uncle

Posted by dancia (singapore, Singapore) on 6 February 2007 in People & Portrait.

I met uncle when I was spending some time alone with God and my camera at Botanical Gardens. I took notice of him as he greeted a couple, "God bless you.". I guess it's an affinity thing, to find someone of the same faith. I said the same thing to him too.
I met him again when I was on my way out. We started a conversation and he told me how God convicted him to work at the Gardens. Previously he was serving full time in church helping out the pastor. When he retired, he was very restless and bored and wanted to find something to do. Then he saw an advert looking for sweepers at Botanical Gardens. Initially, he felt it was below his dignity as he held such an esteemed position helping the pastor. But God impressed upon his heart that in His kingdom, everyone has an equal status. God regards everyone as important and there is no job too small when you serve Him. Isn't it a great privilege to be taking care of God's creation everyday? That convicted uncle to work at the Gardens and he felt a sense of fulfillment and privilege as he sweeps the garden clean for God. He learns to appreciate God's creation, and shares with me a species of butterflies that only flies in threes.
I felt humbled by uncle. He taught me to let go of my own position and pride and see that it's such a great privilege to serve the Lord in the things I do, be it significant or not in my own eyes or the eyes of men.
I am reminded of what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5-8 "Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion."