of being empty, of being alone

sometimes to be empty is better than to be full. emptiness creates a desire to have something more. it opens the palm of one's hand to signify willingness to receive something. a full glass, no matter how much one tries to pour water in, will only make the water overflow and be wasted. a conceited brain never wants to accept new ideas. an overconfident heart never longs to have someone come to reside in its abode.

emptiness creates a drive to strive harder. emptiness breeds patience. however, to be empty, if not properly abated, is to feel being unwanted. thus, emptiness, if not guarded, leads to death. what do we do when we feel empty and inappropiately address that emptiness? we struggle more to earn more, yet we only end up being empty because there is always an insatiable want to look for something else. and we exert forced efforts to belong but only end up being empty because there are always rejections and casting out.

but like the empty bench and the empty bike, if you just let it be, to be empty is to invite someone to come to you, to encourage someone to take you to a nice biking holiday. to empty your mind and to empty your heart, if you just let it be, is to be willing to embrace new ideas, to be willing to invite someone to fill the void within. and in this case, if you are inviting someone, i suggest you invite Jesus too to come into your heart.

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sometimes to be alone is better than to be in a crowd. to be with oneself is better than to be with others. have you tried being in shinjuku eki where there are throngs of people you rub elbows with but still you feel like you are alone and unnoticed?

to be alone doesn't necessarily mean to be lonely. although to be alone, if not guarded, leads to depression, thus can also lead to death.

but to be alone, if taken appropriately, encourages one to reflect, to meditate. it leads one to redirect, if necessary, his priorities. it gives one the opportunity to siphon the essentials from the nonessentials. it brings him back to the basics. it simplifies. and most importantly, it turns him to find a greater sense of fellowship, of belongingness - it turns him to believe that he plus God is already a majority.

like the house standing on its own posts, its being alone only adds up to the wonders of its surrounding. and like the man standing on his own feet, his being alone only builds up his confidence that as the sun will set, so tomorrow it shall again rise.

"be still and know that He is God."(psalm 46:10)

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good night now. i will travel and sleep in my old baby crib tomorrow, then to tokyo on thursday. be back on sunday. til then.