I was frowning when I received the message for the interview. I pondered for a moment, and agonized for a longer period before declining. In between, I was actually looking for a sign that this is no good for me but no unease came. How can this be good for me, I asked myself?

But funnily, I woke up next morning with a GREAT desire to go through with this piece of publicity. It was uncanny. I messaged the journalist and we set up all the details and it was a go-ahead. And everything has been cast in stone as the interview was done, the pictures were taken and the papers are currently being printed.

I was approached in 2009 by the same paper for a feature but I declined, out of fear. But this time, the Lord wanted me to take this on as a testimony that His perfect love has cast out all my fears. I no longer have any worries about being recognized by my colleagues or students or people who did not wish me well. Or concerns about how the industry people would sneer about my age. What does it matter, for what’s most important is how the Lord sees me. And no matter what happens, His right hand will always uphold me.

But I did ask the journalist if she can just write my age as the 40s, instead of mid 40s. She couldn’t obliged due to strict orders from her editor. So I told her – okay, let’s put it down as 44 for my birthday for the year is still not over!

I have four nephews and I spent quite a bit of time with them when they were kiddos. But amongst them, only one is close to me and my husband. He’s now 25.

He has a really cheerful disposition and I remember his hearty laughters as a baby. But he was also very mischievous and loved to tease the other nephew of the same age even as a baby. I remember him poking the other boy to tears when both of them were placed on the bed for a picture and in subsequent growing up years, calling the other boy “a sissy” for crying so easily. His father often recounted how embarrassing it was for having been the only parent to be called up frequently by his principal in primary school. Well, this nephew wasn’t exactly an angel so to speak and often traumatized the teachers and the students in his class.

But he grew up all right. No, in fact, more than all right. Amongst the nephews, he’s probably the most sensible with a people loving attitude. So although we sort of drifted apart for a couple of years and only met up during the usual festive seasons, we still “click” very well. And Facebook really closed the gap to keep us in the know about each other’s ongoings. It was also on Facebook that I learnt that he has embraced God about three years back. So when I started going to church, I decided to invite him over to join us and he did. Since then, we’ve been meeting every Sunday for fellowship to get fed on God’s love and to laugh at our pastor’s jokes.

And as we gather together to have frequent lunches or dinners, I can’t help but feel so amazed at how God has pulled us close together again. And of course the truth is, He already foreknew that my nephew and I will all be in the family of Christ.

Thank you Father for reuniting us and this time, as your most blessed children!