We Are Travelers

To move forward, to reach a destination, one needs to travel.

In the movie, Reservation Road, the lives of two families gets tangled because of a fatal accident involving a hit-and-run driver who killed a boy in the road accident. One family came from a concert where the boy was performing; while the other (a father and his son) enjoyed a baseball game. Both were travelling towards their respective homes, when the incident occurred. It was unintentional as the father with his son, peeked into his ringing cellular phone while driving. Before he knew it, a car toward his way, so he swerved to the roadside, where the boy from the other family was setting free fireflies caught earlier. While one family struggles on the loss of a life; the man who caused the death

bleeds emotionally with guilt.

We are all travelers. We ride on transport vehicles toward work. We embark on boats to visit relatives or friends in other islands. We board on aeroplanes to reach foreign lands. We can never be sure what will happen along the way.

Take for instance Air France flight 447, carrying 228 people that disappeared four hours after taking off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Paris. Not one of those passengers thought that they would never make it to the Charles de Gaulle airport. Their earthly journey came to a sudden halt; their next travel should take their souls to a final destination depending on how they lived their lives.

God protects His people from harm. As St Francis de Sales reflected: "We shall steer safely through every storm so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast and our trust fixed on God." There is no certainly in our life journey though. . "We are struck down, but not destroyed". (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) At any point in time, in any place where we are situated, we can be struck down by a power beyond our own. If Satan creates the havoc, we only need to seek the help of God, who will send intermediaries to drive the evil one away. If it is God’s plan; be unafraid for He frees us from the burden of sin and lead us to His glory. "The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." (Psalm 121:8)

Mama Luding

My wife, Debbie, received troubling news that her mother, Salud, had suffered a heart failure. All my children were in the house; all deeply concerned about the fate of their grandmother they lovingly call “Mama Luding”. It was more painful for Debbie because the previous night, Mama Luding made a long distance call from Cebu as she was driving in the Auckland motorway and could not take the call. I was the one who answered and asked what her message was. She responded, “I’d like to greet ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jeydi,” referring to her first grandchild.

 

Though she never finished a degree in college having married early, Mama Luding had that innate love for children, having raised eight of them, all finishing university degrees.  When any of the children had problems, she would put all her energy to attend to the son or daughter and help find a solution.  Then, her children got married and had children of their own. Mama Luding left the ancestral home in Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur in order to be the nanny of the grandchildren, caring for them like she did with her own children.  Her maternal instinct brought her to the US where one daughter lives and to New Zealand where four reside. As she saw her children grow, she also experienced the joy and challenges of helping raise her grandchildren to be fine adults.  As she is loved by her children, Mama Luding is adored by her grandchildren – for her cooking; for her simple gestures of care and concern; for her sacrifices and selflessness; for her faith in God.

 

Each of us is called to care for each other as much as God cares for us. “I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.” (Psalm 31:7) So it is said: “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” (Genesis 2:15)   God instilled in the first person on earth to take care of all his creations, all of humanity, all of his children. “You saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you travelled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child.”(Deuteronomy 1:31) Most importantly, to care for others is to tell of the goodness of God. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

 

Debbie could not contact even the cell phone of Mama Luding; until two hours later. The faint voice of Mama Luding greeted her, telling that she was in the hospital and was being attended to by medical personnel. She was weak, but in high spirit.  Everyone in the house was relieved; and thanked the Lord for taking care of Mama Luding.

by Mel Libre

Songbird For God

From being a simple church volunteer, Susan Boyle was catapulted to sudden fame via a fascinating performance in the 2009 Britains’s Got Talent show. It was reported that her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” was viewed 220 million times in You Tube. She eventually took the second place in the finals of the reality show. The meteoric rise though took a toll on her health that she was treated in a mental health clinic on the days that followed.

Single and living alone with her cat, Boyle must have lived a quiet life. The surge of attention she has gotten must have been overwhelming. Not only are media people camping out in her home to take photos; but she’s appeared in the top rated shows of Ophra Winfrey and Larry King.  The singer said she was “loving every second” of her unexpected rise from obscurity. But the days leading to the finals turned her into a confused woman easily agitated and foul-mouthed.

To be overwhelmed is to be out of control and to feel powerless. An individual is placed in a situation far beyond one’s imagination: like a pauper being crowned king; like a servant girl marrying Prince Charming; like living a fairy tale. The anxiety grows when people expect too much and the individual becomes burdened by the expectations.

When one is overwhelmed, God is sure to help. “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and mountains crumble into the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2)  Seeking God’s Word will allow us to overcome that what overwhelms us.  “If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery. I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.” (Psalm 119:92-93)  Prayer – conversing with God – will allow us to hear the gentle voice of the One who truly loves us. “I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.” (Psalm 142:1-3)

Susan Boyle seemed to have forgotten the church where she volunteered. All she needs to do is walk right back; fall on her knees; and seek God’s help. Without doubt, God will fill her soul and lead her to use the gift of song for His greater glory. She can be a songbird for God.

by Mel Libre

Leap to Death

"I have owed to too many people. The amount of burden I have caused to them is too great. I can't begin to fathom the countless agonies down the road. The rest of my life would only be a burden for others. I am unable to do anything because of poor health. I can't read books, nor can I write. Do not be too sad. Isn't life and death all part of nature? Do not be sorry. Do not feel resentment toward anyone. It is fate. Cremate me. And leave only a small tombstone near home. I've thought this for a while." These were the words written in the suicide note of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

 

A self-made man from a farming family, Roh failed to obtain a university degree, but qualified for and passed the bar examination. He served as a judge and practiced law. In 1981 after seeing students being tortured he left the ‘comfortable life as a lawyer…and became a man that wanted to make a difference."

 

His defeats were as many as the elections he put himself as a candidate; but campaigning on a "Mr Clean" image and gaining the support of the youth, he won the 2002 presidential election by a margin of 2% against his opponent. But as much as he wanted to pursue lofty goals for his country, politics and the economy did not favour him; and he eventually bowed out of office as an unpopular leader. The demise of his political career did not end the controversy surrounding his presidency with charges of corruption pursued against him and family members. On May 23 2009, while doing his regular jogging, he jumped from a 30-meter high cliff known as Bueong'i Bawi behind his rural home in the village of Bongha. He left the suicide note prior to his leap to death. Carrying the burden by himself, Roh lost in life.

 

We owe our life not from people, but from God who wants it to be fully lived. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) Thus the one who whispers in the conscience to take one’s life is the thief – the devil. Death is certain but when and how we die is not within our control; the One who breathes life into us decides when to take it back. When we follow the road of life God has paved for us, then when we reach the end, we pass from death to the promised eternal life. "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth My Word and believeth in Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)

 

Carring the burden by himself, Roh lost in life. He should have allowed God to help him in the burden he carried. "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22) He could have still made a difference; but that was not meant to be. We can only pray for God to forgive him and save his soul.

by Mel Libre

Angels vs Demons For You

Take note of the following: Hell, a pizza company; Illicit, a Cola product; Demon, an Internet business in UK; Satan, a clothing brand; and Possessed, a metal band. Movie producers have made profit on films about Satan and his minions, if not using the name of the devil to catch attention, the latest being the Tom Hanks flick, "Angels and Demons." There was one leader who called US President George W Bush "devil", while the US President once labelled three countries as the ‘Axis of Evil".

 

The abuse in the use of the name of the ‘devil’, ‘Satan’, ‘demon’ and the like has resulted in a perception that the evil one is just a figure of speech, if not a mythical figure like the phoenix, the dragon and the unicorn.

 

But the truth is that Lucifer and his followers are as real as you and me; so are angels. Jesus Christ encountered in the desert the devil that totally failed to tempt the Messiah. A band of evil spirits called Legion retreated in the presence of Christ. In the extreme, Satan bodily possesses a person, thus, exorcism rites are performed to free of victim from the clutches of evil. In most instances, Satan influences our thoughts to commit sin.

 

We must therefore be wary of the devil that observes our every move. He attacks with ferocity when our guards are down. "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Like leech, he sucks the good out of us, satisfying earthly desires and contaminating the soul.

 

We can overcome the power of Satan. "For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith". (1 John 5:4) Our faith shields us from the cunning attacks of the evil one. "Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11) We only need to call on our guardian angel, who cares for us, and whose shine puts out the dark spirits. "Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus." (Matthew 4:11)

by Mel Libre