared that God is slow to punish but he does punish.

Christians indeed can ask for forgiveness and our Father is slow to anger and quick to forgive.

Both Hannah and Jonathan have their naughty moments and sometimes they require punishment to make them realize they have been naughty. But when they say sorry and show genuine repentance, my heart softens and I would lighten the punishment or lighten their suffering by sharing in the punishment like going without TV together.

Our Father is quick to forgive because we are His children.
He also extends his forgiveness to all His children.

Last Saturday, Hannah had to go to school as a replacement Saturday. After school, she had to endure a bad jam to reach home at 3pm. After lunch and a nap, it was revision of school work before and after dinner. It was a Saturday without her usual TV entertainment or play time.
On Sunday morning, she had to get up early because Mom and Dad were on duty.

We told her to make the bed as usual before we went downstairs for breakfast. While she was making the bed, I heard her humming a song to herself.
In spite of the busy weekend and the lack of sleep, she was still in high spirits. I was happy that she was still in a cheerful mood.

Our children are good teachers on how to be children of God.

Sometimes life can get very hectic. God however does not intend for life to overwhelm us. When we do not let ourselves be weighed down by life’s burdens and instead keep our spirits high, God smiles.

This morning, Hannah had trouble tearing open her breakfast sachet. I saw her pressing her lip in concentration as she attempted it twice. When she could not, she turned to me and said, ‘Dad, please ?’ I tore it open for her.

This is pretty much how Hannah handles the big problems in her life. On a school day, she spends a big part of her wakeful hours on school or homework. School is very demanding of children nowadays and she has a heavy workload. Sometimes I worry that she would be overwhelmed.

But she takes it all in her stride. When she is stumped despite her best efforts, she calls on higher help, ‘Dad, please ?’

Our Father watches over us with the same devotion and affection. When we feel overwhelmed or are stumped, we too can call on higher help – Father, please ?

Jonathan is back in school.

For the past few mornings, he has been clinging close to me in the time before the bell rang. His friends were running around playing and getting to know each other again after the long break.

This morning, I pushed Jonathan out of the nest. I told him that I had to leave already and went out of the school compound. In fact I observed him outside the school fence. Left alone, he started to explore the playground and interact with his friends.

Sometimes, if we feel ‘out of our nests’, God could be letting us learn confidence and to grow. But God is not far away.