Good Morning, Madam Mah
My connection with Madam Mah began before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented in 2020. One day, by chance, a colleague introduced her to me and handed over her case for me to follow up on. In the beginning, my interactions with Madam Mah were limited to delivering food provisions through collaboration with a charitable organisation. I knew very little about her.
Later, the charitable organisation decided to distribute food provisions on their own, which reduced my contact with Madam Mah to the occasional “Good morning” whenever we met in the community. I was reminded that if we allowed our relationship to fade, it would be difficult to rebuild it in the future. I genuinely didn’t know how to deepen the connection with her.
Things started to change last year when we observed that many elderly individuals in our community were living in isolation and becoming marginalized. We decided to include outreach for the elderly and I was appointed to lead this new initiative. Honestly, I accepted it with some reluctance and even tried to find excuses to avoid this part of outreach as I had no desire to be involved with the elderly. But when I realised that this was God’s calling for me, I knew I could no longer run from it – I had to obey.
A lightbulb moment came during the season of Mid-Autumn Festival. I thought, yes – we could use this special cultural occasion to bring together members of the Chinese community, especially the elderly. I invited Madam Mah and her elderly friends to participate as part of the planning committee to conduct a community Mid-Autumn Festival even
A major turning point came earlier this year after the Chinese New Year break. It was during the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year when the Holy Spirit stirred in my heart, prompting me to pay Madam Mah a visit. However, something was amiss when she could not be contacted. Determined, I managed to contact one of her elderly friends and that was when I learned that Madam Mah had recently fallen by the roadside near her home and injured her chest, leaving her with shortness of breath ever since. I immediately reached out to her and after understanding her condition, insisted on taking her to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
That hospital visit brought our relationship to another level. Madam Mah started to open up more about her situation. I began to understand her life circumstances and struggles as an elderly person living alone. A few months later, she experienced another episode of health discomfort and took the initiative to contact me. I accompanied her to the hospital again, and this time she was diagnosed with a mild stroke. The hospital did not allow her to be discharged as she was elderly and living alone by herself. Since I was closest to her, I helped look for a suitable care facility and eventually succeeded in contacting one of her family members. He agreed to arrange a place for her, and I assisted in transferring her from the hospital to a nursing home in Subang Jaya.
Through journeying with Madam Mah, I learned a vital lesson: obedience. So often, we are unsure of what to do next or feel unmotivated because of unfamiliarity or lack of interest. But when we choose to obey God – especially in key moments – we begin to witness the extraordinary work of God. If I hadn’t obeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading that day, I would never have known about Madam Mah’s fall, nor would I have been part of her healing journey. Our relationship would likely have remained on the surface – just “Good morning.”
As I reflect on this journey today, my heart is filled with gratitude. It is because of obedience that I formed a meaningful relationship with someone who was once just an elderly acquaintance. It is because of obedience that I had the privilege of walking with her through a critical season of her life and witnessing God’s hand at work.
Story written by Joseph Wong, a Leader in the Community Development department, focusing on Economic Empowerment initiatives. A loving husband and a loving father.