Time, Space and People

Encounters:

I have always been amazed by how people get or not get to meet at a certain time, in a particular space… Somehow, though coincidental each encounter may seem, I believe meeting people at the right time, right place do make wonders… This was especially so when I met my wife in year 2000, when we were individually drawn by God to join a Christian artists support group, and eventually put up our first Christian group show – ‘Feed the Birds’. We got along well, and within two years, we were married by the grace of God! That was fast, though… Hee…

One year, we paid our Chinese New Year visit to her very first and respected art teacher, Mr Yap. In the conversation, I was surprised to find out that Mr Yap was actually a very close buddy of my first-regarded art teacher - Mr Ang. How coincidental! They were classmates in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, yet had later taught me and my wife in separate time and space… This is amazing!

Drawing 1: Hide & Seek











The third incident is interesting: Many years back before I got to know my wife, I once held a combined exhibition with a junior college teacher, also a practising artist. Little did I realize that she would later to be my wife’s teacher in the following year! On the school noticeboard, my wife in her teens, had caught a glimpse of my name on the outdated exhibition poster, only finding my name familiar as one who was involved in the Artist Village. That was all she knew about me then…until we met in person after many years…

Around the same time in 1990-91, whilst I was attending another church, I came to know a teenage girl, ‘Fang’, seven years younger than me… We had fellowship on and off in church and camps, and I treated her like a young sister. After I left the church in 1996, I only keep in touch with a few church friends (‘Fang’ was not among them), and my wife has also met some of them. Recently, through a conversation with my previous church friend, my wife found out that ‘Fang’ was actually her primary school classmate! We were marvelled once again by this discovery!

Drawing 2: Friendship











In year 2002, I got to know a school teacher - Mr Ling. He is a nice man and we do a lot of sharing since. To me, at that time, I thought of Mr Ling as a completely new friend. A few months later, I discovered that many of my friends have known him many years before me. Not only that, about one year later, I also realized that he was also my boss’ classmate in NUS back then… What a small world!

During my childhood days, I lived in Toa Payoh Lorong 4. That area had five badminton courts, and I always played badminton with my two brothers and friends. Through a friend, I came to know a 55+ year-old man whom many people called him ‘Lao Zhang’. He was a very good badminton player, and could win many 20+ year-old young players! I remember always making fun of and showing monkey faces to him whenever I lost to him in the game. These silly things kept going on until my father passed away (died in cancer). I was then only a secondary-two boy... During the three-day funeral, I was surprised to see ‘Lao Zhang’ attending one night. I soon found out from my relative that ‘Lao Zhang’ was our distant relative…! He too, was also surprised at our connection...

Drawing 3: The Moment...










The most recent encounter was about my church care-group praying for my wife’s cousin who was unwell, whilst a care-group member, Doreen, was at her workplace also helping her colleague pray for her husband who was sick… This lasted for at least a few months before we realized we were all praying for the same person…! All along, we only knew that my wife’s cousin and his wife had been sitting with her colleagues during service, and Doreen only knew her colleague’s husband was first brought to church by his cousin...

After seeing the above cases, I believe many people have similar experiences as me. Many times when these things happen, I often wonder, "Why? Why didn’t I know this or that person earlier? Or why can’t they know me earlier as well?"

Perhaps only God knows when and where to let two persons meet is the right time. One possible reason could be that he or her may need a little bit more time to grow and mature in character, or else he or she may destroy the friendship… There are of course many other factors involved, only God knows. Do you agree?

Drawing 4: Fellowship

Drawing 1: “Hide and Seek”
The two men in the middle are strolling through either door openings, as if looking for something. The man at bottom is standing in front of a wall that symbolizes a dead end… under this circumstance, he chose to seek help from above (the heaven) for answer. The man on the top left looks as if hiding away from many people due to shame or having inferiority complex. So eventually many people may not have chance to get to know him.

Drawing 2: “Friendship”
The man on the left bottom of the picture has just fallen over while the man on the other side has missed meeting him, though the window put in between them is big… Another man in the middle is as if trying to hide away from people that he knows and even strangers. Two men on the right get to know each other and stretch out their hands for a handshake. No doubt the window in between them is smaller in comparison, but they get to meet at the right place and right time.

Drawing 3: “The Moment..."
At first, I would like to name this piece - “They will never know each other forever”, but finally changed my mind, renaming it - “The Moment...”. This is because at this moment, they may not know one another, but who knows at the next moment, they may get to meet already...? There is a sense of anticipation in the air…

Drawing 4: “Fellowship”
This picture shows people coming from various backgrounds - be it family, educational, career…, and having different life experiences… However, our heavenly Father loves to draw us together, to let us enjoy His goodness and become His children. He even loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Oh! This is a great love from God! In my church now, I only know a handful of brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, but I believe in time to come, I will get to meet more people at the right place, right time.

* Something special: I remember from years 1991 to 1996 (before I got to know my wife), I frequented the Jurong area, because my church cell-group was held there. Sometimes, our cell group would take place at different houses (in rotation) for mid-week Bible study. Come to think of it now, one family actually stayed very near to my present mother-in-law’s house! I wonder, “I used to pass by that area many times… Have I ever got to see (just see only) my present wife by chance at that time? She must have looked very young then, being seven years younger than me… Maybe she had passed by me also…?” However, I think even if we had met each other then, I wouldn’t be putting much attention on her also… Why? Because at that time, my eyes were only locked on ladies who were older than me! Ha, so, wrong time!