All About Appreciation

Listen to this article

Being Appreciated
Today is International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day (IVMAD). It is a day for Volunteer Programme Managers (VPMs) just like myself but then, to my department, it is yet another excuse for celebration and to makan. So, we had a curry fish head feast over lunch and my boss gave me half day off and also a trendy-looking shirt. Really appreciate their small gesture. (Picture "fish head curry" by varf)

Appreciating God
Yesterday's department devotion was on joy of heaven; the joy of having one more accepting the salvation of Christ.

As Christians, we sometimes experience the grace of God that we become so eager to share the gospel, to the extent we may even start playing the "number game"... "it is not a number game" I recall my pastor once telling us and yesterday's devotion session served as a good reminder. Luke 15:7 says "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance". (Picture "counting" by pante)

For me, God has set the burden in me to reach out to people who have distanced from Him. The calling is so real but sometimes I am at a loss as to how to go about it. I am not exactly an extroverted person and fear rejection. But when God provides the calling, He provides the means too. For me, I felt that God has used my own testimony of how I have distanced from Him and was brought back, as well as my blog for His purpose. And so, I appreciate God for that, for giving me the means to fulfill my calling.

Appreciating the Good Ol' Times
I took the opportunity to visit my ex-colleague at my old workplace, since the IVMAD dinner will be held in the vicinity later in the evening. She really don't seem to be coping well; she is really looking out for jobs elsewhere because things have gotten unbearable.

When I arrived at the centre, I was shocked to find the whole centre looking so gloomy and dark; partly because there are only 2 staff left in the whole centre and order has been given to switch off all lights in the day when no one is using, even the corridor lights. Saving cost is good but then it is really overdoing it when the whole place looks so dark and gloomy... what will visitors think when they walk into a gloomy centre... Anyway, enough griping since I am no longer there.

Anyway, while I was there, my ex-colleague and me took a trip down memory lane. We visited the site of our old office (a small room in the centre which has since been torn down) and just reminisced the good old times... we tried to identify where our tables used to be and kept joking about how we used to bang into one another whenever we walked about in that old office. We even joked about the first conflict we had, which strengthened the working relationship between me and her when we agreed to let each other know whenever we are upset with the other person. With a deep sigh, my ex-colleague remarked that "life was simpler then and we were so much happier" and how she hope I can come back to work... if only things are just that easy :(

Appreciation Dinner
Things were a little disappointing because we had spent weeks planning for this appreciation dinner for VPMs but the response hasn't been good. But still, I really want to give thanks for en enjoyable evening and thank God for the games (which I and my fellow committee member planned) working out just fine. It was an enjoyable evening with food, game and my personal favourite, the sing-along session by a volunteer guitarist... we chit chat and sang songs like "Love Me Tender", "月亮代表我的心", "朋友" and "Try a Little Kindness".