Sunday Lessons: In every circumstance, God is with us.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

                             - James 1:2-4

One afternoon while browsing at National Bookstore, I came across a book—pardon me for forgetting the title—which lists several arguments supporting the idea that God does not exist. Most of the arguments, I've noticed, boil down to the existence of suffering; apparently the existence of suffering is the antithesis to the existence of God.

"If God makes life easy, we will never grow."

It's not simple logic, I know. I know it's not an easy thing to comprehend. It's easier to ask, "If there is a God and He loves me and is with me, why does He allow me to suffer?" I guess we can put it like this: When a storm comes and wipes away everything and everyone has to start again, we know that a person who is trained to work has better chances to survive compared to a person who has never worked a day in his life, who has had everything handed to him on a silver platter.

That is what suffering does to us: it prepares us for something bigger, something greater than anything we can imagine. The hardest battles make the strongest soldiers.

Yes, in every circumstance, He is with us—at our highest and at our lowest. Maybe it does not make a lot of sense now, but have faith that it will all make sense in the end.

Sunday Lessons: Trust God.

Few days after the supertyphoon Yolanda hit the country, everything was chaotic. The victims had no food and shelter. Communication systems were down. Roads were unpassable. Relief operations were so slow. Hope was dwindling down.

"Broken dreams are not the end of the road. 

They are the beginning of new dreams 

and a new direction in life." 

                                                 - Anonymous

But eventually, the sun shone. Aid came flooding in. Forgetting conflicts and differences, the world has become one big helping hand for the Philippines and the Filipino people.

"I waited patiently for the Lord.

He turned to me and heard my cry."

                        - Psalm 40:1

While talking about how the roof of the Tacloban Bible Community church had been blown off by the supertyphoon, Pastor Dennis Nordine said, "There was now a skylight. They could see all the way up to the heavens!"

With faith, we see things in a different light. With faith, we are assured that He will provide us with everything we need, no matter how bleak the future seems to be at the moment.

Trust God. Trust God to make everything fall into place.

We will be okay, Philippines. We will stand again. We just have to trust Him.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding."

                       - Proverbs 3:5

Sunday Lessons: Life is ours because it was given to us.

Currently, Cebu City is more or less back to normal. Power and water supplies have been restored. Streets are clean. Spirits are lifted. I am grateful. I will forever be grateful.

"If you wished the typhoon changed directions, then you didn't get it. If after the storm, you were bragging about how you weren't hit badly, then you didn't get it."

Before the calamity struck, there was a friend who posted a Facebook status about the typhoon, wondering why it would be passing the Philippines instead of China. I was so tempted to comment in shouty capitals.

Yes, I wished we didn't have to suffer, but I didn't wish that other people would suffer in our place. That's just...incredibly selfish. We are not supposed to wish harm on others; we are supposed to help them. We are not supposed to put people down; we should lift each other up.

Yes, I can say that we've been very blessed to have not gone through devastating fatalities, both during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake and the category 5 typhoon. But that only means that we are in the ideal position to help those who had suffered worse. We are in no position to brag, to feel so superior. 

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

                                          -Ephesians 2:8

Let's share the grace that we've been given. The rest of the Visayas needs us. The littlest help can make a big, big difference.

For a list of drop-off centers and other ways to help, please visit this Facebook page.

Sunday Lessons: Show Him to someone who is willing to see.

"He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, 

the world did not recognize Him."

                                        - John 1:10

One important lesson I have learned along my own journey is that rushing and pushing cannot bring a person closer to the Lord. Guilt trips, reprimands, and criticisms did not lead me to His doorstep and make me long to know Him. Instead, these created a negativity inside me that leaked into every crack, every hollow space.

Preaching to someone who has a closed mind and heart is like knocking on an empty house and expecting someone to open the door for you. Wait and be patient. Wait until he gets there to open the door.

"Keep your heart open to hope."

One must be willing to accept Him. One must be willing to be changed by Him. Until then, all we can really do is pray and keep our hearts open.

"But if we hope for that which we don't see, we wait for it with patience."

                                                              - Romans 8:25

Winds of Change

Suddenly the world was changing. 

The reckless wind came blowing, 

wiping away all traces

of everything I've ever known.

And there I was,

swept under the unassuming bush;

Still, silent, aching,

watching the world pass me by.