We can lie all we want but we can never lie to God. We
can hide all we want but we can never hide from God. Why lie when He knows
anyway? Why hide when He knows anyway? Might as well come as who we are and lay
bare everything before Him. Lord, we come as who we are because we know you
love us just the same. Amen.
But turning away from
them, he wept. Genesis 42:24
The story of Joseph, he was sold out as a slave and
was brought to Egypt. Eventually he found favor with the pharaoh. Genesis 42
talks about how his brothers came to Egypt to buy grains, as there was famine
in the land. The moment Joseph saw his brothers, his mind flashback to the time
of betrayal when his brothers sold him. Yet the moment he overheard them talk
to each other and how they regretted what they did, he cried. There was this
cry of longing and anger, of love and hate. He cried because he was angry at
them and yet he still loves them. It was a mixed emotion for him. Deep inside
he still longs to be with them.
O love, deathless, conquers all! Love vanishes all
hurts and pains and restores relationships.
All we need is to see all our sufferings in the eyes
of faith and we will see the hands of God working even in the worst situations.
There is this Joseph in us. The struggle within gives
way to love that overcomes.
God loves us as who we are. We don’t have to change
for Him to love us. A Filipino song describes it well, “Hindi ka kailangan
magbago kahit ito’y mas ibig ko. Hindi ka kailangang magsikap ng husto upang
ika’y ibigin ko. Iniibig kita, manalig ka sana.” (You don’t need to change even
if that is what I like you to do. You don’t have to work hard for me to love
you. I love you have faith in me.)
God loves us as we are, He embraces us when no one
does and gives us confidence and hope when all we see is humiliation and
defeat. We are accepted not because of what we have and what we can offer but
simply for who we are. So we come to Him as who we are, without pretensions.
Then this love allows us to respond to do well and to do better.So it is not so much about us changing for
God but that our encounter with God, our encounter with love gives us no other
reason but to change for how can we not respond to someone who is full of love?
I come before you O God as who I am, no pretensions,
just as I am at this moment. Amen.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also
set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from
beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:11
We are heart wired for something eternal that is
why we always long for things that lasts. We value relationships and spend time
with people we love so much that we are in pain and in denial when they are
gone. Why, we ask and there is no answer to our question. No one can fully grasp
the plan of God only that we believe He makes all things beautiful in His time.
If we are heart wired for something eternal then for sure beautiful things are
yet to come.
I was watching the Philippine Military Academy
commencement exercises. They have a wonderful motto, “Courage, Integrity,
Loyalty”. Through the honor code, the cadet binds himself to a code that states,
“We, the cadets, do not lie, cheat, steal,
nor tolerate among us those who do so.”
It is always good to be guided by ideals. Practicing courage
in the face of challenges, integrity in leading people and loyalty to truth
when speaking.
Lord, when I fall short on what you intended me to be or
failed to see your goodness and I yielded to despair and hopelessness, use me
in spite of me. When feelings and emotions eat me up and the world shows only
indifference and I can barely bear it, use me in spite of me. Amen.
Experience is a two-edge sword, it can either paralyze
us into doing nothing or it can embolden us to passionately do something
greater.
Sometimes we are so wounded that we ended up putting
up a wall because we don’t want to be hurt again, or we experienced so much
affirmation that it fuels us to act on something good. We can either be
imprisoned by our woundedness or allow ourselves to be healed, stuck in our
mountain top experience or choose to go down and affirm others, either way, it
requires a response and there is no better response than to put all those
experiences, bad or good, at the foot of the cross, uniting it with Christ so
we can rise again with Him.
“You need to receive so you can give.” This was the
reminder of my household head in our community. They said, they saw me one time
looking far and exhausted. “You need parents, the hug of a mother and father. If
you need a hiding place, come to our home and just be with us, you don’t need
to share or talk.”
Deep inside I thank the Lord for sending people who
cares. I am blessed with Coordinators, who were like my parents already. This
conversation reminds me that I don’t have to keep everything to myself. I need
to receive love and I should be open to receive it from others.
Thank you Lord for sending embrace even in far away
place. Amen.
Mission is not for the fainthearted, it’s only for the
brave. We are wounded healers; we suffer in silence so we can become the vessel
of blessings for others. Twila Paris wrote a song that speaks so much about
reality of missionaries. I offer this song to all missionaries out there specially
my comrades in arms in FTPW.
Warrior is A Child
Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
I'm strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears
Chorus:
They don't know that I come running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
(Look up for His smile)
'Coz deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child
Unafraid because His armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing
I never face retreat
But they don't see the enemies
That lay me at His feet
Chorus:
They don't know that I come running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
(Look up for His smile)
'Coz deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child
They don't know that I come running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
(Look up for His smile)
'Coz deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child
The more we serve the more we should pray. The busier
we are the more we should spend time in His presence. Lord, grant us the grace
to grow and finish strong. Amen.
I came across a beautiful song years ago composed by Father
Manuel Francisco SJ. The song was based on the prayer of Blessed Rupert Mayer.
“Blessed Rupert Mayer was a German Jesuit priest. He is
best known for the apostolic endeavors he undertook in Munich between the First
and Second World Wars. He is known as the Apostle of Munich. He was a powerful
preacher and spoke out against the evils of Hitler and Nazism and touched many
people through his work with the Men’s Congregation of Mary.Five to six thousand people come to pray at
his tomb in St Michael’s Church, Munich each day. He was beatified on 3 May
1987 by Pope John Paul II.” (http://www.apostleship-prayer.org)
He was popular for his generosity and adopted a philosophy
to everyone he met, “If out of the ten who ask for alms there are nine who are
not in need of them, and if through fear of that happening, I refuse my help to
one really needy person, this would cause me immense suffering. I would rather
give to all ten and thus avoid the danger of being lacking in charity.”
During World War 2, he was imprisoned for speaking out
against the Nazi regime and for not stopping preaching. His prayer inspired
many and was made into music. The following are the lyrics, let it speak
through our hearts and make it our own.
Prayer of Rupert Mayer
Lord, what You will let it be so
Where You will there we will go
What is Your will help us to know
Lord, when You will the time is
right
In You there's joy in strife
For Your will I'll give my life
To ease Your burden brings no pain
To forego all for You is gain
As long as I in You remain
REFRAIN:
Because You will it, it is best
Because You will it, we are blest
Till in Your hands our hearts find
rest
Till in Your hands our hearts find
rest
Your will be done indeed O Lord, because you have nothing
but the best for us. Amen.
