Acts Of God

We have seen the Tsunami that ravaged the world one fateful Boxing Day and the destruction that followed. Earthquakes of even greater intensity than ever before everywhere and getting even closer to home, in and around Indonesia and never before have there been such frequency and the tremors felt more violently. Singapore has been blessed with protection probably by her geographical landscape and position and we have less hardship than many others. 


However, this does not mean that we can be perpetually safe and lay enshrouded. For example, the haze that comes each year, the heat wave that sizzles till certain place and open fields caught fire, recent torrential downpour and uprooting of trees due to extraordinary rainfall and strong winds up to 65kph, floods we haven't seen for a long time, killer diseases never seen before, etc. Rainfall can be so rapid that when driving you can't see a thing. No amount of planning, engineering or preparedness could have prevented many of these things. 


While preparedness is good no amount of human intervention could totally prevent all these. Therefore, Singapore is not insulated completely and while we are still safe, Singaporeans must increase their sense of awareness instead of complaining. It is possible that certain things could have been done better but the wrath that PUB faced is probably because they are the department in charge - haha, of the water management, canals, drains and and the drainage not the weather. People are like golfers. Too hot or drought - complain. Rain and too much of it - complain. The world's climate has been so crazy that I won't be surprised that one day it might start snowing. 


Be prepared. Get ready to know where to get the gears for snow golf. Or could it be PUB thought that their job is to be in charge of drinks only like a pub. Take heart, recent turn of events meant that attention is now diverted to NParks as trees are falling like ten pins. I can imagine the monumental task with so many trees around and the best laid plans of yesteryear can haunt us.

Strangely enough, because no one else is in charge of the weather, we then conveniently call it the "Act Of God". You see them in insurance, shipping and in general terms. Things that no one else can be responsible for, things that happened and are bad, we call it the "Acts of God".

This was what happened near my office at a path where many would use during peak hours of human traffic like many other places. Fortunately, it could have happened during a time where the downpour was at off peak or at its worst such that no one was injured. I walked through it before they cleared it up and sent workers to trim all the surrounding trees to have a sense of how small we are in the freak of nature. I could sense the branches staring at me as I walked through them.

Acts Of God?

So are these really acts of God? In our minds, either there is a God or there is no God. If there is no God, we cannot blame Him since He is not there. If there is one, is He either good or bad. If the devil is a bad hat then God must be good God. Why do we say that a person is a good person? What is the criteria? That person is probably humble even though he may be wildly successful, caring, compassionate, kind, helpful, sincere, unselfish, loving, shares with others, considerate, do things for others, shares his knowledge, improve the lives of others, bless others, makes sacrifices, gives, is forgiving and merciful, etc., etc. 

If this is just a person, he would surely be revered among his folks. If you ask him for help, would he instead cause you harm. If a good man or woman can do all these, why would a God that is good do harm? I am wondering aloud? Everything we can't control - blame God. Oh, the situation that I am in is because of the "Acts of Friends", acts of another colleague, etc.

Ask Paul

Don't ask me ask OCBC. Buy an octopus and you can call him Peter or Paul. Make different setting for it to choose for weather - sunny, cloudy, windy, storm with lightning and thunder, etc. Though Paul only pick a team out of two in the World Cup, I believe since the octopus has eight tentacles it could do multi-tasking with uncanny precision. If it picks correctly you win, picks wrongly it is his fault. When it goes awfully wrong, sell it to the restaurant at Balestier which just made meals out of a giant grouper.

I wonder. Del Shannon's Run Away:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8drR7d_29e0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OwkQPSsIxc

The Man Who Talks To God.

There was a man who went hiking alone. He wandered and walked too close to a steep cliff and fell. He slid down rapidly and in his mind he was thinking he was a gone case. Fortunately, he managed to grab hold of some branches which broke and halted his fall. Bruised and in some pain, he held on tightly for dear life. He must have slided down a long way but because it was dark he couldn't see what was below him. So, he started yelling for help: "Help, help. Is anyone there?" There was an eerie silence. He kept shouting and yelling because there was no way he could get back up there and he can't hang on forever. 


Then he heard a voice: "Can you hear me?" The man's despair turned to delight: "Yes, yes, I can hear you! I am down here. Can you see me?" The Voice replied: "Yes, I see you". The man shouted: "Who are you and where are you?" and the Voice replied calmly: "I am God". The man must be thinking, come on this is no time for a joke. "You are God?" "I am". 


"Then please help me quick, God help me". The Voice then said: "Listen carefully, here's what I want you to do" and the man replied: "I'll do anything. Just tell me what to do." The Voice said: "Ok, let go of the branch". The man: "What!?!?!" and the Voice said: "Trust me, just let go". There was a moment of silence. Then the man began yelling: "Is anyone there? Please help me!"

Sometimes in life, things look too difficult and scary for us. We can't or don't know what to do or how to let go. Our minds imagines things for the worst. Very often, 9.999 times out of 10, the things we worry and felt negative about never happened and we wasted so much time and energy worrying. You see the man who spoke to God but could not let go hung on in there till day breaks. 

When it got brighter during sunrise where he could now see clearly, he realized that he was just 5 foot from the ground. Just like in the dead of night when it is dark and you think what sounded like a million frogs croaking in your backyard was actually just one frog when you find it in the morning just because we can't see it at night or the sound was greatly manifested. When we are caught in "that moment" of troubles, our woes are plentiful everything seems impossible and overwhelming just like the frog situation. When you persevere and allow light to brighten up things, the frog will soon go away and croak at you no more.

I was told that there was a company where one of the questions for staff ratings was: (1) He talks to himself, (2) He talks to people, (3) He talks to God. Pretty good one ya? Which one are you?

Don't worry, you'll never get out of this world alive. Ask yourself the same question above and remember that all things bad = works of the devil including all negative and energy-draining thoughts. Not one of them is an act of God. The daily miracles that you see are Acts of God. Quite often, many of us don't even see it because it is human nature to take things for granted.

P.S. I am not paid to defend God, promote golf or sell anything. During bad weather, see who are the friends around and these are not fair-weather friends. I have friends who golf with me rain or shine. When you are optimistic, even the rain clouds will go away. Frequently, they are just passing clouds. Be of good cheer. Always. All things (no matter how difficult) shall come to pass.

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAzNWS7V0PQ