Appreciation.. one of the rarest element on the earth nowadays.. although it IS a renewable energy!

It is rare indeed.

We lack of appreciation nowadays. It’s pretty visible from the things happening around us. One may be worshipped at the start of his/her momentum, but the next day that person decided on something a lot of people disagree of, BOOM, goodbye appreciation. Do you get what I’m saying?

Take an example of George W. Bush. He was voted by the Americans to be their president. He was worshipped, appreciated and all. Until one day he decided to send troops to Iraq.. then the public hates him, despises him, criticizes him, insults him, and it never stops. I really hate Pink with her song Dear Mr. President where she depicts herself as having a conversation with the president telling him that he (the president) knows nothing ’bout hardworks.

Nothing?! Well, Pink, if you are brave enough to say such words out loud, do you think you are a better person to become the president?

Deciding on something the society wants aren’t always the right thing. If that was the case, there will be no president. Every decisions will then be made by public voting.

But that’s why a LEADER is needed. To make a hard, tough, decisions at (sometimes) a short notice. It may not be what the public wanted but there are rules that keep these countries safe and alive until now.

Tony Blair was another one. He got all these kinds of critics because he was helping out Bush in Iraq. But I love what he said when he resigned by saying “I may have been wrong – that’s your call. But I did what I thought was right for this country”.

Being a leader, especially to a nation, is not an easy job. The decisions they made are not like rolling a dice, they have a country in their hand and all the decisions they make may sacrifice his/her career life, dignity and all.

Mr. Soeharto made mistakes.. but what he did to our country before was amazing. Probably we should’ve blamed ourselves for keeping him on top of the Presidency seat for far too lng.

John Howard became a “stupid” object for insults. But he did what he could and he have done well for Australia, to atleast keeping our country safe so far, whatever our opinion is.

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I guess my point here is… that we, as a person and as a society, have lacked that sense of appreciation.

We hardly:
Say thank you,
Tap someone on the shoulder,
Smile,
Applaud,
Support,
Congratulates,
Remember the goodness,
etc

I am a leader of the Praise & Worship Department in IFC. Is it an easy thing? Certainly not. It’s time-energy-power-mind-patience-dignity-pride-younameit demanding and consuming.

I only lead about 20-30 people and thinking or knowing that atleast 5 of them are opposing me, gave me enough pressure for me to want to quit this role (can’t imagine how Bush feels). I have to sometime be strict to some people even if it includes being ditched behind my back. Making decisions that caused some people rebelling. Doing NOTHING but still getting all these kinds of craps thrown at you (It’s not bad by the way. But well, it can be put that way sometimes).

I often get exhausted. Felt so much of the lack of appreciation. What’s keeping me strong is to know that all I’m doing is for God. But still, I can’t avoid the fact that I am dealing with people here.

So few weeks back, when H2O celebrated its 2nd anniversaries. Two persons (Tommy and Agnez) came up to me and gave me a heart shaped object with words of appreciations on it. And gosh, how it gave me such a relieve. A shear bliss of joy and gladness rushed through my heart, mind, and soul. I really can’t wait to get home that night and read these two best appreciations I’ve ever had for so long over and over again. Altough, someone stupidly threw it away for no reasons. I had to look all over the church for them (ended up not finding them). You may say I’m stupid or crazy.. it seems simple indeed, but it surely meant a lot to me.

You know what an appreciation gives?

It’s a support, encouragement, a tap-on-the-shoulder, a strength you can share to someone else.

How can you make a better decision when all the time you are being pressured, criticised, shamed? They will just add more to your troubles than you’ve already had.

You need to be appreciated. Although not meaning your decision will always be approved (because it could be wrong too), but atleast it gives you mental strength so that you can do better in the next future.

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So are you feeling un-appreciated?

This one verse gave me an answer..

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” – Mat 7:12

So, let’s go, and give someone an appreciation today!

Here’s a video to get you through the way

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PRAYER: Lord, I thank Thee for the people you have given around me. For what they have done in my life, seen or unseen, known or unknown. I pray, for You are God who sees their good deeds, You will bless them abundantly and that they will continue to become a bigger and better blessings to everyone. Help me Lord to appreciate people around me and to show, not just in my heart, but in action, the gratefulness I felt for their existence. Thanks you Jesus, AMEN.