of first and seconds

This is the end of my annual leave. People asked me what I have been doing in the past five weeks. And so, I began to look back on what is it that I have been doing.

Today, I blogged not from home. I am currently in Sydney and I am sitting in the bays of Darling Harbor. At the start of the leave, I wanted to travel to see different cultures, maybe interstates, somewhere not too far away because I don't actually like travelling. But what I do enjoy is pondering on people and life. And for the past five weeks, none of that happened until tonight.

Sydney is not a very foreign place to me anymore. I like walking around the city (hate the drive thoug). I expected this to be a time spent with my mother while she is visiting her children in Australia. But tonight I had a nudge to take time off everything familiar and visit a place I like to visit: Darling Harbour. Alone.

And yes I spent time pondering on cultures and life. I had a few thoughts brewing but I came upon a series of boards commemorating the upcoming ANZAC. One quote struck the most.

"Everyone remarked upon the great send off and said it was worth enlisting for."

At the end of five weeks, my colleagues will expect me to have photos and stories of my travels from afar, and I don't. The furthest I have been is to good ol' boring Sydney. But honestly, in overall, I have no sense of regrets of how I spent my leave. I have rejoiced with the angels when the few souls were saved during camp, and how our rejoicing still echoes very clearly in my mind. I have taken time to just sit and observe and ponder about cultures. I have broaden my knowledge and perspective on ministries, seeing creativity in another light. I have spoken to people about things of importance such as discipleship, pastoral care and the fight for justice, and plan projects around them. I have made new friendships and strengthened old ones.

Really, I have invested into eternity, and there is no regret in that. My principle is still, "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33

If I would to restart my annual leave, what would be different? Nothing I can think of. I could not have spent my annual leave any better I reckon.