A Feeling of Shalom

Peace is what only God can give. True peace is what Jesus Christ could give (John 14). Lately, I have been feeling this sense of shalom. I feel contented and joyful in the Lord always. Though I was resting from one of the longest journeys I ever made last weekend, I had this feeling of shalom. I feel shalom in my house. I don't have to rush out to "work" or "office". I still get up at 5am like this morning. I feel shalom resting in my house. For almost 55 years of my life, I never really felt the sense of shalom. I went to Singapore when I was 13 years old, then to JB for the next two years, onwards to Melbourne for my Year 12th and then to Christchurch New Zealand for tertiary education.

Even my five years plus in Christchurch, I moved many times, from boarding to flatting, to staying as an farm working when my scholarship stopped for a whole year when I dropped out of University when the Lord called. All these I will share in my volume 2 of Departure Points which I hope to write when I turn 70 years old and published when I am 75 years old, God willing. 

Now I am at home. I re-read my Woman in Love's book, a concise commentary on the Song of Songs when the Shulamite brought her lover back to her mother's house (twice in SS) and it is the sense of shalom that she felt and wanted Solomon to feel despite all his riches and palaces, perhaps King Solomon found peace in the Shulamite's embrace and at her home. 

Now I have a feeling of shalom. I preached for 12 minutes during the leaders' meeting in the Lawas church before preaching for another 45 minutes. Everyone felt it was a short sermon. I felt I had just preached for 20 minutes. A leader commented when we finished early that it was only 11.45pm when we finished when we started at 10.10am on Sunday with the Lord's communion. I thank my pastor friend's skill in conducting the Lord's Supper within 10 minutes. 

All in all, when God's presence is felt, there is this feeling of shalom. When I addressed the youths towards the end of my sermon, most of them were sitting at the back and not so engaged but when the service ended, I felt I noticed a change. The song of response also played a part. I rejoiced before You and Your people, O Lord. I danced the traditional moves of Sabah though I was in Sarawak. A couple of leaders asked for my telephone numbers. It is a good sign. Even in ministry I have this sense of shalom and in a day or two, I have to decide whether to accept invitation to preach Good Friday services at the side of the Mount Kinabalu., one of the coldest parts of Sabah.