Testimony: Love In A Bottle

A couple of weeks ago, my ex-college-mate-turned-ex-client-turned-ex-church-member-turned-friend Irene – yes, we have a long and complicated history 🤪 – texted me to ask if I would be free for a quick meet up while she was up in Penang.


She's one of the very few friends I have who are in-the-know about my situation. I was really glad she wanted to catch up but was uncertain about how I would feel post-chemo so I pretty much told her we would have to play it by ear when the time came. 😅 #badfriend

Well, thankfully she didn't cancel her trip and did come anyway!

And so did the haze.  😅😷

I didn't want to risk falling sick – what with low immunity and all – so we forwent all hawker and outdoor options and went to Gurney Plaza for a cup and a bite where its relatively safe indoors instead. (How un-Penangite, kan? But bo huat la. I kiasi!)

Our tea at Frank Laurent, Gurney Plaza.

Us before we tucked in. So grateful that she always reminds me

to take pics whenever we meet up. 😂 #failedblogger

It's funny cos although we have quite a few people whom we both know, we have very few mutual friends that we hang out with. None, in fact, if I'm being honest. 😂 LOL! Our kids don't go to the same schools or tuition centres. She's a FTWM, I'm a SAHM. We're not in the same cell group. Truthfully, we have very little reason to ever meet or hang out.


But somehow, she became one of the very few friends I would take time out of my day to meet and catch up with about once every month on average, when I was in KL – always one-to-one, and always a date set weeks in advance. (She's no less busy than I am. Probably busier, in fact! 😜) But when it's a friendship that matters, you do what it takes to nurture the relationship. It doesn't happen by chance; it takes time and effort.

And I'm so grateful for this woman of God

who has made the time and put in the effort to

catch up with me and to show me the love
of a friend in spite of her busy schedule.

And you see!!! She came bearing

a surprise gift summore!! 🎁

Aiyo, this woman! How to not be shy. 😅

I carefully opened it up
and just couldn't believe my eyes
when I saw what she had bought me. 😳

Ok, testimony time: Remember that conversation I had with Melsong about what to wear during my next chemo session? The other thing we discussed then was me bringing along a hot water bottle. Cos the onco ward is kept quite chilly and the body gets pretty cold when cold IV fluids run through it. 

Thinking we'd go down to KL again soon, I'd left all my hot water bottles there and only brought up the kids' night Thermoses. So, we were out of options up here in Penang except for me to borrow Melsong's (share saliva and germs 🤢) or buy new ones (spend money 💸). And if you know me, I'm very anti-sharing when it comes to water bottles. I don't even share water bottles with The Husband or my kids. LOL. #extreme

But look what Irene gave me:

A pretty, pink Thermos!!

Like wha-??? No way! 🤯

Just what I needed plus it totally matches my perfect poncho from EJ! Another coincidence?? No way! If this isn't God doing His magic behind the scenes to meet my every need – albeit through friends who are going above and beyond to show me they care – I don't know what is. My God is good, He is faithful, He is with me, and He will see me through. 🌈