A different kind of orchestra

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Tonight was different. A shining planet rose like a jewel beneath the crescent moon. Stars slowly emerged as members in the choir… The ocean tide slowly rose to the occasion… The setting sun turned the barn to orange and, later, to crimson… I felt inklings of a symphony behind which might be a score and a conductor… I sensed a story with a wooing author… And we have minds and hearts that are free to reject or to receive the gift and the Giver of it all — to join the dance or to wait it out.” -Kelly Munroe Kullberg

The devotional text I read today was nothing short of being descriptive in amazement. And I wondered, sitting in my sauna of a room, in the sweltering heat, trying to breathe normally and looking out the window with an awesome view: the occasional coconut tree at a standstill (because there was not a breath of wind), the landscape of drab buildings and roofs, the parked cars baking under the sun. I wondered, how it is possible to appreciate the wonderful symphony of nature in this kind of environment.

It was impossible. But You reminded me of last night, walking in a cooler summer breeze somewhere in Bulacan, hand in another’s, savoring the contrast of that place against what I had to go back to later that evening; sitting along the hi-way, watching the occasional truck rumble by, surrounded by the simplicity of that kind of life, I had that choice to reject or accept that moment.

I unfortunately chose to reject it — initially. Honestly how can one appreciate the beauty of it all, as it was created, in such a busy city like this? The art of awe has been tragically lost.

And then You made me realize the fact that I was where I was supposed to be, spending time with people I love, that I have moments like last night to enjoy, are enough to make me be in awe. After all, You do orchestrate the greatest stories of our lives (love stories included!).

It’s not like living in the city is all to our disadvantage. It’s just that most of the time, the attitudes that go with it get to us. I want too much, I need to much.

I forget that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him“. There’s a different beat in the background, a unique harmony, and a pulsating rhythm that transcends everything that we know in this universe. There’s an orchestra that’s being conducted by the Master Himself, one that we cannot always see or understand, and it has been playing since before the world began.

It’s a wondrous thing, it really is. And I’m truly sorry that I missed it at first. I didn’t have to go to a secluded rural area to realize that. All that was needed was a gentle reminder.

cityscape

But it wouldn’t hurt to have that kind of simple life too. :)

 

Parenting: What I’ve Learned So Far

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I’m a single parent. That usually doesn’t make a difference until you’re traveling, enrolling at a private school, or applying for extra leave credits (and/or tax status, which isn’t much, I tell you). Other than that, practical parenting is pretty much a standard discipline that applies to all kinds of people.

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When I had M, I had lots of help from my mom (yey for family support groups!). Some tips may be old fashioned, but they worked. Others needed some updating.

But if there’s anything I’ve learned as a first-time parent, is that you must always have wet wipes handy. That, and these 7 other things:

(But please, the list isn’t comprehensive so by all means, add yours)

  1. Ziploc bags are your best friends. You never know when you need snacks to entertain a toddler, or pack away really messy stuff. Don’t ask me what they could be.
  2. Cute printed bandages. Just make sure you don’t use them more than your kid would.
  3. Other than wet wipes, always have alcohol in your bag. No matter how big or small your handbag is, when you’re with a kid, these 2 things are your savior.
  4. Pens and papers. Glitter glue, if you have room to spare and if you have a girl. Just anything that can entertain when you’re chatting with friends over dinner, or waiting for your doctor’s appointment. These have never failed me so far. Even Katie Holmes agrees with me.
  5. Cereals (in ziploc) and milk (in tetra paks). You spare yourself some guilt when there’s nothing to eat and fast food is the easiest way out.
  6. A really good and entertaining story, complete with voice modulations. Yes, practice your storytelling skills; you never know when it will come in handy.
  7. And an explanation for every “why?” question. Even if it seems existential or just plain silly, be ready for it.

However you think you’re not ready, when you’re already in that situation, you will know. Parenting isn’t for perfect people. It’s for perfecting people like you and me. I didn’t know what I was doing when I took M home from the hospital — sometimes now I still don’t. Trust your parenting instincts, and above all, pray and ask for wisdom. Nothing beats that tip.

;)

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Waiting In Line

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I have now been standing in line for a taxi for almost one and a half hours. In the cold, in a foreign land. We’ve been in queue and a lot have already dropped out, moving us up to 2nd in line. But still, no taxi would take us.

And then I realize, waiting for love is a lot like what I’m experiencing now. You wait expectantly, knowing someone would let you hitch a ride, eventually. But then you get disappointed and they speed away.

Some would stop, consider a few moments, and then when they realize you’re not the passenger they want (maybe because you’re not going the same direction or maybe because, well, you wouldn’t pay for what they want and quite frankly, they’re not really worth it anyway), they drive away.

Unfortunately some of the people in line decided to go with these drivers, even if they had to pay the price triple.

There’s also the taxi driver who only wanted one thing. One destination, all or nothing. They’re even very rude if you don’t give them what they want. So we shoo them away; good riddance.

Then the temperature drops — you get older, your doctor says you are “expiring”, all the good ones are getting taken, or your friends all walk down the aisle — and it gets a little bit more unbearable. Everyone starts to panic, or be irritable, or both.

Now there are just a handful of us waiting in line because everybody else has decided either to take the long way home — the MTR — or take a shortcut (care to guess what that means?).

All in all it’s a pretty unpleasant situation. Waiting can be like that. It gets unbearable when you get impatient.

Realizing that whining wouldn’t do me any good, I decided to make myself comfortable on the floor. It wasn’t expected, but I did it anyway. I shut up and preoccupied myself. Most of our companions were complaining about being cold or tired or how bad these drivers were being. That would have been the easiest thing to do. We do that a lot, don’t we?

And then suddenly, another taxi pulls up. This time it doesn’t run away. The group in front of us (by this time we were best friends with them) makes a victory fist pump in the air, looks back at us and signals they’re ok. You know what? Everybody actually cheers. How nice it is to see that one of us finally seals the deal! The joy was just precious because we knew we were next — there was hope that the waiting in line will end.

It finally did for us. The relief, the happiness of being able to sit comfortably, and looking forward to getting home were priceless.

What started to be an ordeal of waiting was suddenly turning out to be a good lesson. I had started to write about the experience, all while sitting on the floor of a taxi queue, never mind that I was reprimanded for doing so. All these emotions within one and a half hours.

So, yes. Waiting in line for a taxi is something like waiting for love. It tests your EQ, your patience, your trust in His wisdom. Sure you get all these disappointments but you have to say no to them and shut their doors. You need to wait for the right kind, board it, and enjoy the comfort of finally getting to your destination together. It’ll be worth it because it’ll come at the right price and the reward? Priceless.

Lego love 006: anywhere i go you go

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Q-Tip: What to do when hard pressed on all sides

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Here’s today’s Q-Tip (quick tip) for picking the grit in your heart, brought to you by the WordPress for mobile app, King Saul, and the Holy Word.

So you’re pressured to make a move. You’re either supposed to make a decision, grab an opportunity, or simply waiting for something to happen. People around you, though they are not exactly putting it out there, and their expectations add to the weight.

Too Much Pressure...

It’s unbearable. It’s scary. It drives you nuts. You’re not alone. It’s you and a million others, plus an ancient king famous for his rise to and fall from the throne.

Saul was thirty years old when he became king… and he had been leading his troops against his countrymen’s oppressors, the Philistines.

He was defeating them one by one, so All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever.

The pressure mounted in a region where territory is king and then The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!”

Talk about intensity. You feel that, don’t you? Sometimes it’s school work, for some it’s work deadlines, or career progression, or the need to provide for your family.

It will always be there, I tell you, in one form or another. So what do you do to cope? Do as the Israelite army did.

The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide… Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear.

Or as King Saul did.

He was supposed to wait for Samuel, God’s prophet. And wait he did. But Samuel was late. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.

So Saul decided to take matters into his own hands: And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.

Cue ominous music. If you don’t know yet, only ordained priests were allowed to offer burnt offerings to God in the Old Testament and to disobey that is sin against God’s commands.

You plow ahead with your decision/s, without counting the costs. You offer up a half-baked plan. A premature plan. a rushed plan. An un-consulted one. A mash-up.

“What is this you have done?”

What is it, really? What’s wrong? It can either be your motives, your methods, your timing, or your attitude. Take your pick. Plans go awry when one or more of those are even the slightest bit askew— because you’re not willing to wait or correct.

“How foolish!”

So how do you check? Against the best standard there is— the living, breathing, dynamic Word of God. Or be like Saul, being scolded like a 5-year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar:

“You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

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All texts in bold are lifted from the Book of 1 Samuel 13, NLT.

Photo by: Feldore

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How do you know it’s real? [a repost]

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This devotional from CBN Asia hit home.

I’ve been plagued with Doubtitis Extremesis these past few weeks, and it’s no joke trying to recover.

This article is really helpful. Do read through it; it’s worth the time.

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How Do You Know It’s Real?

 CBN.com – I’m sure this has been discussed, debated, preached, or what have you since the dawn of time. I’ve had many conversations with others for years about it. The question is, “how can you rely on something that you can’t see?”

 What a great question!

A while back, while tying up loose ends before leaving my old job and returning to CBN, I was having a conversation with a dear friend of mine. She had a discussion with someone who asked her how she could have faith. She couldn’t see it. She couldn’t touch it. She certainly couldn’t taste it, hear it, etc I don’t remember if she was stumped by the question or not, but I have to admit that when she shared this with me I wondered how I would answer that question. Even though I’ve been a Christian since I was a kid, I have to admit that, at first, I struggled with my answer. Then, as I was listening to her, I quickly asked God how I could best serve Him with my answer when and if this question was asked of me.

Then some things came to mind. Have you ever told someone that you would see them tomorrow while leaving your place of business? Have you ever decided to start and grow a savings account, a retirement fund, or a college fund? Have you ever waved goodbye to a loved one as they stepped on a plane while anticipating their arrival? Have you ever wondered if you would have your next breath? I’ll bet you have. There are countless examples.

Why do we expect each of those scenarios to come to a conclusion? Why do we not only expect, but are usually certain, that each of those scenarios and more will occur when they are supposed to? No matter how you cut it, slice it, dice it, call it, or whatever, it’s called faith. Whether you are a believer in Christ or not, you have faith.

Don’t believe me? Let’s go back to my prior examples. You have faith that you will return to your office tomorrow.

You have faith that your retirement fund will grow, not counting the last year or so in the market of course. You have faith that your loved one will return when they go on vacation, a business trip, or whatever. You have faith that you will be here tomorrow, whether or not you are heading to work. I’m pretty certain you are breathing while reading this.

Why shouldn’t we expect each of these to happen? They are the logical conclusions to each of the scenarios, and more, that I presented. However, the Bible does not promise tomorrow.

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14)

The only absolute promise that we have is that God loves us no matter what we’ve done. He’s proved it time and time again with countless examples. The easiest and most known example is that of John 3:16. Just in case you’ve forgotten it:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He DOES NOT promise tomorrow, but what He does promise is His love and redemption for each of us.

As to faith, it only takes a little, a smidgen, a tiny bit. Every one of us has at least a little bit of faith. Otherwise we wouldn’t assume that we would return to work each weekday morning. Jesus talked about faith in Matthew 17:20:

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Faith as small as a mustard seed — that’s an incredible example. Do you realize the size of a mustard seed and then the size that the tree or plant grows into!? If not, please check it out. I hope and pray your promise of tomorrow, your Father’s love for you and your faith is based in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know that some of you don’t believe in Jesus. If you don’t I ask you to please re-evaluate where your faith is based. For those of you who do believe, it might be a good time to re-evaluate where you faith is rooted as well. Take that look and have faith that you will find it, because hint, hint, He promises that too in Proverbs 2:3-5. | by Aaron Bull for CBN

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