Faulty by Default

Later, I will be sharing some thoughts on worship at my church's youth worship workshop. I was told there will be 20 something participants. Twelve of them belong to the organising committee.

This week, especially, I haven't been much of a worshipper. I realised how little time I've been spending with God, reflecting on His Word and just being still in His presence. I don't think I'm qualified to share tonight. Then again, I guess no one will ever be qualified to express what it really means to worship a holy God, simply because, we're so finite and limited. There's really nothing we can ever do to please Him. By default, we're faulty creatures.

We worshipping God is akin to the story of a little boy who decided to surprise his dad.

Three year old Tim knew it was daddy's birthday tomorrow. Being a Saturday, Tim knew mum wouldn't be at home to restrict him from the kitchen. He had planned to bake daddy a cake.

As soon as he awoke the next morning, he dashed to the kitchen, without any clue where to start. Knowing it was a huge sacrifice, having to let go of Dexter's Laboratory, Lilo and Stitch and the other favourites on Saturday's cartoon line-up, he couldn't stop thinking of the look on daddy's face after presenting him a yummy-in-the-tummy chocolate cake. (The one mum always makes on birthdays)

Daddy was in the dining reading the newspapers. He knew Tim was up to something... but he didn't want to blow his surprise.

Tim rummaged through the cabinets where the mixing bowls were kept and found the perfect one, after hiding the one he had just broken. Recalling how mum used to do it, he dragged the
half empty bag of flour that turned the kitchen tiles white after it slid off the counter which he couldn't quite reach. The five cups of sugar which filled half the mixing bowl also spilt while he tried to reach the basin faucet to fill to fill the bowl with water.

In his tiny three year old heart, Tim was beginning to feel dissappointed that his cake wasn't going to turn out right. And after messing up the last of ten eggs, beads of tears rolled down his cheeks. His birthday surprise plan had failed. His efforts were useless. All he could imagine now was mum's surprised (and grisly) look. But more so, he felt sad he messed up his gift to dad.

Dad heard him sniffing and went into the kicthen. Beholding the site of a war-torn kicthen, he carried little Timmy, wiped his tears and gave him a huge kiss. Timmy choked back his tears (which flowed more after the kiss) and tried to explain the mess, "I..,I.. wanted to bake you a cake, but .., I made a mess.." Dad said, "That's ok, I still love you.."

And dad helped him clear the mess. Later they baked a nice yummy-in-the-tummy cake together.

No matter how much we screw up in the process of pleasing God, He knows our intentions and is simply pleased by our honest desire to worship Him. And when we fail, He always makes the first move to remind us of His love for us. He helps us clear the mess in our lives and continues walking with us.

"God seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth" - Jesus of Gallilee