Many are hurting. Many fell silent. Don’t.
Tag: acceptance
WHEN YOU LISTEN AND OBEY
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
In the middle of our busy lives, God never fails to speak to us. Unfortunately, we dare not to give our attention, thinking that what we are currently doing is more important than what we are about to hear. We are so consumed with our own tasks and welfare that we forget we are not the only ones living in this secular place.
Hearing God’s voice is not bizarre or impossible if only we lend our ears and be more sensitive to His manifestation. He is everywhere and it takes more than just time to be able to identify and acknowledge His presence; it takes faith.
Just as He enters through a private door in every individual, He also speaks to different people in different ways. In the middle of what we are doing, we can sometimes feel an urgency to do something beyond our structured routines and schedules. We might encounter the feeling of needing to go to a certain place or talk to a certain person at that very moment but we often insist on our own ego’s desire to be on top of the priority list, and so we deliberately ignore that “hunch”.
However, when we give God the chance to speak, and ourselves to submit to His calling, we would realize how He works in wonders. Through obedience, we are exposing ourselves to His blessings – the kind that will leave us awed and open-mouthed. By saying yes to His call, we are giving Him the chance to open our senses and witness the beauty beyond what our naked eyes can see. By yielding to His words, we allow Him to bring us to places where we finally grasp the reality that we are all interconnected. We finally become aware of the fact that we do not exist merely by our own terms; we exist because we have a purpose to live by. And when we finally understand the purpose of our existence, we realize that living means so much more than just running after worldly and fleeting things.
In a generation where chaos are becoming prevalent and traditions are easily altered, we need to be more sensitive to God’s voice; not for self-serving purposes but for others to know that in the middle of any disarrays, His love still prevails.
By giving Him our yeses, we can become His vessel of blessings to others, especially those who are enveloped with the thought that fate could have been friendlier and life could have been better.
God makes no accidents. Calling you is not done by mistake. Question is, will you listen and obey?
Who is Unfair?
Patience is a virtue – but it also has its limits.
No retreat; no surrender – but retreating and surrendering can sometimes save your life.
Reach for you dreams – but like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it becomes elusive.
Don’t give up – but giving up does not always mean that you’re weak; sometimes, it only shows how strong you are to accept defeat.
You see, everything in life is created equal. There are only moments when we become so occupied by our thoughts, beliefs, and wants, that’s why we fail to see the other side of the story. Whenever we are driven by goals and ended up not reaching them, we often dip into the pool of frustrations and discouragements, and begin blaming some things on life, insisting that it is unfair. But what is really fair? Is it when we get what we wanted to obtain? Is it when we wake up happy and sleep with the same length of smile on our faces at night? Is it when we love and be loved in return, and in a way how we wanted to? Is it when everything is okay and smooth sailing? Is it when we encounter not even a single problem? I don’t know if that is what you call ‘FAIR’, but for me, it’s an act of cowardice.
Don’t get me wrong because I, myself, is also a coward. I am afraid to be rejected by the people around me. I am afraid to be left behind and unappreciated. I am afraid that one day I will lose my family, my loved ones, and even my dog. I am so afraid of almost everything, and for years, I did not acknowledge that fearful feeling because the thought of recognizing it also brings fear to my senses. You see? I’m a chicken! BUT IT’S OKAY! It’s not something to be ashamed of because admitting that you are afraid takes a lot more courage than denying it. Not all people can talk directly to their own faces or to somebody that “Hey, I’m a coward! I’m afraid of something!” No! It is not that easy, because most of the times we wanted people to look up to us. We wanted them to see that we are strong individuals; unshaken even by life’s strongest earthquakes. It is easier to pretend rather than to let them see who we truly are.
Am I saying that I am not afraid anymore? Absolutely not! But it is through these fears that I get to be reminded of my potential strengths.
We all have flaws. It’s okay to be weak and to be afraid; and if you are, it does not necessarily mean that you have been treated unfairly by life itself. We have to understand that in this world, there is a time for everything. If you did not get what you desired today, then go ahead and cry, shout, be frustrated, be upset – it’s okay to express your emotions because you are made to be human, not some wired and remote-controlled robocop. It’s okay, but after that, stand back on your feet and live!
Why do we say that life is unfair? Because we are still in the process of accepting the reality that we just can’t have everything in this secular place and we fail to acknowledge the other side of the situation because our attention is so geared towards the other option that we believe is more favorable on our part. If that’s the case, is life really is unfair to us or are we the ones who treat life unfairly?
“Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
The Reflective Pen 