HE made my SUNDAY

I’m fond of reading life stories of all those amazing transformations that people undergo when they accept the truth and make changes in their lives. It’s not that it’s too good to be true but sometimes it seems like they only happen on paper. Like you only get to know those people on the printed page. This is probably because they aren’t stories you hear every day. Well, Sunday is the day I realized how wonderful Jehovah is in giving chance for ‘all sorts of men to come to an accurate knowledge” of him. It’s not like I doubted it before but sometimes being able to really talk to a living example of such makes a huge difference. Here’s how it goes:

It was an ordinary Sunday afternoon and I and the girls were in the park doing our Chinese lessons. When we were done, for some reason we didn’t leave right away and just decided to sit down and relax. Then this guy-Ivan walked up to us and asked:” naa moh Bantayanang Torre” (hope got the spelling right). So we all searched our bags and got out Watchtower’s. He then started telling us his story. It went something like this:

He was a former snatcher, thief (climbing houses and all), and alcoholic…basically a CRIMINAL. Well, indirectly, he got hold of one of our mags-it was placed to his Lola- and started reading. That was way back 2008 (if I remember right).

Anyway, he went on with his ‘criminal life’ but always made it a point to ask magazines whenever he found witnesses. Then it happened. When snatching a cellphone, he had to pull out a knife. As he put it: “paghuman know ug dagan, naghinuktok jd ko ky kahibalo ko na sala jd ni. Naa jd toh sa Bible”. So he decided to go to confession but afterwareds “igon nila dpat maau ila paminaw pg human, ako kay wala jud..mrag bugat pa kaau ako pamati sa akong gibuhat”

So he continued with his ‘criminal’ lifestyle when one day, after snatching some item, he took refuge in the park. An elderly witness sat next to him and started preaching. Again, he accepted the magazines.

It seems somewhere in this stage-he couldn’t continue what he was doing. He quit his ‘job’ and became a laborer tending to the plants in the park. Whenever he had the chance, he got our magazines. He decided to change his life. Quit all his bad habits (he wouldn’t go into detail so probably drugs, girls and the lot) recently quit drinking (as in TOTALLY since he was an alcoholic) and is currently quitting smoking.

Now I just found that amazing. He was able to do all this without any study conductor to point him in the right direction, without the help of the congregation and just from what he read in the magazines. Jehovah indeed draws people to him.

The big issue he was facing was that he feels ‘unworthy’. He says, his mind keeps saying “hugaw ka..hugaw ka”. We tried reassuring him but he said “ pag abut sa judgement day, ok ra jud sa ako kung didto ko sa daotan ibutang..sa kadaghan sa akong gi himo-mkasabut jud ko. Dawaton nako unsa ihimo sa Diyos sa akoa..basta ako lang karon-mausab ko. Dili ko mag expect na iforgive pa ko…”

Back to the story, he mentioned that a witness promised a bible study with him and they were to meet in the park last Thursday. He was there, waiting but it rained so the witness didn’t make it. He was busy trying to describe to us this brother but we really couldn’t tell who it could be. Then, this brother ‘X’ walked right up to us and Ivan was so shocked. “nara siya oh!..mao ni ako pasabut!” Mark (the brother’s name) was in the mall he explained and was about to go home but somehow decided to drop by the park even though it wasn’t his schedule.

Now I was getting goose bumps here. It’s just like our job was to keep Ivan Company for the meantime so that Mark could find him in the park. AMAZING INDEED…
So Ivan kept on with his ‘I don’t deserve’ talk while I frantically flipped through my Bible trying to find that text about ‘sins as red as scarlet will become like wool…”..Revelation was it? Or maybe….?? I just couldn’t find it! (grrr..wala pa sa akong list of memorized text eh..) So I whispered to Mark if he knew it and he did.

ISIAH 1:18.I will never forget that text now. I gave Ivan to read. When he was done, he paused for a while and his face just lit up. “wala jd ko kahibalo na naa d I ni na texto sa bible..karon pa jd know ni na basa..naa pa d I ko pag asa bah! Basin maforgive ra ko sa Diyos!"

It seems our ‘job’ was done. Mark was going to start a study with him so it was ‘exit time’. It just didn’t feel right to ride a jeepney home that day so I took the 30 minute walk instead. People must’ve thought I was crazy or something walking alone smiling (maybe even talking) to myself.

All I could think about was WOW! Jehovah doesn’t really ‘need’ us to do the job of ‘drawing people’. The magazines, the bible and the Holy Spirit are more than enough. But he does. He uses us imperfect; sometimes even ‘unappreciative’ humans to help his sheep. What a GRAND PRIVILEGE we have...May we never take it for granted^_^

And one more thing i forgot-He shares everything he reads in our magazines with his 'workmates'.:)

Loss

We all know we're living in the last days. We know tragedy is part of these times. We know we aren't exempted from sickness and death. But the fact is, this 'knowing' doesn't mean we are READY for whatever unforeseen occurance that may befall us. It's not a matter of being 'strong' or being 'mature' but simply being human.

I just can't seem to get over the sad news of the passing away of a friends' father. I was ill when my bro told me and all I could do was hide under the sheets and let the tears fall. All I could think about was how I would feel if ever that happened: The pain, disbelief and shock just dawned on me.

Fathers and daughters share a special bond nobody may ever understand. The truth is I still don't know how I would react if ever anything happened to my father. These tragedies aren't things you can be ready yourself for. They just happen without warning. There is no PLANNING for them coz they come at a time we least expect.

If there is anything positive tragedy can teach us it's that the new world is at hand! The more trials we face, the closer we are to our eternal relief. Still, being able to live without someone we hold so dear to us in these hard times may be a very big challenge. This feeling of loss is something we may empathize with but never really understand until we face a similar loss.

There is no planning for these situations. Nobody wants to keep 'negative thoughts ' of loosing people they love in their minds. But the lesson I keep teaching myself is that we can PREPARE ourselves for whatever losses befall us in this world.

We CAN use each day to bring praise to Jehovah. We CAN draw closer to our heavenly father. We CAN build our faith. We CAN keep busy in the Lord's work. We CAN show we are keenly waiting on Jehovah.

This way, if WE loose OUR lives unexpectedly in this world, we will have 'Stored up treasures' in the heavens and made ourselves 'rich toward God'. We will be safe in Jehovah's memory.

And if we suffer the LOSS of a loved one, we will have stored enough strength, built enough faith and developed a close relationship with Jah that WE WILL BE ABLE TO ENDURE...

After all, what's 70 or 80 years of suffering when compared to EVERLASTING HAPPINESS??NOTHING....

For now, I'll just keep telling myself:..."just a little while longer...just a little while longer....just a little while longer..."

Never say Never

One of my friends(more like idol)is no longer a servant of Jehovah. When I heard the news, I simply couldn't believe it. All I could think of was "how come?".."how could he?"......"he was so strong...." and so on...

Then I remembered. I remembered the lesson that I swore I'd never forget.

NEVER SAY NEVER.

Many years ago, I 'looked down' on those who had privileges and ended up rebelling. I simply could not understand why and how such a thing could happen. I would tell myself "that would never happen to me". I would never end up like 'them'. I would never commit a grave sin like 'them'. Yes, this over self-confidence was part of me.

Then with an experience I'd rather not go into details with,it nearly happened to me.It was then that I learned my ultimate lesson. That it could happen to anyone of us. NO matter how 'strong' no matter how mature or well-spoken of you may think you are, you may very easily find yourself in a situation that you'd never imagined yourself being in. It takes one false move, one wrong decision and you'll have made the biggest mistake in your life.

So instead of thinking about all the 'Why's and 'how could he's". I empathized. I understood. I understood how he had fallen pray to Satan's trap. How he surely regrets his actions and how this discipline may bring him back to his senses.

And it taught me my lesson all over again. Never to feel too 'safe' and 'mature' that you feel invincible. To always keep yourself away from temptations and to continue building yourself up with 'fire resistant material'.

Blink

I open my eyes to the smell of the wet cement floor.Everything seems so dark and blurry, I can bearly see. My eyes are swollen and from the way my face feels, I'm thankful there's no mirror around. I don't know the day or the time but I've woken up like this so many times now. I'm hungry and thirsty. I don't know the last time I had a real meal.

"Think happy thoughts!!" I remind myself.And so I do. I think about the time I found my first bible study. The way her face lit up when she heard the truth. ..."How is she now?" I wonder. I think about the Kingdom Hall full of kids laughter, everybody's troubles put aside.I rememeber the tears of joy I shed when my lil bro became an MS or when my lil sis got baptized....How I miss those days..

The pain in my stomach is getting worse now. My whole body is throbbing in pain. I have to think of some other way to keep my self busy. "I know, I'll sing Kingdom songs!" ......'our reasons for joy are abounding....'...I try but my voice comes out in squeaks. I'm too weak to even sing. "Nevermind! I'll sing in my head then..."....'Jehovah is my father my God and friend..' ...Jehovah God my strength renew.....'....lalalalalala.....time passes....I can't remember anymore. How I wish I memorized more songs. Tears are pouring down my face.

I hear the door open and someone pull me to my feet. I can't make out a face.I hear something like.."this is your last chance..." I'm led on a famiilar path, i know where I'm going. I've been there countless times."Please help me endure this again" I pray.....in my mind i start singing again...'he'll guide you and protect you as he has all along, yes he will make you firm, and he will make you strong..'. ..I'm much calmer now...

I'm forced inside, I loose my balance and fall to the floor. The big man is talking now, he goes on asking:"Where do they live....what are their names...." I'm too weak to try and explain my stand again so I stay motionless on the floor...His approaching me now,voice raising:" ANSWER ME OR I'LL....." His fist or maybe the palm of his hand nearing..Then blackout.

I open my eyes to the sight of a many boots.NOthing seems familiar this time "Where am I??".Maybe they've decided to let me go!Positive, always positive. When they see me move, one pair of boots approaches and pulls me to my feet.He's trying to tell me somthing but I can only stare at his lips...'who will save you now?'...is all I can seem to get.

I'm led outdoors, the sun is too bright and i try to shield my eyes.I see a familiar figure.no two figures...Is it really them???They seem to be waiting for me. I wish I could run and embrace them but i can't.our hearts are embracing.. we just smile.a lonely tear falls accross my cheek...I join their line and we are made to face the wall.

Loud voices, guns loading."READY"!! I look to my right, then to my left..and close my eyes.. "FIRE!" Blackout

I open my eyes to the smell of fresh grass. "this is new, I think".. Smiling people surround me and ask for my name. When I tell them, they lead me by the hand down the hill.. when my eyes adjust to the light, i can finally see my surroundings.

GREEN, everything is just so green.NOw I understand. I stop in my tracks, my legs give way and I'm on my knees. Tears are flowing down my face, my lips are quivering but I can't talk..The people around me are crying too.My heart overflows with praise and thanks to Jehovah .

I CAN'T BELIEVE I MADE IT!! IT WAS ALL OVER IN A BLINK OF AN EYE..

(setting-during the great tribulation)

What If

I think it's all too common for us to take for granted the spiritual heritage we've been handed.But have you ever asked yourself what if you were just a 'normal' worldly kid and someone knocked on your door offering a magazine or something would you accept it???Think real, real hard...well??

I think about this often and have concluded that I might have accepted it since I like reading and it was free.But how about when they returned?Again and again?Trying to establish a BS?Who's to say I would be 'touched' by what I read?Or that something would interest me?Yep, I'm quite sure I would 'back-out'. Even if I did accept, I really don't think I'd make all the changes needed.Why?Coz, I'm pretty sure I'd be a 'wild', 'independent', 'party-goer' kinda girl.

Coming to that conclusion, where would I be now?A drug-addict? Maybe with two kids and no father?Or maybe still at school struggling with my grades?Worst still, maybe in jail for some crime?I dunno.For sure, I'd be lost, without purpose, unhappy, discontent, with loads of problems, hopeless and definitely with a very dim future.

But thanks to our spiritual heritage, we haven't had to 'taste' the world, we have direction, purpose and a bright future.:) It might be somewhat true that those who 'find' the truth on their own are more 'focused', more appreciative of JH's organization etc and that we sometimes take things for granted.But it is equally true that they were so close to not becoming one of JH's servants.There are a lot of 'what ifs' that could have changed everything-for the worst!On the other hand we have had the privilege of not having to 'experience' the world to know it's dangers. Not having to be 'chin-deep' in irreversible circumstances before coming to our senses.The list goes on......

How about being less 'focused', 'appreciative' and taking things for granted? It's all about appreciation.You have to take time to really think about all the "what if's".You'll come to realize what a rare privilege we have that we should be forever grateful for.*_*

EVERY SINGLE DAY

I know I've said i love Sundays and Thursdays.I'm having second thoughts,with the way this week is going, I just might end up loving every single day!!Why?Nope, I'm not crazy over some guy (i think)-gotta give myself a break from that! It's because I've preached every single day since mm..Sunday I think.Have you tried it?? It seems I've forgotten how it felt until now and I'm loving every part of it.

It somehow keeps you reminded that this is no time for 'games', no time to be concerned over 'matters of the heart', no time to be 'worried' over anything and definitely no time to be 'busy' in the world.Like a constant 'alarm' telling you how close we are to the end, how much work there is to be done and how you should be spending your time.

It's the only way you'll feel exhausted but happy.The only way you'll 'forget' your problems (at least for a while) and the only way you'll realize what truly matters.Meaning? It's not what happened at work, not what bills are due,who your mad at or who you miss-it's that you're using your your time, energy and resources in JH's service:) Like the YPA video line: "Unless you use your life to serve JH, you'll always feel empty".Put it another way:"if you use your life to serve JH, you'll always feel contented and happy." The kind of happiness you'll never find anyway else.

Another thing-Isn't it amazing how you become of 'one mind' when at the door? How you can instantly think of a way to support your partner, how your partner seems to know exactly whats on your mind.Like you were literally one mind!

Well, we're young and strong and have so much to 'give' to JH!!Just the thought is inspiring-"GIVE to JH??" So, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday I'm gonna be doing the best thing in the world!(try my best to)No more 'emo-days'-huge waste of time!(maybe I'll have some, just not so often;) Anybody wanna join me??I promise nothing more than complete happiness *_*