A Touch of Lives

One of the climax of my break in Penang was to be a witness and play a small role in Tabernacle of Praise Church [ TOP ] "Big Party"! What was unique about this party is that it is a party to feed the poor in Jelutong town. I have always wanted to witness this happening as it is always " seeing is believing" thingy, right? Well, to me, I just wanted an experience with the party and I must say, it was a feeling of overwhelmed and gratitude!
When it was first announced that there would be a big party that Sunday evening, I was really happy and was looking forward towards it. Tables and chairs in the sanctuary were re-arranged to signify a place for the underprivileged and for the poor to have some drinks, tidbits and a sermon. Five chairs and five pack of drinks together with some tidbits were prepared on the table. It started at about 5.30pm with registration for medical care, sugar level check and haircuts! People of all walks of life mainly the elderly came to the church to register for free medical consultation and medicine administration. It was really a sight to behold with so many people seeking medical attention for their illnesses and so on. One distinct smell as you hit the third floor of Tabernacle of Praise Church building is " old people " smell and some quite nasty smell from the vagrants on the streets. But the volunteers were undeterred by all this and continued working at their best. I was so touched by the act of these volunteers and it rend at my heart a lot. Then, I realised that at the temporarily set- up barber shop, whereby these underprivileged people would get their haircut by Pauline, her daughter and a few fellow brothers of the church. All these were done in the name of love, care and concern. I know that in some churches, the phrase "love, care and concern" remains an attractive and much lauded coined phrase with no real action put into it [ trust me, I know that this is true! ] but for this church, it is alive and well! What a great way and privilege to serve together with the Lord!

Then came the feeding part. After they have gone through their medical check-up and their haircut done, it was food time. Yunno, I was so amazed by the food that were being served to these needy people. Imagine seeing chicken curry, fish slices, mixed vegetable and spring rolls being served and top-up with a bowl of nice sweet red beans as desserts. I was truly amazed that these people actually took the trouble to feed these people. This is walking the talk in the plainest of sight and unlike others who are practically talking but not walking!
As I served some of the old folks that evening together with Joa Wee and the rest of the people, I really felt so privileged to have been able to participate in such a noble walk with the Lord and the real people who truly sees the real meaning of feeding others and reaching out to them. I believe it strongly in my heart that that the people can only do this if there is a greater anointing that flows from the very top of the leadership. Bravo and well done to the TOP leaders! Like they used to say, the people can only do what the top people do or say to them. This again reflects the good governance and an well-oiled leadership anointing flow in line with the Word of the Lord. I am also so touched that each volunteer does it with great solidarity, one dedication and one conviction ! That made the difference! Service with a great smile!~

Later, I was told that each person present that evening would be given a 5kg bag of rice, some beehoon and some can food stuff to take home. It is really a humbling experience for me and I have been blessed indeed. I had wanted to learn the true meaning of servanthood and God had shown me the path of servanthood by the bold men and women in TOP who had served in the big party! Yunno, there was no concern of race, color or creed here! It was just serving God through the lives of these men & women of TOP. What a sight, indeed! What a lesson we all could learn from this sharing of goodness with the not so privileged/neglected group of people.

Honestly, in the accounting sense, this is a losing business for the church but they have not lacked as they continued to feed and to serve these portion of forgotten society in our nation today. That is how big their faith is with the Lord. By the looks of things, TOPians never lacked anything - faith , trust and unity!

So, the next time you are around in Penang or even in your local church~ reach out, serve food and bless these lives. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirtied or even play your part in supporting such a worthy cause.You'll never lack anything when you are in God's presence! Here's to you~ Live Right!