act 4: cash stash
im sleepy now, i've been that busy that i've left this until quite late ahhh
ps. i don't really know where this fits in so i'll leave it here. i spent around £8 just to travel in and around london - just to see friends and make the time to be there with them in real life. i guess that is a way that i spend my money on others. this may be less direct but i guess it also shows how much i love them? (for comparison, on average i would spend £2 ish to travel to see people).
spoiler alert: if im honest, this is probably going to be a bland post just because my day's been full of running errands, in a fun way.
so the acts of generosity are as follows:
so the acts of generosity are as follows:
if im being truthful to myself, although giving money is probably one of the easiest ways of generosity, i feel like it is nonetheless one of the harder acts. perhaps we can blame it on the fact that i'm a student, or that i've never even have a job but my main source of income is from my red envelopes at chinese new year, and i guess the few pennies interest you get from the bank give me all that much more.
however, something that i took away from today's devotional is that generosity is something we should plan for. for me, this means that yes i might not be in the best financial position but, if anything, it should give me more of an incentive to save up so that i can treat someone else. also, i do love a good surprise, both giving and receiving one, and i feel that during this process of saving up for something / someone, i can use it as a time for mental preparation and thinking about how my act can be an act to show God's love.
because of this inconsistency in my money input + output, i guess i want to commit to the yellow option - i want to actually spend money on others but who knows how long it will take before i can afford to treat someone. however, i am an adult now and adults love coffee (or bubble tea) which isn't too spenny, so perhaps that will do as it's all about the thought!
so i guess i'm sort of just going to recap my day now and just give thanks for the goodness that has happened :)
1. so my day started with me running late for a meeting (i woke up 15 mins before the time i was meant arrive lol). but i am so, so grateful for my dad driving me to the station; he did not so much as bat an eyelid before agreeing!
2. i have these friends my age who study in london so i don't really manage to see them a lot anymore but we had a very mature chat today about church life and community and worship. it was a beautiful conversation and fruitful time of inspiring each other towards God. and it's just super exciting to see people building each other up in love. this just reminds me how much more i want to invest in others to really get to know the people around me, to journey through life with them.
3. i had dim sum with the grandparents + extended fam! i mean who doesn't like dim sum, as an asian (even i do and im pescatarian which means there's so much i don't eat lol). but it was a blessing to spend time with family because they are the ones who will always have your best interest at heart, like through giving me the last cheung fun or pouring me more tea even though my cup's already full. some rather wholesome time with the fam <3
4. i saw my church bestie again! we spent most of our time studying together but it's those who you can comfortably spend a long period of time in silence with who are the real ones, innit? she also stayed over at mine and had dinner with the fam and spent a lot of time with my sister (although i was adamant that she came to see me) but it's nice when your friend gets along with the fam :)
in terms of my temptations today...
in terms of my temptations today...
i struggled when i was on the train by myself earlier. there was a lady who was sitting next to me who was happily chomping away on her crisps and boy they smelt good, not like your average cheese and onion smell. i miss snacks, and i was feeling peckish on the train too. but somehow i just diverted my attention, concentrated on the lyrics of the song i was listening to and the next thing i knew, i had to get off the train anyway, so i was able to shun and run from the temptation. yay!
im sleepy now, i've been that busy that i've left this until quite late ahhh
bisous,
haynam xx
ps. i don't really know where this fits in so i'll leave it here. i spent around £8 just to travel in and around london - just to see friends and make the time to be there with them in real life. i guess that is a way that i spend my money on others. this may be less direct but i guess it also shows how much i love them? (for comparison, on average i would spend £2 ish to travel to see people).