The Hiding Place

Listening to: Forgiven Not Forgotten, The Corrs
Thinking of: A time when my life changed... or has it?





This morning, as I was cleaning up my room and I looked through the accumulated mail, I realized that I had one from World Vision... Yes, I intend to sponsor a child... God has given me so much and I feel compelled to give some of it back... All glory to the Almighty.

However, this led me to a time when I attended RBS, this was after form 5, a pivotal moment in time... It was when I made my decisions and formed most of my opinions. It was a time when I discovered lumps on my neck and had sleepless nights over it... afraid it was the big C word (that's a long story in itself). Well, I am here and I'm running about... and looking back, I cannot be more thankful for the air that I breathe at the moment.

There are loads of stories from RBS I can recall and some of them are more prominent than others. A less prominent one that was brought back to mind by the little letter by World Vision was a trip to a drug rehabilitation centre in Penang. Its a little house in a housing estate with a big garden and kitchen... I remember having my own suspicions about the people there... being the bigot that I am... 10 minutes into the visit and my whole opinion was changed. Almost at once, I felt the humanity within some of the residents there... how some of them have struggled to free themselves off the habit and addiction, how some of them were disfigured no thanks drugs and fires in the facileness, how some sought help but were turned away, seeing those arms with broken needle marks... I didn't feel a sense of pity for them, but rather a sense of humanity.

Most of them won't be able to scoff of their past and go on living as though that period of life of depression never happened... Yet, I have to applaud them for the effort they put through. How they extended their arm in friendship... I was there to help for the day, but at the end of it, I felt I was the one that was the privilaged one who got to learn from them. Their enthusiasm and life can uplift the darkest spirit and the most tired of people. Some of them do stay on to help and to contribute back to society by working close by and contributing their time and effort towards others.

I remember speaking to one of them... he was a boy from an affluent family who like me, was only 17. Well educated and refined, he admitted he had a drug problem and was determined to get his life back on track. At this moment, I wonder how he's doing...

Once again, my heart goes out to those at The Hiding Place, Penang... and thank you