As August was fast approaching, I felt more and more nervous in teaching an origami class that I had agreed to do for a virtual mission with a Romanian Church in Bod. Would the kids like it? Would they understand me? Will the translator pass on my thoughts the way I want? My anxiety was ill-focused, leading me to over-prepare lesson plans and presentation slides that might not necessarily add any value.
In meditation, however, I was reminded that the class would serve to shine light on God. Because the Holy Spirit would use the class to point people to our Heavenly Father, I could set aside my nervousness about public speaking after being a full-time mum for almost 2 years, where the most words I spoke to my baby were “gu gu ga ga”. When Jesus taught His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount, He told them, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:14–15).
Shortly after reading those words, I received an email from a sister in church sending me encouraging thoughts that were similar to my lesson plan. This is when I reflected more on Jesus’ teaching: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
The idea of light shining in the darkness is one of the key themes of John’s writings, but it also has a strategic place in Matthew’s gospel. After Jesus returned from being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Matthew records the launching of Christ’s public ministry by quoting the words of Isaiah the prophet: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16). These words provide the context for His instruction about being a light to others.
With that perspective, I taught the kids with joy. I pray that my simple deed becomes a beacon and encourages others to shine their light for God as well.
If you would like to know more about the message of the class, please read on.
Our walk with God can be like origami
1. We are born with sin
When we are born into this earth, we are like this piece of paper (old newspaper/magazine). We are born with sin, not as a blank canvas, we are yet to make our mark like the folds in origami. That is our goal for this session.
2. God has a plan for us
Whilst you can follow the earthly instructions, like the steps to make this origami figure, like the influences in our circumstances, we may stray away from the path. To make the final figure, God has the final say, He will shape and mould us as we listen and obey His commands.
3. God builds a firm foundation in us
In preparation, we start with making some creases that can assist in building the later steps. This is like God allowing and encouraging us through challenges we face in our lives. They seem like hard work and sometimes we just want to take the fast track, but He will never give us too much to cope/bear. Ultimately God is setting a firm foundation in us and intends to lead us the path He has prepared. In times when we try to rely on our own strength, then it could be like folding on a wobbly surface. But when we only rely on the Lord, it is like folding on a hard sturdy surface. Our walk is challenging but God is our rock and we can hold onto Him for support.
4. God forgives us when we repent
As we move onto the next steps, they can be challenging, you might make a mistake or take matter into your own hands (due to frustration or a different outcome), but you can unfold the mistake, just as you repent to God and ask for His forgiveness. Try to repeat the same step again with the right assistance and guidance, just as you are surrounded with support of the Holy Spirit and your church family. Similarly, the more accurate your folds, the better the outcome. This also applies in our walk with God, the closer we stick to His instructions, the more fruitful the outcome.
5. God makes us complete
If you are a perfectionist like me, you may want to start again to make sure the mistake does not leave an unwanted crease in your origami. But in your walk with the Lord, you cannot remove the trail, they are like achievement stamps that God has imprinted in our journey with Him. He will always guide us with His Light and equip us to overcome any obstacle that comes our way.
As we progress to more different origami figures, just like facing obstacles, it might take a few times to get each step right. However, as we persist with practice and pursue obediently with our Loving Father’s command, building faith will be easier in parallel to putting our trust in the Lord. We will eventually get there and complete all the steps to produce that beautiful flower. Just as we are made complete by God, unique and blessed.
God is good, He is our Maker and Light!