Are you a promise keeper?

I was at Subang Parade (it's a mall) today. Being at Subang Parade reminded me of an incident which happened a month back when I was here in KL lodging with my relatives during my interview week.

Remember I mentioned before that I have been watching heaps of Taiwanese dramas over the weekdays with my Mum? Well, I kinda continued on following the series while I was down here in KL with my relatives. My 8-year-old cousin, Debra got a little curious and started to sit in with me so we watched the 6pm drama on AEC together. She's rather talkative by nature, so unsurprisingly, she bombarded me with heaaaaaps of questions about the drama.

"Jiejie... why did that man fight with the other man?"
"Jiejie... why these 2 men like the same girl?"
"Jiejie... what are gangsters??"

etc..etc..etc....

HAHA... yeshhh, I was patient enough to explain the details to her. Anyway, that's kinda besides the point :PP. When the show ended, she told me that she wanted to continue watching the series together with me. So, I said to her that I will accompany her watching the series the next day, same time at 6pm.

I went to Subang Parade the next day for a walk around just for the sake of getting out of the house. I like the fact that I was alone in the mall, taking my time browsing through every nook and cranny of the mall. Then, I heard my mobile ringing. It was Debra.

Debra: "Hello... jiejie!! It's almost 6 o'clock. Where are you??"

Me: "I'm at Subang Parade. Why?"

Debra: "Uhh....the 6 o'clock show is going to start soon. You promised me that we're gonna watch it together, remember?"

Me: "Oh no....yeah, but jiejie forgot. I don't think I can come back on time for the show. D'you mind watching it by yourself?"

Debra: "But I don't understand Hokkien and my Malay is not good enough to read the subtitles. You need to explain the show to me, remember???" Haihh... It's ok. I'll just skip the show."

Me: "You sure?? I'm so sorry..."

Debra: "It's ok... I'll see you later then"

Both of us: "Bye."

Gosh... I felt utterly guilty after hanging up the line. Honestly, when I told Debra that I'll watch the show with her the next day, I didn't quite take my word seriously. I have to admit that it was plainly because I was talking to an 8-year-old. I didn't expect her to take my word for it. I figured that most likely she'd forget what I said by the next day, assuming that kids' got short attention span anyway. Man, I was so wrong. There was this tugging by the Holy Spirit in me reminding me of a few verses about being a promise-keeper. One that clearly stood out in my mind was this:

21 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23

It was such a big ouch for me during that moment. It made me think of all the promises I've made before the Lord. Those moments during alter-calls when the worship songs sounded so right and I was singing it so loudly to Him...when goosebumps were showing all over my skin... the adrenaline rush was pumping my heart really hard...tears were soaking up my eyes...my arms were way up high in the air trying so hard to reach Him...that spur of a moment, it felt so perfect, right and easy to say that I promise to surrender my life to Him.

This really made me ponder, who is God in my life. Where does He stand in terms of status? When I made those vows, was His status parallel to an 8-year-old kid in my mindset? I couldn't help but repent immediately to God. He reminded me greatly that a promise is a promise, irregardless of who you made your promise to. Wow, what more for the promises made to God, the creator! He reminded me that He detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful (Proverbs 12:22). I feel greatly challenged and yes, I admit that I may have sometimes swayed away and got distracted over worldly things. There are times when I feel that I can't keep up to what I offered. But I am still trying and trusting Him all the way in helping the weakling me to fulfill my word. If the external promise is so important, then how about the eternal promise made at the risk of your life? A promise with the Father is an eternal one, which is kept not only in this world but also in the spiritual world.

What about you? Have you been fulfilling your part as a promise-keeper?