In weakness, we find strength

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your strength. Take, for example, the story of a 10 year old boy who decided to take up self- defense classes despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in car accident. That boy started this martial art classes and within 3 months he could not understand why his master taught him only one move. The boy asked the master shouldn't I be learning more moves? This is the only move you know, but this only move you'll need to know replied his master the boy kept training . Several months later the master took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult but after sometime, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by this success the boy was in the finals. This time his opponent was bigger, stronger and more experienced. For a while the boy seemed to be lost. Concerned about the boy the referee called time-out. He was about to stop the match when the master intervened.

No, the master insisted," Let him continue."

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly the boy used his move to pin him.. The boy had won the match and the tournament. On the way back home, the boy and his master discussed every move made by the boy in every match. Then the boy asked what was really on his mind.

"Master, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons the master answered. "First you've almost mastered the most difficult throws in all of the self- defense. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

A touching story from Turkey

I was in turkey when the following incident happened :

Some christian doctors were running a medical clinic attending to survivors of the earthquake in Turkey. When the opportunity came for another clinic to be opened, the doctors decided to go ahead with another clinic in a different location. That morning, before the clinic opened, the one remaining doctor saw a long queue of people had already formed outside the medical tent waiting for him to start his clinic. He saw that he could not attend to all people so he had asked the interpreter, a turkish girl to tell the queue of people that he could not see all of them and requested them that those with minor ailments should go to the government hospitals and clinics so that he could attend to only those with serious problems.

The interpreter kept very quiet and did not know what to say. The doctor then asked her why she would not interpret for him. The interpreter replied, " I cannot tell these people what you just said, I cannot send them away. I have watched you all these past few days, how you work and care for my people. These people need a touch of God's love that only Christians can give them.


By Lim Eng Hoe