第21期
行动管制令期间的生活 文 ：黄秀燕 日子依然忙碌 当政府宣布行动管制令时，我还以为接下来日子一定会很无聊， 但是没想到竟然是比往常更忙碌。除了必须在家上班，还得忙 家务，忙三餐，时间过得比平时还快。过去的70多天，几乎每 一天、每一餐都是在厨房烹煮出来的。过去由于工作的关系， 极少有时间和精力准备三餐，有时好几个月都没煮上一次，现 在却不得不下厨了，而孩子们终于在行管令期间吃到了从小就 非常向往的“住家饭”。丈夫大概是不想让我有借口不煮饭，总 是赞个不停，还说我煮的食物达到餐馆水准。虽然明知他是昧 著良心乱说，我还是乐呆了，对他的称赞照单全收，而且越煮 越起劲。从中餐的猪脚醋、黄酒鸡、苦瓜焖排骨…..到西餐的羊 排、猪扒…..都尝试过。日子还怎么会不忙？ 共处之道 相见好，同住难，即使是最亲的家人，在朝夕相处的情况下也免不了会起冲突。过去大家都各有 各忙，见面时间有限，包容度比较大；但是现在一丁点的鸡毛蒜皮小事都可以成为导火线。比如， 一些需要被处理却没人理的家务，谁该负责？一开始，不管分配给哪一个，大家的标准答案都是 “等一下”，而这个答案总会让大家闹得很不愉快。所幸之后大家都愿意彼此让步及互相配合，才不 至于像这场疫情般一发不可收拾。一家人长时间待在同一屋檐下，摩擦与冲突是无可避免的。几 次的争吵后，我们学会了如何共处，如何彼此尊重各自的想法及空间。 期待、失望又期待 当这场疫情演变成全球大流行时，很多人的出游计划都受到影响，这也包括我们一家在内。原本 计划五月一家人到澳大利亚度假，六月和女儿去曼谷血拼。可是因为疫情的缘故，我们取消了所 有的计划，从原有的期待变成了失望。但是后来想到健康及安全更为重要，只要亚航不倒，我们 的机票还是有效的呀，等疫情过去后我们还可以重新安排。那种期待感又回来了，真好。 忧虑与盼望 在疫情之前，丈夫的公司已经开始出现一些状况，现在加上这场百年难得一见的全球大流行疾病， 更是雪上加霜，丈夫的公司于是决定逐步遣散员工，并在短期内结业。而我早已在去年就安排了 在今年五月离职。这意味着我们俩很可能会同一时间“失业”。按常理说，我们应该开始担心往后的 生活，但我们心中满有平安。我等着开始我的“退休”生活，而丈夫更是一副天塌下来当被盖的样子， 完全看不见一丝毫的忧虑。是的，那天上的飞鸟，也不种也不收，也不积蓄在仓里，天父尚且养 活它，我们难道不比飞鸟贵重得多吗？(太6:26） 我们固然看不见前方的道路会如何， 无法预知未来；与其靠自己有限的头 脑、能力及资源，不如学会交托给神。 神有祂美好的旨意，这场疫情让我们 学习仰望神。箴言16:3 说 “你所作的， 要交托耶和华，你所谋的，就必成 立。” 盼望我们能够学会耐心等候，领 受神的带领及指引。
Issue #21
Our Life During MCO By: Ng Siew Yen Still Busy When MCO was announced by the Government, I thought it would be boring staying at home. Unexpectedly life was even busier than before. Besides having to work at home, there’s plenty of housework and cooking to be handled. Time passed faster than the usual days. In the past, I rarely cooked. Due to the MCO, I had no choice but to cook for every single meal during the past 70 days. The children finally have the chance to enjoy their long awaited “home-cooked meals". My husband probably didn't want me to have the excuse for not cooking, he praised all the food I cooked and rated my food as restaurant standard. Although I knew he was just merely trying to please me, I enjoyed his praises and continued to cook, from vinegar pork trotter, yellow rice wine chicken, braised pork ribs with bitter gourd, to pork chop, lamb chop and many more. Hence, busy.
Living Together When staying under the same roof for a long time, conflict is unavoidable. Even a small issue could trigger an argument. For instance, who is supposed to do the housework? No matter whom you assigned with the task, the standard answer was always “wait”, which would always end up with ill feelings and anger. Fortunately, we picked up lessons along the way. After a few rounds of quarrels and arguments, we finally figured out how to respect each others’ point of views and ways of handling things. Indeed, in order to get along well with others, even family members, the most important element is being respectful.
Looking Forward and Disappointed Just like others, our family’s holiday plans have been affected by the global pandemic. I had arranged a family retreat trip to Australia in May and a mother-daughter shopping trip to Bangkok in June. Both trips had to be cancelled due to the pandemic and we were really disappointed. However we soon realised that to stay safe and stay healthy should be the most important thing, and as long as Air Asia survived through the pandemic, our tickets are still valid, and we could plan our trips again. Yes, it is so good to look forward again for our next family holidays.
Despair and Hope My husband's company had begun facing some crisis before the pandemic. With the global pandemic that happens once in a hundred years, the company finally decided to retrench its employees in stages and to wind down the business once projects on hand were completed. I had since last year planned to leave my job by May this year. This means both of us would likely become “unemployed” soon. Logically we should be worrying for our situation now, but with God’s grace, we have a peaceful mind. I try to imagine what would be my “retirement life” like ? My husband still has strong faith that he would be fine even if the sky collapses. See the birds of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Our heavenly Father feeds them. Are we not of more value than they? （Matthew 6:26) We might not be able to see our future, and there are a lot of unpredictable things beyond our control. Instead of depending on our limited ability, we surrender all to God for His guidance. God has His purpose, the pandemic brought us closer to Him and to look upon Him. Proverbs 16:3 says : “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans”. We pray that we would be able to wait patiently for His leading and guidance.