Some thoughts on #hobbylobbychallenge

I’ve been quite tickled by the creativity of many of the Hobby Lobby challengers, especially those who also post photos of what they really look like behind-the-scenes. The transformation from their real-life settings to the magazine-cover-worthy results can be pretty amazing! If you haven't seen any of them yet, just search #hobbylobbychallenge and have a look for yourself. 

You will see that while the final shot gives the impression that they are in the middle of a flower garden or something, in actual fact, they are in the middle of a shop aisle surrounded by a plethora of artificial decor plants, shelves, plant pots and other accessories, and signs and labels indicating prices and special deals. Very often, they would also have taken some of the stalks of flowers or leaves on sale and rearranged them, and ended up with bits and bobs strewn across the floor. So the whole scene is of a real big mess! However, these Hobby Lobby challengers start off with a vision of the final shot they want to achieve and keep their focus only on that, so they are not bothered by the mess around them.  

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18a 

In our own lives, for most things that we embark on, we also need to start off with a vision, preferably a God-given one. For students, it might be an ambition of what they would become at the end of their studies. For parents, it could be a picture of how their family would be a blessing to those around. And in the workplace, it might be a vision of how a project would help to improve people’s lives. When we are guided by a clear vision, it not only directs the steps we should take to reach it, it also helps us to keep going even when things seem to go awry and circumstances look a bit messy. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 

Not only are the Hobby Lobby challengers situated in the midst of a mess, they also have to get into some very awkward and uncomfortable positions, frequently in extremely cramped spaces, in order to get just the right frame, angle and lighting for their shots. They even have to stay in those poses for a long time while their photographer friend attempts multiple shots at a gazillion different angles. I imagine most of them also had to get up really early or stay up late in order to get to the Hobby Lobby stores when there are hardly any shoppers around. Yet they are willing to endure all kinds of hardship for the sake of realising their vision of that perfect shot. In the same way, we should keep our eyes fixed on our Godly vision in whatever we are striving for, then no amount of trials and suffering would deter us from reaching for it.  

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1b-2 

Some of these Hobby Lobby Challengers also describe in their Instagram and Facebook posts how they were told off, threatened and even driven out of the stores by the store managers. Nevertheless, they don't give up and keep up their attempts in different branches and at different timings of the day, all for the sake of getting THE shot! In our quest to fulfill our vision, we may also face opposition, rejection and humiliation. Again, let's not allow detractors to derail us from our course. 

Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Mark 13:13 

Finally, if you haven't noticed by now, every Hobby Lobby Challenger needs to have at least one friend to help take the photographs. Some of them even have additional companions who help to conceptualise and arrange the flora for the shots. So before we start on our journey towards our envisioned goal, get someone else on board so we can encourage and spur each other on along the way.  

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 

In summary, have a vision, ignore the mess, endure hardship, ditch the naysayers and grab a friend. That is the recipe not just for a successful Hobby Lobby challenge but for almost anything we do in life too! 

Now, how about a Singapore-style #hobbylobbychallenge right outside one of our friendly neighbourhood supermarkets? 😉 

 

Earmarked

Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.

Exodus 29:20

This was part of the consecration ceremony for Aaron and his sons, as priests set apart to serve God in the tabernacle. The marking of the right ear lobes reminds me of this other passage:

But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

Exodus 21:5-6

In both instances, we see that they were willing to serve their masters (God, in Aaron’s case, and the human master in the slave’s case) and the earmarking was a sign of who they belonged to. Also, it was a lifelong commitment. In addition, the earmark was clearly visible for everyone to see.

In the same way, when we are willing to give our lives to God, we are earmarked and set apart for life, regardless of our age and station in life. Our words and actions are to make Christ constantly visible to the world, wherever He places us and not only when we are serving in church or on the mission field. As for prodigals who stray away, like the lost sheep (in Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7), God will not lose sight of His mark on them and will pursue them all their lives until they return to the fold.

Incidentally, sheep are also earmarked as a sign of ownership. Like sheep, we are set apart for our Shepherd’s Purpose, consecrated like Aaron to fulfil His destiny for us. Perhaps God chose the ear to be marked as a reminder of the need for us to pay heed to the Master's instructions and to respond, "Not my will but Yours be done." We are also under His Protection, and He will watch over us and keep us from harm, from the lion and the bear (1 Samuel 17:34-35), and from the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Even when death and destruction strike, we will be Preserved forever and enjoy eternal life with Him. And with The Lord as our Shepherd, we shall lack nothing (Psalm 23:1) for His Provision for us is always sufficient and timely.

That’s why we can say most confidently:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:1-2

Love is... - 'The Liar and His Lover' (aka 'Lovely Love Lie') [Spoiler Alert!!!]

If Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is the cutest drama of 2017, then surely The Liar and His Lover has got to be the sweetest! You can tell just by looking at the poster - the pastel colour theme plus soft glow filters are splashed all over the entire 16 episodes. The premise of the series, as reflected in the title, is that songwriter-producer Kang Han Gyul (Lee Hyun Woo) has been living in a web a lies created by himself and others. The story is built around his transformation after he meets and eventually falls in love with a girl with a beautiful voice, Yoon So Rim (Park Soo Young, better known as Joy of Red Velvet). [You can watch the series here and/or read the recaps here.]

The thing about So Rim is that she not only has a lovely voice that captures the hearts of many people, she also has a bubbly and loving personality that leaves a string of boys falling head over heels in love with her. Unfortunately for these other guys, she bumps into the moody Han Gyul one day and it's love at first sight for her. She wins him over initially with her voice but subsequently also with her pure and selfless love for him.

Love is patient, love is kind...it always perseveres
But it's not an easy journey and takes So Rim all of  9 episodes before Han Gyul finally realises that he has fallen not just for her voice but also for her as a person. However, she never gave up and kept on showering him with her love and attention, even in the face of his rejection. She continued to speak to him kindly despite his hurtful words, like when he got mad at her for letting her bandmates listen to and record his song without his permission.

Love is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs
Actually, Han Gyul is the mystery music producer, K, who is behind So Rim's favourite band, Crude Play. His identity is hidden from the public for various reasons and he also hides it from her. That is why he became angry with her for letting her bandmates listen to a yet-to-be released song as that might have given his identity away as well as leaked the unreleased song to the public.

Later on, So Rim is spotted and signed by Han Gyul's record company. By the time she gets to tell him about it, he has already turned down the offer to produce her band (without realising that it's her) and the job has been given to Seo Chan Young (Lee Seo Won). So when So Rim breaks the happy news to him that she's been offered a contract, instead of congratulating her wholeheartedly, he loses his temper yet again at having missed the opportunity to have her sing his songs. Of course, So Rim is clueless as to the cause behind his outburst and feels hurt. But instead of blaming him for not sharing in her joy, she chides herself for not having told him earlier and forgives him readily the moment he comes back to apologise to her.

However, the bigger bombshell comes when she finds out that he is K. She is devastated that he did not trust her enough to let her in on his true identity. In fact, other than lying about his identity, he also didn't tell her about his recent breakup with his ex-girlfriend, singer Yoo Na (Hong Seo Young). So Rim accidentally discovers that the song she had recorded for him earlier had been written for Yoo Na. So now she is doubly hurt. However, she ultimately forgives Han Gyul's lies and later on even defends him while chatting with his father (Choi Min Soo) by saying that Han Gyul would never lie to intentionally hurt anyone. This reminds me of a scene much earlier on when she had already suspected that he was hiding things from her and told him so. At the time, Han Gyul had remarked that she was not acting like a normal person as anyone else would be angry at being lied to.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth

This is especially incredible when we see how So Rim always tells the truth, for instance she couldn't hide her feelings for Han Gyul and told him from the start that she liked him a lot even though they barely knew each other. And she pretty much wears her heart on her sleeve throughout, regardless of whether it's ecstasy over his reciprocal attention or dejection when rejected. She is also very honest with all those around her, from her grandmother to her closest buddies cum bandmates.

Another big lie that Han Gyul has a part in fabricating is that the Crude Play members, other than Chan Young, do not play the instrumental parts themselves. The music is recorded by session musicians and they simply play along to the recordings with their instruments muted during live performances. When So Rim learns about this, the Crude Play members have also had enough of living with the guilt and are considering confessing to the public. Han Gyul struggles with the decision as he fears the backlash from fans may lead to the end of the band altogether. But So Rim encourages him to reveal the truth about the band together with the rest and applauds him when he does.

Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud

We witness how So Rim's love for Han Gyul remains constant, from the beginning when they were both nobodies, to when she became famous while he was still unknown, and eventually when his celebrity status is revealed. This is totally unlike her schoolmate Se Jung, who dates So Rim's bandmate Gyu Sun after they’ve become famous just so she could brag about it.

Love does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking

So Rim's love is so wide that she even denies her own feelings and refuses to sing Han Gyul's song in order to honour her promise to Chan Young to sing only his songs. Instead, she tells Han Gyul to give his song to Yoo Na so it would not be wasted. She only sought to do good to others rather than her own gain. In contrast, Yoo Na had dumped Han Gyul because he couldn't meet her emotional needs (ie demands), and later dates their manager Jin Hyuk (Lee Jung Jin) in order to get ahead in her career.

Love always protects

So Rim also sides with Han Gyul and protects him whenever anyone tries to attack him even though he himself may feel that he was wrong (rather than wronged) and doesn’t deserve her protection. Her unconditional love for him changes him so that he also learns to protect his friends too. One of the main reasons for Crude Play miming their performances was so he could protect his music. After his turnaround, instead of trying to protect his music, Han Gyul makes a deal with CEO Yoo Hyun jung (Park Ji Young) to sell the rights of his future songs to the company in order to protect the band from getting sued.

Love always trusts, always hopes

So after the whole fiasco of having his lies exposed and then receiving So Rim's forgiveness, Han Gyul initially feels depressed as he keeps seeing his own flaws whenever he is with her. But instead of condemning him, she continues to love him and hopes that he will change for the better. He finally realises that he needs her to be beside him in order for him to become a better person.

This actually reflects God's love for us in that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, yet in Jesus there is no condemnation and we receive grace and forgiveness, and God's love then leads to our transformation into Christ-likeness!

Love never fails

Yoo Na can't understand how So Rim manages to influence Han Gyul to change for the better when she could not, and lamented her 'failed love'. But So Rim doesn’t comprehend what 'failed love' is as her kind of perfect love never fails!

Perfect love drives out fear

In fact, it is So Rim’s perfect love and constant support that gives Han Gyul the courage to decide to stand up for the truth despite the negative press and public criticism. When the onslaught does come, So Rim continues to stand by him and gives him strength to start over.

Love in reality

A note of caution here though… I have not mentioned so far that So Rim’s character is a high school student while Han Gyul is a young adult in his mid-20s. So Rim fell in love with him at first sight without knowing anything about him, not even his name. And when she happened to see him again, she declared her love for him at once and exchanged phone numbers with him while still not knowing anything about him (but at least she got his name this time)! She goes against her bandmates’ warnings about meeting up with a stranger and arranges to see him again and again. Of course in K drama land everything turns out well - Han Gyul isn’t a bad guy after all and he falls in love with her too. But in real life, one must not be as naive as So Rim and make friends with a total stranger so easily for there are countless bad guys out there who are looking for young, gullible girls to prey on!

Furthermore, in the idealised K drama world, both So Rim’s character and her love are perfect. However, in reality nobody's love can be perfect like hers as none of us are perfect. Don't expect to change our partners overnight like she did either! If we are endlessly looking for such perfect love from someone else, we would be forever disappointed, or worse still, constantly hurt. The only perfect love that has the power to transform us is from God alone. We must acknowledge that our need for true love can only be met by the one true God.