LESSONS FROM AUSTRIA & SLOVAKIA TRIP – PART 1

Me and Tobias woke up at 4:30 am, 
took a 6 am train to Frankfurt Airport,
to catch our 9 am flight to Vienna.
We were fully awake,
everything so far so good,
the day seemed to be starting wonderfully.
Then, once we arrived at Frankfurt airport, 
it switched into a day of full of surprises.

We passed through the security check,
bought coffees and grabbed a newspaper,
as we sat down at the boarding gate,
we heard the announcement,
our flight was canceled until further notice.
And there’s more… 
It felt like the whole aiport was shut down. 

The departures list from top to bottom read ‘canceled’.
Long queues at every customer service desks.
Waves of boarding gate changes.
It was total chaos.

That morning, 
143 take-offs and landings were cancelled,
48 aircrafts already in the air were diverted to other airports. 
The result was a lengthy 6 hours delay 
For my flight to Vienna,
and Tobias missed his afternoon session at the conference he wanted to attend.

This is because an idiot 
broke the law,
playing his/her toy — flying a drone 
in the drone-ban area, airport area, 
or trying to sabotage the airport.
His/her wrecking action 
caused losses to many people.

::: THE 613 LAWS 

Currently I am reading the Old Testament.
It amused me to find out the law,
that was given to the people of Israel,
is not just the famous 10 commandments,
but it expanded to a total of 613 commands,
covering laws about rituals and customs,
about social justice and morality. 

They point out real issues 
of the human heart 
about pride, lust, contempt and anger. 

These laws,
were a solid reliable guidepost,
for knowing how to love God 
and how to love other people,
for trusting God,
and live by His wisdom.

Unfortunately,
history tells us that despite all the laws 
there is a lot of rebellion,
an epic fail.
Humans were and are simply unable 
and incapable to obey all the laws,
because the heart is hard.
This piles up to tragedies, 
violence and death.
Humans defile the earth,
and humanity is on a path to self destruction.

I learned,
the purpose of the laws in the Old Testament,
are to convict us of our inability 
to keep God’s laws,
and to point us to our need
to Jesus Christ as our savior.

::: FULFILLING THE LAW 

It’s boarding time after 5 hours waiting.
At the gate mentioned on our boarding passes, 
we found out that they changed the boarding gate,
so we walked from one end of the airport to the other end,
it’s uneasy for me to walk that far.
As we arrived to that gate, 
it showed that boarding has now started at yet another gate, 
again we needed to walk to the other end of the airport.

This time, Tobias saw 2 member of airport staff,
pushing 2 empty wheelchairs.
He explained my mobility difficulties, 
and asked to use the wheelchair.
They refused to help us,
wanted us to go to the customer help counter 
and go through the admin procedures.
There were queues at every counter. 
We had no time, 
we left disappointedly.
We continued to walk slowly.

This time, Tobias saw an electric cart for transporting people with disabilities.
He again explained my situation, 
and asked her to drive us to the gate.
She refused to help,
with the same reason,
their rule to follow.
We left disappointedly.
We continued to walk.

This time, Tobias saw a mid-aged officer
pushing an empty wheelchair.
She looked friendly.
But, she, too refused to help us,
with the same reason, of course.

---

Often,
uptight, fundamentalist religious people 
are so fixated on their laws and rules.

To some extent, 
they are well-meaning people. 
They studied the religious books 
and are full of knowledge.
However their mind, 
is centered on their self-justification 
and on self-importance, 
more than their reflection 
on the heart and love of Christ.

It is a pernicious idea,
to believe that to earn 
the favour of God can be achieved  
by obedience to the laws.

This is what I learned.
What I believe is the truth.
A preemptive strike of grace.
God’s not waiting for me to repent, 
and come to obey the entire laws.
Instead, God’s coming to me,
despite my brokenness,
through Jesus Messiah, 
enacting God’s forgiveness, 
mercy and love.
He came
not to abolish the laws,
but to fulfil them.

Because of Jesus Christ,
His body and blood poured out for me,
I am in the new covenant.
The salvation is free,
yet nothing in all human history 
has ever been so costly.

What Jesus taught,
does not ratchet the laws up 
even more intensely,
but it internalizes 
the purpose of the laws,
and fulfilling the laws,
that is a renovation of human heart.

As for me,
following the laws,
doesn’t keep me in the love of God 
more than it got me into the love of God.
Following the laws is my response 
to the love of God for me.

::: THE LAW OF CHRIST 

This is the law of Christ, 
it is to love God with all of our being,
and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
These are the greatest commandments.
This is at the core of all laws.

So what we can do,
is to be vulnerable, honest, and authentic.
Be thankful for His mercy and love.
Fulfilling everything 
that God requires of us,
by truly and wholeheartedly 
obey these two commands:
Love and obey God,
and expressing love to others.

TO BE CONTINUED TO – PART 2

Love from Bratislava,
Titien 

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:29-31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

---

::: UPDATE ABOUT ME 
1 Year 11 Months Post Biopsy
Midline Pontine Glioblastoma/DIPG Grade IV

Next Wednesday after coming back home from my trip to Vienna and Bratislava, I’ll receive the 8th round of Avastin. 

My symptoms are still fluctuating, but overall remain the same.
Though in the past weeks my right arm feels more sour and gets weaker.
Please go to http://titien.de/my-medical-history/ for more details. 

We arrived in Bratislava today and will stay here for 3 days 🥰 
I will fly back home on Saturday.
Somehow I miss home already 😝

Thanks for keeping me in your prayers 🙏

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