The fragility of life

I have been a collaborator with the Marist Brothers in Cambodia for the last two years. I help them to raise funds for their community work and for the poor. But alas, I am no longer young and healthy and raising fund like planting rice is never fun. One of the Marist brothers has taken much effort to write a report on Pailin but somehow his report did not move many hearts. It has been three weeks since I started asking for financial assistance but only two people responded.

Some people commented “Oh, awesome work” and that’s it. I am not the least encouraged, in fact it makes me terribly sad and I want to give up “asking for the widow’s mite”. I want to shout to God to send someone else for I cannot move any hearts. Last Sunday, I watched with awe and a heavy heart the amount of money raised at the President’s Star Charity Night... a whopping S$5.7 million and here I am “begging” for USD7,100 to employ two teachers, buy 10 used computer, build a library for 100+ children in Pailin without any result. What a setback!

Just as I was about to give up, forget about what fund-raising and just mind my own business… I received a mail this morning from a Marist novice desperately asking for help for his aged parents and mentally ill brother as flood has destroyed their entire rice crop. I also read a blog written by Brian… “We were saddened recently when a young man collapsed at our centre here in Pailin, soon after he died in the local hospital. We do not know the cause of his death but it did bring home to all of us the fragility of life. I was struck by the fact that for many of our students at the centre, their life is one of poverty, one which many go about with a quiet dignity. It is the same of them in death. There was no great funeral procession for Vuthy, just a simple time of mourning in his family home a mere hour after his passing. I think that some of the local people were wondering who the white man was who was there viewing the body and saying his silent prayers for the deceased but my presence was respected and Vuthy’s short life was honoured.” People pass away every day, but unless we lose someone that we know personally, our own death may not be something that we think about frequently. So, who is Vuthy???? It’s like every now and again we need reminders of our place on earth and just how fleeting life is.

The fragility of life… is it a wake up call? Who knows what tomorrow will bring? But for today, I know God has touched my heart to do something for Sytha and the children in Pailin. Life is fragile and hence we ought to be grateful. We never know what difficulties we may encounter one day when we have to shout to the Lord to save us just as we do not know how others are suffering now and why we reject to be God’s instrument to their prayers. Perhaps one day, we may have to rely on these very people whom we refuse to help today.

We work hard to achieve success, acquire wealth, fill the aching voids in our heart, and to look good, (read carefully it’s to look good not do good) in society. Often times, we give very little thought to what is beyond this life. We are caught up in ensuring a comfortable life for ourselves here and now. Then one day when it hits us that life is fragile and fleeting, we find that all we have chased after here on earth will not save us when it comes to eternity.