Today when I woke up, every bone in my body, every bit of flesh (and the extra bits as well), was telling me to stay in bed. People do that all the time right? They're too tired, didn't get enough sleep, worked too hard, so they decide to skip church for one day. Well, it's something I've been tempted many times to do, but I've never done. Somehow, I've always had some sort of a divine nudge to get me out of bed on a Sunday morning to go to church. I'm not praising myself. Hardly something to boast about when you can't get out of bed on a Sunday. I'm just really glad I did go today.

We had an excellent message on the costs of leadership. Something all too painfully familiar to me. One point that stuck in my head was this: The cost we're willing to bear for something, shows how much that something really means to us. In other words, the stuff that we're willing to give up shows the value we place on the person we're willing to give it up for. Like for example, if you take your girlfriend to a fancy-schmancy-finances-reducing place for dinner instead of some old downstairs coffeeshop, it means she's worth something to you. In the same way, the things we're willing to surrender to God show how much He really means to us. Leadership always demands surrender. Surrender always comes with a cost. Therefore, leadership comes with a cost. James Crook said, "The man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd". How true. It signifies so blatantly the loneliness that comes with spiritual leadership. And that's not just talking about ministry leaders, cell leaders, whatever kind of "appointed" leaders. It's talking about YOU and ME, because we've all been called to be spiritual leaders. But as I mentioned in my earlier post, loneliness is essential and can be a good thing. It truly makes us realise our dependence on God. I'm glad they brought this up in the message today.

My cell group's compiled an album for the staff at Tan Tock Seng hospital with our messages of encouragement inside. I urge all of you to send some sort of message, email or letter to them in this time of anxiety, pain, fear, difficulty. Many of them have not gone home in a while and are daily putting themselves at risk to help those who've been infected with the SARS virus. My heart goes out to them and I hope yours does too. Please, I don't know what else to say except that they really need support and love right now. Let's do something to share God's heart with them.

Now you know why I was glad I went to church today. Thank God He nudged me out of bed.