Clinic Blog: 2012 Thailand 2 Clinic Blog
November 30, 2012
The Festival of Lights - Jennifer Cline’s perspective
By cschenk
Written by Jennifer Cline:
Tuesday night after clinic our group was fortunate to experience the Thai Festival of Lights during which they give thanks for all that the river offers. This celebration is very specific however the beauty is in the heart of the culture, the way in which they "see." I observed offerings to the river beautifully constructed of flowers, fruit, and banana leaves, much to the delight of the fishes when set afloat. :) Like any celebration there were ornately crafted decorations and foods but these with such attention to every detail of their design, it is a testament to the cultures sense of appreciation.
After setting afloat my offering to the river, our group boarded an enormous floating lotus flower with multiple levels of Buddha statues that represent things in life that we might wish to prosper. It was explained that with a donation of any amount, you may pick up a bowl of coins as offerings to place at the statue where you wish to receive blessings. Having faith in God in a Christian capacity, I have chosen in my life to ask only one thing of my Father I'n Heaven, "Thy Will Be Done," and should that come to pass I have faith that it is in the best interest of all. I feel the Morman culture has a great idea in that they "believe in all things." I believe God will present in a way that each individual will understand. When I expressed the thought to the host of our tour, he explained to me that many people will wish to prosper but when you realize that we have no ownership over any thing on earth then we will be set free of the pain of loss, because we never actually owned it to begin with. So I am grateful for the people and things who share my journey, but we all belong to God as we choose to know Him. The offering at the entrance was the beginning and the end the rest was just the journey as I choose to see it as I walked around the Lotus. In Buddhism it is called enlightenment and in the Christian world we believe God reveals understanding when we are ready. The spirit of last night has opened my eyes to a new perspective.
2 Comments
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Todd Henderson says:
Carly - Great post! The event sounds like it was fantastic and I’m glad you are able take some time to reflect on the “big picture.” I believe God does reveal “light” to us when we’re ready. I am praying that this experience allows you guys to sense God’s love, grace, and provision for you, the team, and the thousands of lives He’s impacting through you!
Posted on Sun Dec 2, 2012 11:42 pm EST
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Teresa says:
That was beautiful…thanks for sharing!
Posted on Tue Dec 4, 2012 11:49 am EST