The Cooling Stream

My jogging track has two slopes: a gentle slope and a steep one.

Walking up the slope was difficult from the beginning with oversized and overweight body, and my staggering footsteps.

Lately, climbing up the slope has slowly become easier and quicker.

Then one day a funny idea came to the mind, “Why not run up the slope?”

Thinking it over and getting more optimistic and confident, I decided to give it a try.

As usual, I started my rounds, reminding myself to run up the slopes along the way.

The first try was good; I ran up the slope with steady footsteps in 50 steps.

The second and the third was faster and stronger, giving me more confidence and a better attitude.

I almost slipped on my fifth round but I decided to continue.

It wasn’t easy on my seventh round but I managed to complete it.

My eighth round was my finally round and I finished it in style.

It wasn’t easy; I sweated profusely, struggled with short breaths and the pulse that seemed to be over 200.

I leaned against a palm tree, panting like a dog.

It was a double workout; very nice except for the scorching heat from the sun.

“No pain, no gain,” I told myself silently.

“More to come,” I smiled confidently.

“Yes!”

A church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

“I have gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I am wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the 'Letters to the Editor' column; much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

“I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!

Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment!

Finally I’m 49.

Time flies so fast, and so scary.

Another year, I will be half a century old.

*******

Vaguely I remember the two red colored eggs and the big chicken drumstick that my late mother reserved for me.... every year.

That old lady remembered every of my birthday.

But sadly to say I had never remembered hers, and never once greeted her Happy Birthday!

Now that she is gone, the past memories still haunt me from time to time.

*******

Finally I’m 49.

Standing on my own cross road, I am indecisive as to what to do next.

The past lives are not without their failures, mistakes, and shortcomings,

And the future is filled with anxieties, risks, and uncertainties.

*******

If only I had been more careful and focused in my past, I would have done better.

If only I can be more optimistic, enterprising, and confident of my future, I may do well.

As it is, I still have many wasted years and wasted lives,

Leaving me to mourn, despair and regret for a long while.

*******

Finally I’m 49.

But it isn’t time to complain,

Or blaming myself, others, or God the Almighty.

What has happened is destined to be,

And what will come, will come.

*******

But it doesn’t have to be this way all along,

Life is not just doing what I can and want to do,

It is not just taking thing as it is, or accepting thing as it comes.

Life is not just a matter of bragging about what I know and really know.

It is not just the many feelings and emotions,

It is about living and doing with all my mind, all my heart, all my will, all my strength, and all my being.

Life always has its order and direction.

We don’t do things at our whims and fancies.

Life is not a matter of doing what we want, when we want, where we want, how we want, or with whom.

It’s more than that.

It is self-oriented and self-directed,

It’s people-centered and God inspired.

*******

Finally I am 49,

Still making not much of a progress and success in life,

But I’m really happy and feeling blessed,

Except for the many unfulfilled dreams that keep haunting me from time to time.

After sleep, the hair looks shaggy and tousled.

It’s time to comb the hair.

A comb is a toothed device used to clean and tidy the hair.

It is also used to straighten and smoothen the hair.

It is among the oldest tools found by archaeologists, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating back to 5000 years ago in Persia.

A comb is such a simple tool used in hair care.

But its effect is magical.

A comb has many close and sharp teeth, and many close gaps.

It is useless without its close and sharp teeth, or without its close gaps.

So are we.

We are just like a comb.

Like the close and sharp teeth of a comb.......

We must know and develop many good principles and practices in life.

We must be orderly, well-mannered, and disciplined in our actions.

These are important tools to navigate our way to success.

Like the close gaps of a comb.......

We must also cultivate in our relationship with others.

We must learn and know how to work together, how to tolerate and accept others, and how to live in peace and harmony with others.

If we cannot live like a comb, we will become very stubborn and very unfriendly.

So is in the necessary course of business.

Business needs ethics and lots of hard work to succeed.

Business also needs human touch to meet and adapt to the need of people.

Human management always needs very effective tools and very close human touch.

And so...... As we live and have our being,

And as we manage and balance our lives,

We always learn and practice our many lessons from many simple tools,

....... Like a comb.

Thinking back, I sometimes wonder whether I have done the best with my life.

I am amazed at Britain's Susan Boyle, the plain-looking 48-year-old who shot to stardom after singing "I Dreamed a Dream" on "Britain's Got Talent", and the young Taiwanese man, Lin Yu-chun who sings Whitney Houston's “I Will Always Love You”. They make me realize the incredible singing talents that God has bestowed on men.

I am 48 too. But I am not talking about singing. I know myself. I will never do well in this area.

But I believe I have many talents too.

It is just that I have not done the best that is required of me.

If I have dedicated more time and effort in using my talents, I would have done better with my life. As it is, I am left with much to regret.

Sometimes I wonder why I am so impatient with people who do things unhurriedly and meticulously. I always wanted things fast and easy. Now I realize my wrong; I have not done careful enough.

Sometimes I love to do things my own way. I put in great effort and endurance, only to realize my best is not the best.

We all need people to tell us that we still have lots of room for improvement.

We need people to remind us of our weakness and frailty.

We need people to think and plan together the whole operation; we need help and cooperation.

We need teachers, coaches, cheerleaders, and mentors, many of them.

If only we are humble enough to ask for help, we will have lived a better life

If only we are humble enough to submit ourselves to God, He is most willing to teach us our talents.

We really need to know how far our talents can take us.

Oh! My budding and dying talents.