HE HEARS ME WHEN I CALL

Hello Universe!
For those literature lovers, I am rather sure that you would find this interesting. Today, I had literature lesson with dearest Mrs. D Tan! She was going through a new poem entitled, On His Blindness by John Milton. The poem had an impact on me when Mrs. Tan went into in-depth analysis and so I decided to share it! (:

But before I begin,
Have you ever wondered what serving God was all about?
Was it because my close friends were serving him, so I want to be 'in' so I do the same?
Or was it because I serve due to the fact that I didn't have anything else to do?

How do you define serving?
Many people out there would simply reply saying that by using our talents that God gave us, we are considered to be serving him.
Or just by helping someone in need is serving him.
But what are talents?
Do we really know what the real definition is?
Or are you still clueless as to what talents you have?
Ever wondered where and when do we use these talents?

There are so many ways in which we can serve our beautiful Lord. However, we can’t possibly do everything. But have you started with yourself? How you, yourself, your life, the everyday things that you face could become part of serving and giving glory to him.

Anyway, on his blindness, by John Milton was written in the 1660s. Milton is seen as a very religious man who speaks about God in all of the poems that he has composed. In his youth, he was preparing himself to join the priesthood which he eventually did not. But that's not my point here. So here is how the poem goes:

On His Blindness
WHEN I consider how my light is spent
E're half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one Talent which is death to hide,
Lodg'd with me useless, though my Soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
Doth God exact day-labour, light deny'd,
I fondly ask; But patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts, who best
Bear his milde yoak, they serve him best, his State
Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o're Land and Ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and waite.

The poem depicts the life of a speaker who is losing his eyesight and because he was losing one of his senses, he pondered the fact that if it was gone, how he was going to serve God. Without his sight he would not be able to write anymore about God, and that was his talent. So here in the poem we are reminded of the parable of the 3 servant and their master who entrusted talents to them in Matthew 25: 14-30. What do we choose to do with these talents?

Since the speaker was losing his eyesight, he began to question God, "I fondly ask" without the sight, how was he going to serve Him. And like Jerry's testimony of God coming in a gentle whisper, God was depicted as "patience" who replied with a "murmur".

This is the part where it had a great impact: "God doth not need/ either man’s work or his own gifts, who best/ bear his milde yoak, they serve him best." I didn't understand it at first because it was written in old English but after Mrs. Tan explain, I was simply stunned.
That phrase simply means, "God does not need the gifts of man nor their talents for them to serve him. Even if we didn't use them he didn't mind. But those who can carry and endure their suffering and burden, they serve him the best."

I was just struck with awe at that moment because I was thinking about what talents I have and how and when did I use them to serve him. At that point, Mrs. Tan explained that phrase to us, and gosh, it felt as though He, our mighty, loving God was speaking to me! That it was just not our talents that we could use to serve him. Even our daily struggles and toils would do.

So serving is not just about using our talents and getting the credit or getting the status that we want.
It is not about doing what others are doing.
Instead,
It is about doing what YOU KNOW IS RIGHT and most importantly having that STRONG DESIRE TO DO IT.
So I guess the starting point of serving Him is ourselves, we can begin from the basic of just clinging on dearly to him, when we are facing the constant obstacles. For when we can conquer serving him that way, then we are able to serve him in other ways.

I was awe-struck too by the fact that Milton manage to radiate his strong love and passion for God through these simple 14 lines. And the fact that he also showed us that people back at his time, 1660s would follow Christ and spread his word over land and ocean without rest ( "thousands at his bidding speed/ and post o’re land and ocean without rest") . Such conviction and passion for our Lord they had, makes me feel so ashamed.

Remember there is nothing that we cannot conquer in life! "I can do everything through him who strengthens me" (philippians 4:13)
Like what I told a close friend, the sun will definitely shine after a rainy day! (:

Till the next time, God Bless You!

-Julie.