To be like Sarah

I just read a very powerful and insightful article from Ptr. Dennis Sy's blog, Act Like A Man. Written by Ptr. Faythe Santiago, it talks about the kind of man a (Godly) woman should look for.

Here's my favorite part of the article. A short yet powerful line worth remembering:

If women ought to be submissive like Sarah, then they must have an ABRAHAM to lead them, a man worth following! (Pertaining to 1 Peter 3:5)

Abraham is a man of vision, faith, and obedience. We have to be a Sarah to a man who loves God with his all and above all!

You can read the whole piece here:

What Kind of a Man a Woman Want

You can't help everyone, but HE CAN and HE DOES!

* I am very much aware of Matthew 6:2-4, but I really felt the urge to share this experience. What I want to highlight anyway is how God tugs the heart of many, and His reminder for me and my realization afterwards. If you are to read this, please focus on those things. *

As I was taking my regular jeepney ride home tonight, I thought of buying a canned coffee for myself. (I'm sort of becoming a caffeine-lover again, I guess.) And so when I got off my ride and walked towards the convenience store, I walked past a mother with a baby asking for alms. I felt a tug in my heart to help them, but before I could even react, the man walking before me stopped. He fished some coins from his pocket, walked back a little to them, and handed the coins to the mother's cupped hand.

I felt my chest go warm and I smiled. I just witnessed an act of kindness in an instant. But I felt quite sad for I didn't get to do it before the man did. I was quite afraid to get my purse from my bag and hand them some money for someone might steal my purse from my very hands as I do it. I wished I had some food with me, but God comforted me with this thought: 

"Worry no more, young one. I already got someone to help them."

I smiled and obeyed, but when I took a step further, I saw in my left side an old woman sitting by the last step of a footbridge. She's staring blankly ahead, her right arm placed on her knee to extend her palm out. She's also begging for something but no one's taking notice of her.

I saw her, but I did not stop. I'm now only five steps away from the convenience store, and I said to myself, whatever food that I'd see first, I'd buy it for lola. Before I even entered the store I already saw big siopaos being steamed inside the store's food kiosk. Ah, there!

And so I walked up to the refrigerators first to grab my coffee, and then I headed to the siopao steamer. I was about to open it when a woman beside me politely asked, "Excuse me, pwedeng patulong?" ("Excuse me, but could you please help me?") She was holding a pair of tongs in one hand and a bag of groceries on the other.

I smiled--another opportunity to help! "Sure!"

"Kakagawa ko lang kasi ng nails ko, hindi ako makakuha ng hotdog sandwich. Baka pwedeng patulong kumuha ng dalawa?" ("I just got a manicure and it's already ruined but I haven't got any sandwiches. Can you please get two hot dog sandwiches for me?")

The hot dog steamer is just beside the siopao steamer. "Oh, sige po. Alin po dito?" ("Oh, of course. Which ones?") Here, she asked a small girl beside her which I didn't notice to be there before. I didn't get to look at the girl (for I was placing my coffee down first and readying a plastic for the first sandwich), but I heard her say "Kahit alin po." ("Anything's fine.") The woman then pointed to me two jumbo hot dogs and I placed them into their buns. I handed the sandwiches to the lady and she held them carefully, trying not to let her nails touch them. I smiled and she thanked me for more than three times, I think.

I was glad.

Then I proceeded to get lola's siopao now. I placed it on a plastic and headed to the counter. In front of me in the queue was the woman and the girl with sandwiches. It was only then that I noticed that the child had some grease and dirt all over her face and shirt. She was quiet, but she looked intently on the sandwiches that the woman holds. The woman spoke to her in a low voice, "Ilang taon ka na kasi?" (How old are you again?") "Four," the child replied. The woman just smiled at her and it was her turn to pay now. After she did, she handed the sandwiches to the girl and they walked out of the store together. I looked at them as I placed my items in the counter, and I saw the woman give the girl a pat on the head and off they went to different directions.

I smiled again. That's the second person that I saw tonight helping someone. And all of this happened within the last ten minutes or less.

I paid for my items now, excited to deliver the hot siopao to lola. As the clerk handed me what I purchased, I got my coffee out of the plastic and placed it in my bag. And so I left the convenience store and walked back to lola. When I got close to her, she looked at me with her blank stare. I smiled at her, leaned over, and placed the siopao in her right hand with its palm facing up. She didn't even look at it, but she slowly smiled at me. Then she looked at her hand slowly and used her other hand to feel what's inside. She smiled some more. "Thank you, anak," she said. ("Thank you, child.")

I talked with her a bit, asking if she's alone and where would she head home. She answered me and explained that she's living at someone else's place; not her own.

"Ah, naku uwi na po kayo. Medyo late na po." ("Oh, then please go home now. It's quite late already.")

"Oo. Salamat dito." ("Yes, I will. Thanks for this.")

I smiled again and she answered it with a weak one, but sweet. I felt glad. My heart felt joy... but I remembered the mother and child nearby again. My heart sank because I don't have enough money to buy a sandwich or siopao for them too, and though I've seen someone giving them help already, I cannot shake off my thoughts about them. My heart ached. So I got up and decided to take a peak at them before I leave.

To my surprise, I saw the girl with the hot dog sandwiches sitting beside the mother with the baby, enjoying a whole sandwich by herself while the mother is eating the other one.

My mouth literally hanged open for a few seconds. It took a few moments before everything clicked to me. And then I heard God whisper to me, "Didn't I tell you to stop worrying about them? I've already got them covered."

"But I was just..."

"I know, young one. But you know, I don't expect you to help everyone. Just help the ones that I point out to you. I have provided you enough to help one, and you did."

I was speechless.

"I have provided others to help the others. So stop worrying about everyone--that's my job. Your job is to obey and to trust me. I've already planned your life and their lives. I care for all of you."

And that is how God reminded me tonight that HE IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING and that HE IS MINDFUL OF EVERYONE.

That He is sovereign and that nothing is unplanned for Him.

That I am a mere tool for His glorious plans.

I didn't help anyone tonight--God did.

I didn't get to help everyone tonight--God does.



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And to my surprise, when I got home, I have a siopao waiting for me. Apparently papa bought one for me this afternoon. I had no idea. It was God's idea.

When mama told me about my siopao, I felt in awe of how God blesses me. Agad-agad!
Iba ka talaga Lord!

Love and Loss

Last month, I got to listen to this sweet, beautiful phone conversation between an innocent child and a radio personality. It's been years since stories about it have surfaced the media, but it is my first time hearing about it. I thought I'd share it to others and internalize its message more.

Logan's story was touching and such an eye-opener. Many believers fail to remind themselves of what they need to look at everyday in every aspect of their lives: the Cross. The ultimate sacrifice and gift of God for us. Sure, every Christian and believer has heard of it, but for me, hearing this story and its purpose again and again, it never fails to stir up a sense of awe inside me--like I'm listening to the sweetest love story of all time. The greatest love story of my life, and it happened long ago even though I'm not yet here on earth. This phone conversation reminded me of two powerful emotions or feeling: love and loss.

God's loving nature is displayed on the smallest details of every single thing in our lives. God has put us in situations that may seem unfathomable to us, but our faith in Him and His deliverance will get us through anything. In addition to that, He will generously let His light shine in these moments so we could see the wisdom and greatness behind His every move.

Losing someone--specially a dear one--is one of the most painful things a person may experience. It's that bond and relationship that we have with the person (or even an animal, say, a pet) that makes us uneasy to let go. Once we love another, we would never want to lose such connection. God has provided us the gift of experiencing these wonderful connections and relationships under His embrace. But then again, nothing's permanent in this world.

I believe, God has also undergone these painful sense of loss. First is when we, His children and creations, were separated from Him through our sins, and second, is when He let His child Jesus Christ die on the cross. But He planned all of it--and it was for all of us! He has one purpose: He formulated this one big substitution in order for us--the sinners--to be able to connect with Him again. He chose to sacrifice Christ to save everyone from an eternal separation from Him--hell. He let One die and pay for our own wrongdoings! But He did that because despite our shortcomings, He felt sad that we were separated from Him. Not angry! Or annoyed! He was sad. And He wants us to have an access to Him again--to be close to Him again. He didn't want to lose anyone; not a single life. He didn't mind sending His only son to suffer in our place. He didn't even think twice to do it! He wants us all to live in His kingdom and dwell in it with Him. He wants us to prosper in spirit and grow up in preparation to entering His holy palace. Hell wasn't made for us. It is in heaven where He plans us to live with Him for all eternity.

I pray that God will give me that kind of heart. A heart that will see through the pain of every loss and to focus on what this pain can gain and will teach me. A heart that will not fear to experience pain for the greater good. A heart that will not think twice in the pursuit of glorifying His name. God, work on my heart day and night and bless me to have a true servant's heart.

I thank God for that great act of grace and love for us. I thank God for enduring the pain of separation, and giving us the ultimate solution for it: Jesus Christ. I thank God for the salvation He's offering everyone, so that no one will ever lose anyone again--for I believe that we will all be together in heaven, forever, with Him. I thank God for just about everything!

And I smile for that.

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:) count: 8