Hit the Brakes

Rush, rush, rush. 

If you are retired, like I am, this was your and my life’s tempo yesterday.

If you’re still working, this is yours today. You need to get some errands done, go to places to purchase one thing or other, and meet people in a reunion or meeting. But the heavy, standstill traffic stalls you. Before you could blink, the day is over and you have not accomplished all you had planned on doing. 

While running around like crazy, you get stressed. The more you get stressed, the more you can’t concentrate to do your tasks right. Before everything goes haywire, please hit the brakes. 

Just stop. 

You need to be calm and quiet to get your bearings back.  

God showed us how to rest. “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” (Genesis 2:2-3 NLT) 

Jesus did the same. “Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile; He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:30–32)

When our speed is too fast and there are too many roads to take, our body feels the pressure. Let’s hit the brakes. Let’s find a quiet place where we can soak in God’s grace and turn off the noise that garbles His voice. As we read His Word and talk to Him in prayer, He will speak to us. 

In Psalm 46:10, He nudges us, “Be still, and know that I am God!” 

Poor Me

On Maning’s 75th birthday, which was celebrated with a grand party mounted by his children and grandchildren, he felt mixed emotions. He was happy that he had come this far. 

On the other hand, he felt ancient, fearful of what is to come, especially because his energy level has dipped tremendously.  

He could no longer do the things that were once so easy. With his aching knees, climbing up the stairs and biking had been difficult, if not punishing. So he gave away  his bicycle and bought himself a rocking chair. 

But those were not the only reasons Maning was troubled. It was also because he no longer called the shots in his own household. His two adult children had taken over. He could feel their impatience when he as much as repeats what he had said previously. 

That’s why self-pity visits him now and then. And when it does, he tells himself, Poor me, and wonders whether he still matters to God.  

The Creator of the Universe created all human beings. Therefore, each of us is worthy of His love and attention, demonstrated when Jesus visited earth in the form of a servant—graphically and dramatically illustrated by His death on the cross. He showed that the big hand of God is for all the small people for whom He came. 

When we, in our sunset years, find ourselves wallowing in self pity, overwhelmed by the pain of insecurity and poor self worth, let’s reread this verse: 

Luke 12:7. “. . . the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” 

We need never say, “Poor Me” ever again. 

Me? Evangelize?

Ten years ago (Facebook reminded me), I attended a seminar on evangelism, all because my friends in church encouraged me to join them. I could not tell them that. . . I do not have the gift of evangelism. I am not a verbal human. That would have been a cop out.   

Verbal. That’s what I knew about evangelism while growing up as a third generation Christian. It is to proclaim the gospel with our lips to people—after which, God will work in their hearts to bring them to faith.  

Sure enough, the seminar was all about the steps in evangelizing: how to approach non-believers, introduce the gospel via simple illustrations and verses, answer possible questions, and finally, praying with them the sinner’s prayer. 

The seminar ended with each one of us doing our personal poster with our name on it and the words “Jesus saves.” I gamely did mine. 

The lesson was all too clear, concise, coherent, and cohesive to everyone. I said silently, Why am I not getting it? Am I resisting it? 

That night I prayed for courage to do as taught. 

My co-attendees took the seminar to heart and soon, they were actually doing it (step-by-step) and reporting about their successes. 

And I could not even begin. 

One day, I received a letter from someone who has read one of my books. She said she has come to know the Lord more through my book. And may I please keep writing? 

Keep writing . . . 

That’s what I love doing most: writing about His grace and how it works in the lives of those I know and have come to know through their testimonies shared with me. 

I then realized that evangelism is not all about oral sharing (don’t get me wrong—that works for many others) to save souls but to glorify God. It is He, through the Holy Spirit, Who moves people.  

And I, through my pen (okay, keyboard), not my lips, can share about His grace through life-changing true stories that are underpinned by His Word.  

In short, I don’t and can’t preach. All I can do is weave stories with God’s truth from the good Book. 

Woven into these tapestries of narratives (over 60 published books to date) is my one main theme: “Jesus saves.” 

No, but I Can Crochet

That one Saturday when the seniors in our church danced the morning away happened again. It’s a once a month event. But this time, we danced only a little, and did something else—crochet—to exercise arthritic hands and fingers. 

The moment Cely, our leader, announced, “Let us crochet,” my mind time-travelled to that other horizon in my other life when I was an EVP in an ad agency. 

We were to shoot a TV commercial with a famous singer/dancer as our talent. Everyone lionized her because she made it to Broadway and starred in one blockbuster musicale. 

I was at the set too early, way before call time. Not one in the production house was there except the security guards. Suddenly the mother of the celebrity walked in and asked in a loud voice, “Where is my daughter’s dressing room?” 

That place had only one ladies’ dressing room—for the talent (with her entourage) and the agency lady executive (me). I led her to the room and said, “I am sharing it with her.” 

She looked at me from head to foot and said with derision, “Why, can you also sing and dance?” 

Our office had a dictum: talents and clients are always right. 

I smiled, said nothing, but my thought balloon screamed, No, but I can crochet! 

Aloud I said, “Oh, okay, your daughter can have full use of the dressing room.” I had full responsibility of the final production output, but any chair would do as my working/resting space. 

Although this scene happened a long time ago, it replayed clearly in my mind when I heard the word “crochet.” Back then, I fumed inside. But this time around, I laughed out loud. Everyone asked what was so funny and I told them the story.  They laughed with me, then we all turned serious when we started crocheting, following design instructions from a video.  

Fame and fortune can swell one’s pride. But the good Book reminds us, “Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.” (Proverbs 21:24 NLT) 

In part, 1 Peter 5:5 says, “. . . God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

On to some dancing (yes, now I can dance!), but sing? That'll have to wait. 

High-Res Photo for Book cover

My publisher sent me the cover layout of my new book that will be launched a month from now at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF). I’d have given it a thumbs up except for . . . my photo?! 

It’s a three-year-old-photo-studio shot (below), required for a coffee table book. Since it was professionally done, it has high resolution and fit for publication. 

But the pandemic completely altered my appearance. I no longer go to the beauty parlor, so my hair is now long and cut amateurishly by our househelper. The three-year quarantine also took a toll on me, as revealed by the looking glass. 

“That isn’t me anymore!” I messaged back, and attached four of my faces, cut out from group shots. 

Alas, the layout artist disapproved them all and required a high-res photo. No way was I ever going to a photo studio again and go through another posing ordeal. 

My solo photos through the years are mostly stolen or candid shots. The posed ones are those in groufies or a group. Somehow, my family is averse to posing for photos—which is ironic, because my daughter-in-law is an excellent and in-demand professional photographer in the US. 

Anyway, this is one of my favorite pictures of me. 

Someone took it while I was facilitating our women’s Sunday school (my happy place) in church recently. It will not make it to any book cover but it made it to my treasure chest of grace. 

You guessed right; the artist will use my three-year old photo.  

Hanging Out

Young people love hanging out with friends. It’s a time to let their hair down, talk about topics that interest them, and joke around. Psychologists say this activity has benefits: boosts one's mental health; helps one celebrate good times; and provides support during bad times. 

As one gets older, however, adult responsibilities—career, parenthood, church ministries, community involvement, etc.—get in the way of this enjoyable activity.  

“Never stop hanging out,” Mr. Gonzales, the speaker at a young couple’s seminar, said. “There is a Friend you really should hang out with—always.”   

The audience gave each other a look that asked, Who is that?   

“Jesus. Many of us hang out with Him only on Sundays. So what does that make Him? A Sunday God.”

The audience again gave each other a look that said, I never looked at it that way. Then an uneasy coughing filled the room. 

“Our busyness just keeps piling up, so we miss the most important aspect of our friendship with God—hanging out with Him.” 

Mr. Gonzales identified the many blessings of the audience today that he never had in his time: mobile phone, laptop, cable TV, You Tube, Social media, etc. “The Word of God now, your time, is readily available on these platforms,” he stressed. 

“Hanging out with God means studying, obeying, loving, trusting, and modeling His Word. Let’s soak in God’s grace and study His Word to build on our faith in Jesus, our Savior.” 

He then read Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” 

He capped his talk with Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.” 

Amenities Leave, Memories Stay

For about 25 years, our family had frequented an amazing resort out of town. There we spent a night or two and basked in all the amenities for its paying (a steep fee paid with hard-earned installments while I was still in workplace) club members. 

Every cent had been worth it. 

The place is perched on a mountaintop, with every landscaped nook accessible via winding roads. It offered an unrestricted view of Taal volcano/lake and the towns that surround it. 

We’d bring guests and friends here, who’d gush, “Breathtaking!” It was our palette of happy colors! 

Everything suddenly faded when the pandemic assaulted us. 

 

Now, after three long years, the health protocols have been scrapped.  And so we thought of spending the weekend there (despite the two overlapping typhoons pummeling us with rains and winds) to claim back our palette of happy colors that we so missed.

At the entrance gate, there was only one car—ours. The glass-pained front office that used to teem with people was empty.  

The reception area was dim. The pool tables were moved there from the recreation room. We asked for the lady who booked our stay and were told she had resigned. The two ladies who helped us looked as unfamiliar as they were with the system, groping along.  

While Tony and I waited for our room assignment, sons #1 and #3 walked about, as though casing the joint. Their long faces and “report” distressed me: all facilites had been closed for repairs.  

No more heated swimming pool, gym, spa, salon, dressing rooms, Jacuzzi, library, function rooms, recreation room, rows of aquariums, elevator, chat corners, and shuttle carts/vans. At the main dining room, the menu listed only eight ordinary dishes. 

The other places that used to serve gourmet meals had been closed, too. 

I feel so sad, I whispered. 

My two sons whispered something like . . . we have happy memories here. My heart bawled. 

The main hotel was padlocked (“for maintenance”) so we were led to the new building. The size of rooms had shrunk. And the walls? Bare.   

Even the scenery was gone. From the patio, all I saw were trees, now very tall and very wide, blocking the panoramic view.    

With nothing else to do, we napped the afternoon away. Is our palette of happy colors gone? Sob. 

Checking out early, son #3 said we could have lunch at an Italian restaurant that he spotted on our way to the resort. And irony of ironies, that was the highlight of our family time! Entering the place, we were welcomed by the aroma of excellent food. Around the lunch table, our joy more than made up for all the heartaches we felt at the resort. 

No, the palette of happy colors need not go away. Grace enables wonderful memories to stay.  

Is "Yes" a Bad Word?

In a marriage proposal, the man asks the woman, "Will you marry me?" 

A "yes" answer makes everyone, especially the proposer, jubilant. This is actually recorded on camera, and often, the shots are not candid. But a celebration follows and planning for the wedding begins. The news is flashed on socmed, along with a photo of the engagement ring, and immediately the announcement is flooded with congratulatory messages.  

But according to Butch, a recovered drug user, "My life in hell began with a 'yes.' My addiction started on that day I could not refuse a friend’s invitation. 

"He was very persuasive, 'Butch, you have to come to my party!'  

“I knew I was courting trouble because his parties were famous for being wild. Yet I said, 'yes'.  I was sure I could easily handle the situation."   

Butch could not.  

When a joint was offered him, he said "yes" again and took a puff, then another "yes" and another "yes" plus many more. Not long after the party, he was hooked and moved to stronger illegal substances which cursed him for 10 years.  

He credits his miraculous recovery to divine intervention. "Drug users could never do it on their own,"  he said. In the rehab center where Butch is a volunteer counselor today, one of his pieces of advice is, “Before you are persuaded or coerced into saying 'yes' to a puff or a sip or a pill, run away as fast as you can."

Two of our Bible heroes refused to say "yes" and because of their faith in God, they had the strength to stand their ground, despite their youth. 

One was Daniel. He “was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.”(Daniel 1:8 NLT) 

He did not accept the gifts that Belshazzar promised him if he would interpret the handwriting on the wall and he defied the order for him to stop praying to God.  As a result, he faced the lions’ den (chapters 5-6). 

 

The other young man was Joseph. He became a slave to Potiphar, a top official of the  King of Egypt. Potiphar’s wife was attracted to him and begged him to go to bed with her. He knew the danger of "yes," so he repelled and resisted her advances.    

She persistently begged him, but day after day, Joseph was obstinate. One day, she simply grabbed him, and Joseph quickly pulled away (Genesis 39:1-20). This led to the circumstances that finally made Joseph a powerful man in Egypt.  

God’s grace works in unexpected ways, with twists and turns that lead us back to Him—if we believe and don't say "yes" to attractive lures like earhtly rewards. 

Yes, "yes" can be a bad word. We need to be careful before we utter it.