Years ago I was alone looking for the right path on my own. I got lost as someone ignorant would. It wasn’t until you came and you held my hand that I found that track…it’s not easy and it hurts most of the time but I know I’m not walking alone. I know too that you will fulfill your promise, for at the end of that road is the paradise that we all once lost.

Matthew 7:13 “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.

Matalinghaga mang maituturing, kakaiba man kung titingnan, ang daan na aking nilalakaran ay hindi ang aking nakagisnan. Dumarating ang mga panahong napagtatawanan pero di ko iyon alintana.

Patuloy akong nanghahawakan sa kanyang salita: John 8:31 Kapag mananatili kayo sa aking salita, totoong kayo ay aking mga alagad. 32Malalaman ninyo ang katotohanan at ang katotohanan ang magpapalaya sa inyo.

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Matthew 24: 28 Also, on the matter of clothing, why are YOU anxious? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they are growing; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I say to YOU that not even Sol´o·mon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 If, now, God thus clothes the vegetation of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe YOU, YOU with little faith? 31 So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. For YOUR heavenly Father knows YOU need all these things. 33 “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to YOU. 34 So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.

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One of the easily understandable bible verses that tackles about the simplicity of life and the importance of putting the kingdom and its promises in our lives first.

1 Corinthians 11: 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

On the 14th day of Nisan, the full moon on the first lunar month of the Jewish calendar, Jesus instituted a special commemorative evening meal, described by the apostle Paul as “the Lord’s evening meal.” Paul relates that on this occasion, Jesus commanded his disciples then present: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11: 24). A few hours later, he gave his life for us.

Joseph, out of envy was sold into slavery by his brothers, he was taken to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar as a household slave. Potiphar makes Joseph the head of his household but Potiphar’s wife, furious at Joseph for resisting her attempts to seduce him into sleeping with her, accuses him falsely of attempting to rape her. Potiphar casts Joseph into prison but it did not hinder him from being a man who recognizes God.

Joseph has been away from his family and has then lived a life different from what he was used to yet he knew that sleeping with Potiphar’s wife is something God wouldn’t approve of. Though there were no security cameras to record his action, Joseph knew that God could either be hurt or be happy with his actions.

It is when we are alone or relaxing when our spiritual guard can be down and that we are vulnerable to attacks. (morally speaking) That is why it is advisable to develop one’s “perceptive powers” to distinguish right from wrong. (Hebrews 5:14)

It will also be helpful to think of how God would feel before doing something in secret. Remember his words:

” Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.” (Proverbs 27:11)

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One of my earliest post in this blog is about death….I just wrote it out of whim not thinking of a particular someone.  It feels so different reading this again compared back then without the hurt I feel now.

(Entry originally published on Oct 25, 2007)

“…Weep with people who weep.” -Romans 12:15

Death, perhaps for everyone, is an enigma that’s so hard to accept.

When death strikes, eveyrone in the family, as well as other relatives and friends are often at a loss, mostly asking the question ‘why did this happen?’

The bible urges us to weep with those who weep. Helping a bereaved person calls for compassion, discernment, and much love on one’s part. We should not wait for the bereaved one to come to us. We should not simply say, “If there’s anything I can do . . .”  Find that “anything” , and then take the appropriate initiative.

I have seen people become devastated because of the death of someone they love…though uncalled for, the verses below are comforting words that the bible gives…

“Death is swallowed up forever. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?”—1 Corinthians 15:54-55

]]> http://gmirage.com/holding-on-to-that-promise/feed/ 0 http://gmirage.com/good-samaritans-in-our-day/ http://gmirage.com/good-samaritans-in-our-day/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:14:09 +0000 gmirage1 http://gmirage.com/?p=2443 Remember the Good Samaritan? One of the timeless stories about overcoming racial differences, helping those in need and sacrificing one’s own for a neighbor. A  parable that exemplifies the ethics of Jesus Christ himself.

To this day, we do not travel with a donkey nor do we walk on long roads to reach our destination. (Though there are still undeniably undeveloped areas in the world who have and do those). The trouble we face is when getting flat tires, overheating and all problems included owning a car. Of course there would still be good Samaritans out there disguised as roadside assistance towers and mechanics. Naturally, it’s not free, we have to pay for the service, far from the Good Samaritan in the story who even paid for the Jew’s stay in an inn.

photo credit: Doris Ettlinger

Motherhood is a complicated and marvelous adventure. Mothers enjoy precious moments that they would not trade for the world. Yet, some at times feel they are on the verge of a breakdown.  A mother’s life can be compared to a hurdle race. And it seems that as time goes by, there are more and higher hurdles.

Mothers may sacrifice free time and much of their social life to make sure that their children are well cared for. “I’m always on call,” is what most would say. “I have traded relaxing baths for quick showers, and romantic dinners for microwavable food. For me there are travels untraveled, places unseen, things undone. But the laundry is done, and it’s folded!” (Hmmm…though I still need to do the ironing, lol).

Of course, most mothers would also speak of the unique moments of joy that they experience as they raise their children. “The occasional smile you get, the sweet ‘Thank you, Mommy,’ and the warm hugs—these are the fuel that keeps you going.” I couldn’t agree more.

Mother Joins the Work Force

A major hurdle that has complicated motherhood is that many are meeting traditional family responsibilities while taking on the demands of a job to help support the family financially. Many of these mothers work on the outside, not out of choice, but out of necessity. They know that if they stayed at home, their families, and especially their children, would go without many things. Their salaries—often lower than those of men doing comparable work—are of great importance.

For example, in São Paulo, Brazil, 42 percent of the work force are women. A newspaper there called mothers who raise children full-time an “endangered species.” In the rurals of Africa, a mother with a bundle of firewood on her head and a child strapped on her back is a common sight.

The Demanding Workplace

Adding to the hurdles, the job market may require that mothers put in long hours at work. And the demands may not stop there. When a mom, who lives in Greece, was hired, her employer asked her to sign a document in which she promised that she would not get pregnant for three years. If she did get pregnant, she would have to pay compensation. She signed the document. But about a year and a half later, she got pregnant. Her employer then showed the paper to Maria, who went to court to challenge her company’s policy.

In less extreme cases, employers may pressure mothers to return to work as soon as possible after giving birth. Usually, no reductions in hours are granted after they do return. Thus there is no accommodation for the fact that they now have responsibilities toward a very young child. They are not able to take much time off without financial hardship. Mothers may also have to cope with poor child-care facilities and inadequate state benefits.

On the other hand, some mothers work, not for financial needs, but for self-fulfillment. Some decided to return to work after the birth of their children. A mom recalls that on finding herself suddenly alone at home with a baby, she would “sometimes stand and stare out of the window and wonder what the rest of the world was doing.” And some mothers seek to escape the stress of family life by going to work. Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported: “Some parents seek extra hours in the relative calm of work. This creates a vicious circle, diminishing further the time they spend with increasingly apathetic, aggressive and deviant children.”

A Juggling Act

Balancing work and home is not easy. Echoing the feelings of many, a mother from the Netherlands said: “Tired, tired, tired. I even wake up tired. When I come home from work, I am overcome with tiredness. The children are already saying, ‘Mom is always tired,’ and that makes me feel guilty. I do not want to miss work, but I also want to be that sociable mother who makes everything possible. But I am not the mirror of perfection I want to be.”

She is one of millions of working mothers who embraced the idea that ‘quality time’ with the children could partly make up for frequent absences—and who have found the idea wanting. Many mothers today say that juggling the stresses of work with the responsibilities of home leaves them overworked, overstrained, and underpaid.

When women spend long hours away from their children, the children do not get what they need most—the time and attention of their mother. Fernanda A. Lima, a child psychologist from Brazil, says that no one can fulfill a mother’s role as well as a mother can. “The first two years in a child’s life are the most critical,” she says. “The child is still too young to understand why the mother is not there.” A substitute figure can alleviate a child’s need for its mother but cannot take her place. “The baby senses that it is not getting its mother’s loving care,” says Lima.

A full-time working mother with a little daughter, said: ‘I felt so terribly guilty, as though I was deserting her [at the nursery]. It’s hard knowing you are missing out on seeing your child grow and develop, and it’s very strange thinking that she is more attached to the nursery than to you.’ An airline stewardess in Mexico admitted: “After some time, your child does not recognize you, he does not respect you simply because you are not rearing him. They know that you are their mother, but suddenly, they prefer to be with the woman that takes care of them.”

On the other hand, full-time mothers who stay at home to look after their children say that they have to endure being patronized and downgraded by a society geared to glorifying paid work. In some societies being a housewife is no longer considered an honorable position, so women are pressured to have their own career, even if the extra income is not necessary.

Left to Struggle Alone

Adding to the hurdles of motherhood is this fact: Tired from a full day’s work, a mother comes home, not to rest, but to continue with the regular household chores. Mothers, whether they work secularly or not, are often still seen as the main ones responsible for caring for the house and the children.

While a growing number of mothers work longer hours, fathers do not always compensate. The Sunday Times of London wrote: “Britain is a nation of absent fathers, according to new research showing that men spend as little as 15 minutes a day with their children. . . . Many men do not take much pleasure in spending time with their families. . . . By comparison, the British professional mother will spend 90 minutes a day with her children.”

Some husbands complain that their wife finds it difficult to delegate tasks because she insists that everything be done exactly the way she is used to doing it. “Otherwise, you do it wrong,” the husbands say. Obviously, in order to benefit from the cooperation of her husband, a tired housewife may have to be willing to make some concessions as to the way certain household tasks are done. On the other hand, the husband should not use that argument as an excuse to do nothing.

Adding Hurdles

Deeply rooted traditions may also add hurdles. In Japan mothers are expected to raise children who are similar to those in their age group. If other children are taking piano or painting lessons, a mother feels compelled to have her children do the same. Schools pressure parents to have their children join in the same extracurricular activities as the other children. Being different can lead to harassment from children, teachers, other parents, and relatives. The same is true in other lands.

Advertising and consumerism can make children demanding. In developed countries mothers may feel that they should provide what their children want because they see other mothers providing those things. If they cannot, they may feel that they have failed.

This discussion of modern motherhood should not obscure the feat of millions of hardworking, self-sacrificing mothers who do their best to fulfill one of the noblest causes—that of raising the future generations of the human family. This is a privilege. The Bible says: “Children are a blessing and a gift (inheritance) from the LORD.” (Psalm 127:3, Contemporary English Version)

“Despite the challenges, motherhood has its unrivaled joys. It gives us mothers a sense of satisfaction when we see our children respond to the training and discipline given and become responsible members of society.”

Kudos to all moms out there!

-WT 04.2002

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Seeing chocolate bunnies and eggs on store shelves whenever I do my buying-list makes me feel foreign or alienated. We don’t celebrate Easter because of the tradition behind it. Well, supposedly it is celebrated in relation to Jesus Christ’s resurrection right? Tradition and practice however points to the pagan practice of spring worship, that of an Anglo-Saxon goddess, Estre from whom ‘easter’ was derived. Coincidentally, the Passover observed by then believers of God is close to the date of the spring equinox…reason why there is only one mention of easter in the Bible found in Acts 12:4 of the King James Version…there seems to be an error in translation.

I could go and on as I always have…but google would show what I mean…well, bunnies and eggs both; symbol of fertility are used in relation to the worship of the spring goddess…

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It has been 8 months, I have shed a tear or two everytime I remember the loss of my dad. Broken, that’s how I would describe this state. Like losing a part of one’s self, surely never to be whole again.

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It was in 2008 that my dad had a motorcycle accident. He was supposed to bring a gift I sent to a friend which I originally asked my brother to do for me. Turned out that the neighbor is a good friend of his. He was called and they had some drinks, my dad is a heavy drinker I must say…stretching far back in his days as a seaman. On the way home,  perhaps due to alcohol, he hit a vehicle (good thing it was parked) and lay unconcious on the street. He was then rushed to the hospital and had his leg treated. For 2 weeks he stayed there, therapy and all, and I made myself believe that he’d be better, like every child’s fantasy, dads are supposed to be strong and that’s what I thought.

While in the hospital still, he was told by the nurse, and harshly too that he has to stay a bit more because of kidney problems. Dad seemed to have lost the strength after learning that. He refused all other kinds of treatment. One, he said he never wanted to bother the people around him, seeing a cousin’s husband being bedridden and the suffering of his cousin’s wife made him had that resolve. No one could change his mind.

I don’t know  why but when I learned of the situation, it didn’t sink in completely because there were other issues I was told about that I thought it was nothing serious. At some point I thought there was a possibility that my dad could die. But I didn’t think that would happen soon, a thinking I regretted later on because I didn’t do anything…anything to ease or help him through the pain.

It was one of those sleepless nights that I  just spend writing off some tasks. I waited until my eyes get droopy but sleep was evasive.

I then got a message from a niece,  she’s actually our neighbor back home but she’s based in the US now. She asked me if I heard of the news about my dad. I said yes, referring to the incident that happened earlier, that I learned from my older sister. Dad was sent to the hospital because of some complications but he refused to be admitted. He suddenly got better and requested to be sent home. It was all I know. I didn’t call home because I didn’t want to confront him of what he did that brought about the complications (what’s prohibited to you feels good when you do it fits this situation well). I still have mixed feelings until now for not having called though.

My niece said that his dad (my cousin) and my older brother are at the funeral home since 7 in the morning (it was 2 am here and 8 am at home when we were chatting), upon mention of “funeral home,” I just couldn’t get my head round it.  I understood what it meant but I refused to accept it as a reality.

It was in the wee hours of the morning but I didn’t mind the loud cries, I felt pain, regret mixed with tears and confusion…grief…a pang of guilt for not having talked to my dad more often.

—

Messages came pouring in and though there were some who have different views than mine I appreciated them. I was thankful that I’ve learned what the bible says about death, at first I couldn’t relate to death well. It was only now, after feeling such inconsolable grief that I realized that the sting is truly painful. I grew up believing a lot of teachings about death not based in bible truth…I bet you heard most of them.

Some have told me that it’s for the best, that my dad is in a better place, not suffering and watching over me.  There are those who believe that the dead becomes angels…I refuse to accept these lies to comfort the grief of being left behind…Somebody thought of it and someone believed it…somebody spread it to appear like it’s the truth.These are beliefs that also gives me a broken feeling.

The God I know is not selfish. He wouldn’t take the life of a person knowing that those left behind would be in pain. What is the need for resurrection if the dead continue living somewhere? God has enough army of angels so he doesn’t really need new ones.

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 “For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.”

When Lazarus died, Jesus said to his followers that Lazarus is “sleeping.” (John 11:11-14) Though he meant Lazarus died, he used the term sleeping to illustrate that the dead could be awakened, as though unconscious…Jesus called and Lazarus came back to life. If Lazarus was in a better place why would he come back to an imperfect life? For four days, Lazarus lay down on his tomb unconscious, not knowing that he has died, not mentioning of a place where there is no suffering.

Just the same, I look forward to a promise:

John 5:28 “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice…”

My dad is asleep, I do not know how long will he keep still but I look forward to the day that the bible promised this, when “God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

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Tayong mga pinoy ay maraming paniniwala na minsan nakakatuwa, nakakaaliw kundi naman ay nakakainis. Di ko nais manuya or kung anuman pero palagi akong may duda sa mga kasabihan at tradisyon. Ano ang kinalaman ng litrato sa ating tema ngayon? Sabi nila kapag daw nakakakuha ka ng isang hibla ng damong ito, hulihin mo iyon, humiling ka at hipan ang hibla upang matupad. Wala akong alam na hiling na natupad sa ganito, kung mayroon mang nagyari, malamang ay coincidence.

Kanino ba nakadirekto ang mga hiling? Ang paniwala ko ay hindi sa Diyos kasi ang pakikipag-usap sa Diyos ay tinatawag na panalangin. Kaya siguro sinabi na” Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true,” kasi maaring masama o mabuti ang hilingin ng isang tao. At kung magkatotoo iyon malamang ay may nakikinig na ibang entity sa pagkakahiling at siya ang tumupad nun. Scary…Ingat lang.

Happy LP!

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