My Health Problem – Life Is A Roller-coaster, Just Gotta Ride It!

After my last few articles revolving around how we successful sold our old properties and bought our new home, most readers will think that life is good for Rolf! 

Not quite! 

2021 has a rocky year for me. While all seems perfect on the surface, everyone faces problems in life, and I am no exception. 

Health issues cropped up already end last year. 

While I am feeling fine (in my opinion), a scan reveals otherwise, diagnosed me with complex intestinal problems! It is kind of an inherent problem that almost become fatal more than ten years ago. But I honestly know that this time it is way milder, as I feel normal without any major symptoms, unlike in the past that I can crouched in absolute pain. 

That said, doctor is giving me medications, and the body has to endure the side effects. Doctor advised that medication is temporary with surgery was suggested. It’s not going to be a minor surgery, and I am praying for God’s intervention for my miraculous healing, that no surgery will be needed, and I shall be healed. 

God’s healing miracles already took place many times in my family. My own illness healed in the past. My wife’s huge tumour miraculously gone within two months, my son being miraculously healed having struggled critically in intensive care when he was born etc. 

Therefore DO NOT be misled into believing life for others is always smooth and sound, while thinking that ours are not as good. 

It is often not as what it seems on the surface. 

MY ROLLERCOASTER LIFE

My life has always been full of ups and down. 

At the age of four or five, I was hospitalised for deadly mosquitoes bites. As adult, I was also hospitalised with near-death incident. And this took place at the peak of my career, somewhat putting a halt onto it. 

Up to even the late 1990s, my parents’ household income is a meagre SGD800 with five mouths to feed. Since young, financial insufficiency always led to quarrels within the family. Then I work hard and started to earn good money myself through tuition with thousands in the bank as savings. Somehow, I squandered all of it to Singapore pool soccer bets. 

At one stage of my working adulthood, I was left with less than SGD50 in my bank account, having to repay my school debts and support close ones. My personal  investment journey began well, before I eventually bought a stock that eventually goes bust. 

Not until I met my wife, my boy-girl relationships were painful with betrayals against me, even from close friends, not just once but twice. In my school days, friends whom I really cherished and treated well were also not the nicest to me. 

My career has not been smooth sailing too. When my career storm to the peak with wealth and authority over a short few years, I took a “tumble” and was humbled to a job to learn to serve rather than to command. The financial and oil crises also allow me to witness many retrenchments and faced uncertainty in my career over a long period of time, even up to today.

Even our children’s birth have not been all uneventful, with many scares and tears, before joy and laughter.  

SUFFER FIRST, ENJOY LATER

With all being said, while for most part of my life has not been all smooth sailing, it does not mean that I am unhappy all the time. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I am normally happy and cheerful with always many close one and friends around me, helping me when I am down. I am very thankful!  

Each time, I will take my sufferings as lessons learnt, to become stronger and wiser in life. And each time after being “beaten”, I will come back to become a better person, at least in my opinion. 

The rewards reaped after the lessons are often not tangible, but of spiritual and self-realization that life is not always only about myself, my family, or “what I am going to get out of it”. It is about righteousness, compassion, and having a warm and loving relationships with God and with others, in peace, in love and in joy. 

For instance, my humble beginning taught me to be down to earth. Thereafter I started to grow my wealth slowly but steadily in a more sustainable manner. My erratic career also taught me not be arrogant and over the moon when things are all going so well in the way I want. Instead, I was taught to be humble in work, keep on learning and always preparing for the worst. 

My not so ideal relationships in parents’ household, my own boy-girlfriend days, and with friends in my younger days, enables me to establish much better relationships today, be it with my own family, relatives and friends and my colleagues. 

Throughout my life up to now, I always suffer first and enjoy later. 

In fact, if you look at the bible, all the great people, such as Abraham, Joseph, David, Moses and of course Jesus all suffer first before glory is or will be eventually revealed. 

Hence, it does not necessarily mean you are unlucky or a bad person if you are suffering now. It may be that this trial and tribulation is to train you to be better later, and for something more glorious to take place later. 

THE CONTEMPORARY CULTURE TODAY

Sadly, I think what the contemporary culture teaches nowadays is about big house, big career, big returns from investments, good schools, lots of friends and followers in social media etc

Then my friend sent me a video, with message as follows:

WHAT GOOD IS;

• A big house with a small family

• High income with less peace of mind

• High IQ but less emotions

• Good knowledge but less wisdom in life

• More education with less common sense

• Highly advanced medications, but poor health

• Touched moon, but neighbours unknown

• Expensive watches, but no time

• Many affairs, but no true love

• Many friends on Facebook but no friends in real life

In general, there are lots of human beings today, but less humanity. Nobody is interested in helping others or care if they are dying. People are more engross into sharing that event on social media. 

It is sad, but this is the reality. 

CONCLUSION – STAY POSITIVE, HOPEFUL AND FAITHFUL

Despite my problem today, I will stay positive. One colleague who also went through a health ordeal, told me that staying positive is the best medication. I will pray without ceasing, and put my trust in a higher power. I believe that all things happen for a reason now, but eventually it is meant to strengthen and prosper in future. 

While it is not easy, and I admit that I was emotional initially, but it is also exemplary that at least for the past few months, it has not affected my house sale and purchase, and I am happy that this “property thingy” has come to almost an end now. Neither is my family relationship and work adversely affected. In fact, I think they are becoming better lately.  

The bible wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12, 

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.

So while I am staying positive enduring the side effects of medication, and hoping for the miracles of healing, of course I will be most thankful and willing to receive your prayers or written testimony. Do pm me. This will be more valuable than gold and silver. 

If you are also facing problems yourself, I also hope that you can endure and overcome your problems with God. And if you need anything such as prayers or my humble testimony sharing for encouragement, do pm me too. 

May our Good Lord bless and keep you.