Dream Team

"Dream team" - I've never thought that I would find one in my life.

Even though people long for relationships, they don't always turn out good or as satisfying as we wish them to be. Even if people want to work together, it doesn't always work out. There's power struggle, personality clashes that we do have to contend with, at least from time to time.

But being in the workforce for about a year or so, it's pretty amazing that I've found a dream team, meaning, a team of colleagues that I've come to trust, respect and love. I feel that I cannot ask for more because this team.. well, it's almost close to perfect.

Firstly, I've never felt so accepted and valued in a team for who I am. I don't feel like I have to prove myself and prove my worth. I feel respected for who I am. To me, this probably one of the best, if not the best feeling in the world.

Secondly, each member of the team has shown me what it means to put other persons' interest first and to seek to understand. Personally, I find it extremely challenging to do this but they've shown me that this is possible. While interacting with the team, I have received much love and being attended to whenever I am stressed. I do hope it's something I'll begin to learn.

Thirdly, we have so much fun together!! I think they bring out the fun side in me. I think at times, I can be quite a serious person and I honestly think some fun stuff are lame and I don't do lame stuff. For instance, I strongly dislike games (and I think the worst kind of game is a tele-match). And I don't like organizing or planning fun activities very much.

But I have so much fun with this dream team of colleagues that I am willing to plan stuff so that we can enjoy together. And probably, I would find games much less distasteful when I'm with them.


Through this team of colleagues, I'm beginning to learn what it means to treat others with respect and value, to attend to other people's needs and to have lots of fun. :) I'm so glad and blessed to have known them. You know, it's one of those moments when you reflect,

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good


Now that our team has disbanded with effect from end of this month, I want to still carry these values I've learnt, because I've been so blessed by them. May God grant me the grace to bless others with what I've been so privileged to be blessed with.

Realisation

Being in a helping profession, it's tough when one feels like one has to absorb the stresses and problems of one's clients. Sometimes, when you really do empathize and feel for what they are going through and the real challenges they face, you can't help but to feel helpless and also stressed at times.

This past week has been "eventful", with many crisis cases. The feeling of being in crisis mode is not good and can be very draining.

I was on my way back when I was wondering how can I think differently in order to help me to feel less stressed about these cases that I'm handling.

I realised that one of my unhelpful thought patterns is that I think that I am responsible for my clients' situation and I need to make sure that I can "save them" out of their situations. And when I think this way, I feel overwhelmed because I do feel a sense that I can't actually get rid of their problems or ensure that they will overcome their problems. What helped was when I started to remember that my clients' ultimately are responsible for their own lives and realistically, I cannot "save them" out of their situations. My role is to assist them in the best way possible and to my best knowledge, in their best interest.

Ultimately, what comforted me was when I started to reflect on the fact that God is in control and holds our worlds in His hands.

I felt much better after thinking through my stress. I want to trust that God's grace is enough to see us through.

Encouragement for the day

It is easy to see how the first followers of Jesus couldn't envision anything different than the world they knew, that familiar terrain around them that only seemed to offer one possibility. The cultivation of imagination and vision seems as much a discipline as it is part and parcel of a creative spirit. All too often, the same narrow vision overtakes us. Instead of seeing a vibrant city or oasis, we see only sand and dust. We quench the imagination of what could be because we inhabit a world that seduces us toward a tunnel-vision that only sees the realm of our own needs and interests (Manning, 2012)

Today's reading reminded me of the importance of seeing a vision of a greater world than this. In difficult and challenging times, it's so easy to see the narrow view of things, to just be focused on the here-and-now, to see things from earthly lenses and want my immediate needs and wants to be met. I hope that my mind will constantly renewed so that I can see things through other-worldly lenses and grow to desire to live the new life.


Source:
Theological Imagination

The Big Day. Serving with my younger sister

One of the youths in my youth group was scheduled to lead songs during youth service today. Initially, I wasn't the youth leader to oversee and guide her to do so, but the other youth leader could not make it, so I took over.

This youth is one of the youths that I have been walking alongside for the past 2 years. She's become like a younger sister to me. Anyway, for the past week, we have been planning for the song leading session today.

The process was encouraging. She was willing to serve without complaining about the things that she needed to do. She was willing to take up the challenge and step out of her comfort zone. She was responsible to choose the songs, to write her script, to do the powerpoint slides, to coordinate practice.

The night before, she texted me to ask me whether there was anything else that she missed out before the "big day" (the day that we're suppose to song lead together).

I laughed.

Perhaps to me, having been song leading many times, the task was easy for me and I wouldn't consider it as a "big day" or anything special.

But of course, I understood that it was definitely a "big day" for her. For a 15-year-old, standing in front of a group of other youths and having to lead songs for the first time, it would be a challenging experience.

Thinking back through the experience, I realised that today's song leading is really a "big day" for me too. 2 years ago, I would have not imagined serving alongside this younger sister in Christ.

It's miraculous, to see God working in the life of this sister. Having this opportunity to serve alongside this younger sister is indeed a "big day" for me. It's God's grace when I see lives beginning to want to serve others and to serve Him.

Thankful for this "big day" indeed. :)

we're "highly favoured"

Food for thought

An article that prompted me to think about my clients. Sometimes it's easy to think that my life is less "broken" than theirs. But is it really? Perhaps, not so.

"Identification by Margaret Manning"

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

I was talking to a friend about how scary it can be to now realise that we're adults. Even though I'm past the official age of being considered an adult, but somehow part of me feels like I still enjoy being a youth (teenager).

For starters, I don't like wearing formal clothes, make-up and high heels. I like wearing shorts, casual dresses, blouses, flip flops and flat comfy shoes. I hope everyday I can just be myself and wear casual clothes. I always secretly wished that no one invented make up and high heels.

Even though I like going to work and I do enjoy what I do, I still don't feel fully comfortable about having to be "professional", and speaking in a certain way to my clients.

And it's pretty surreal to see my peers getting married. It's still quite unbelievable. Just when I thought that marriage is for adults... I realise that I'm already an adult.

I know it sounds strange, but I can't believe I'm an adult.

I wonder whether anyone else feels that same way. Or is it just me, and my friend whom I was sharing this with?

Nevertheless, I enjoy the privileges of being an adult. Some awesome perks would be having your own money and say about how you spend it; being able to make your own decisions about who you hang out with and what you do with your time.

But it's scary also... the part about commitment and responsibility, and having the pressure to conform to society's standards of what it means to be an adult. You can't just play around so much and you need to take ownership of your mistakes. And it seems like you can't talk too much nonsense and act childish.

I guess every life stage is different, and maybe the grass is always greener on the other side. It helps to remember who I am, because that will never change and no matter what happens, I want to stay true to myself and my identity.

Satisfaction at work

When I see..

~ Couples who are starting to affirm each other and work together,
~ Children who are being protected from their unsafe environments,
~ Children with financial difficulties who will get a chance for early education,
~ Young/single mothers being more equipped to meet their children's developmental needs,
~ A young girl who's able to gain greater confidence in herself.

These are some little changes that make the work that I do worthwhile.

There are times that I wonder how much I can even do to make a significant impact. I have clients whose issues are so deep seated that I don't know how much my intervention will change anything. Furthermore, given the many cases that I have to attend to, it is also very challenging to closely follow up on these kind of complicated cases.

But remembering the little changes allows me to take heart and be encouraged.

Crisis cases

It's becoming an eventful week of crisis cases!

Staying back in office forever and no time to practice my keyboard.

*takes deep breath*

I need lots of grace to press on...

Trapped

I don't know why,
but the past haunts me like a nightmare.
I feel trapped.

I'm doing my best to move on,
to not blame myself or anyone,
but it's so hard.

What will it take to get me out of this?