Imitate is such a Lost Art

If there is one wisdom I have acquired by learning programming with the mixture of self-taught and asking help, it is this: The fastest and probably easiest way to learn is to copy. And what I mean by copy is: to blatantly and shamelessly rip-off anybody, doesn’t matter whoever he is, as long as there is learning. And when you learn enough, go forth and shamelessly copy from someone better, so on and so forth, failing and rising, mixing and matching until you can have style you can call as your own. That is where true innovation begins, as there is nothing new to innovate anymore: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

And it suddenly hit me this is what Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he says: Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. That if you want a fast growth in being Christ-like, please imitate him. Do the things he do, pick up the habit he shows, think the way he think. Or at least that’s what I interpret from a sentence written by someone dead over two thousand years ago, with a completely different education and cultural background.

What does this mean? I am not sure. Don’t be afraid to imitate anything that is good. Continue to learn from anybody you can learn from. With Bible as the foundation and Spirit as the guide, we won’t stray off so much, right? At least I think so.

May we grow to be more and more Christ-like. Amen.

The Falls. The Rises.

Hey, yo. It’s been a long time; and though I promise myself no more sentimental post, I can feel the gate is opening and wave rushing in. There are two options: to ignore or to ride the wave for what it worth. And since I’ve decided to ignore for so long—far too damn long, so what the heck. Here I am, whether you (or me) like it or not.

Christian journey of faith is not always fun. I haven’t really been able to come to term to when people said ‘I have faith this would happen.’ When it did happen, it is taken as miracle; but when it didn’t, they give the equivalent mental shrug of ‘Well, God does thing in His mysterious way.’ It is almost painful (and envious I guess) to see blind faith at the finest.

And there are times—too many times—that we will fall. There are not many things that is more painful than seeing the careful effort you put being erased in that glorious fall. The slowdowns is annoying.

But falling is just another reminder how human we can be. And it’s alright, we are human afterall: made of flesh, made of blood. And while sitting on the proverbial ground waiting for the pain to subside, things can look much clearer in different perspective. Not necessarily brighter, just clearer.

Getting up is another interesting process. As comfy the ground is for a while, there will be time to move on. And the process will remind us again why it is worth it to spend effort to stand up and walk.

And fall that we may, we will rise up stronger. For if God is for us, it doesn’t matter who is against us.

N.B.
Feel free to change the ‘we’ to ‘I’ if you disagree. I always hate to write in first-person. So that’s what you got. Heh.

Past Present Future. It’s just perspective.

It’s has only been 2 months ago since my last post, yet it feels like such a long time. Memories of it is fuzzy at best, like looking through a tinted glass. Interesting would be the best word to describe the experience as it covers wide range of emotion and feel, however unoriginal the word is.

What happened, you might ask (or you might not; well you should, oh ye unsympathetic reader!) Change, change and more changes happened. I wouldn’t call it fun, though it’s definitely eye-opening. The knowledge that I am still ignorant and have lots to learn, have lots to grow, only fills me with grim determination.

I am sure I wouldn’t call working as fun, despite there is fun aspect to it. And while I’ve been working for one month and half (feels much longer than that, although my ignorance will keep reminding me that yes, it’s only been that short) , it still doesn’t feel like working. Feels more like forced learning, but at the end of the day I know money is rolling in. An overall win situation, just not for the lazy part of me.

Graduation, which is technically just one more day, hits more like the last nail in the coffin, the echoes taunting: yep, you are old. And the world is still such a big, scary place. It always reminds me the most heart-moving scene from The Legend of 1900, which is truly a must-watch movie.

The Legend Of 1900 (Last Scene Dialogue)

Christ, did you... did you see the streets, just the streets? There were thousands of them! Then how you do it down there, how do you choose just one... one woman, one house, one piece of land to call your own, one landscape to look at, one way to die...?

—

Or maybe I am looking it from a wrong perspective. Human—short-sighted, limited, yet so staggering in its arrogance—perspective.

I simply didn’t factor God inside of my supposing 'grand plan’. The future possibilities with God is exciting. Limitless, but brings joy in the midst of the endless possibilities. No matter which future, which proverbial street I choose, He’d already know and He prepares the best for me. That’s a far more comforting thought, by miles (or kilometre, because really, Imperial unit is annoying, and why won’t it die already?!)

I have a lot to be grateful for, really. I complained about graduation but I forgot to give thanks for the good result. I complained about working yet I forgot to give thanks for a job.

I really still have lots to learn. And that’s okay, learning is good. Learning is growing. Life is hard, yes, yet it is wonderful.