Oh, God!, part 1

Since young I have believed in the existence of God. I would not have been alive today or be doing what interested me most today if god had not directed me towards it.

When I was young, I was sickly and weak. One such health problem was rheumatic arthritis which attacked me at a most unexpected age, at least for most of the folks at that time, when I was merely six years old. They claimed it was an old person's sickness and here was me, too young to be struck by this kind of pain in the joints. Once it became so painful and the swelling as so bad that I could not walk. I was living in Caunter Hall, Penang at that time. Not far from this Chinese village where my parents rented part of an upper portion of a wooden was a temple where, neighbours told my parents, was a medium who had miraculously cured many who seek her help. So, I was taken there one afternoon when the medium was in a trance. The medium told my parents to leave me on the floor just outside that temple. I must admit her looks and prancing behaviour  in no way gave me any confidence that she was going to be my saviour. Run? I could not even raise myself off the floor. The rheumatic pain was that bad. If i could even walk I would have broken any walking record to disappear from the scene. Helpless, I was. Before I could even cry for help, the huge lady medium was stepping over my feet. But she was fast and soon the torture was over. What a relief! Next, she ordered me to stand up and walk. Well, i did just that. there was certainly no need for a repeated instruction. And i did walk! I walked home all by myself. Unbelievable? For everyone else, perhaps. For me, it happened. What cured me? Was it fear? Was it the work of God? I did not really know. But, looking back after a number of other incidents, I believe it is the work of God through that medium. Why not? After all, we do know that God, no matter where you religious belief lie, is all almighty. He does his will, sometimes through mysterious ways.

Of course, there are those who say that it is the work of the devil, to convince me of its power. If it is really the work of the devil, then these people have to admit that the devil does do good and at least once relieved a poor, painful innocent little boy from agonizing pain. Anyone would have to admit that was a good deed for any devil, even if this little boy could have been a wee bit naughty during that young age. No, I did not become any devil's disciple, as anyone who truly knows me can confirm. So, I would like to think that God, in His mercy, gave this boy, me, a chance to build his health, become more active in activities good for the immune system and the opportunity to be a state gymnastic coach when I became a teacher until my retirement at age fifty-six in 2002. For all this, I have God to thank. Thoughts of Him is constantly with me to this day and the reason for this will be revealed in the next few remembrances of His presence in my life.