HOME
MOMENTS OF GRACE |
Starting January 2006, my life has been full of struggles and trials that almost pulled me down and caused me to lose my faith. There are things that happened in my family that I would like to tell because I would like to share how God had moved in my life and how He blessed me during those moments of difficulties.
My father became sick. The doctor required an operation for his intestines twice. Our family need to prepare Php 120,000 for the initial operation. I am just an ordinary employee in an electronic company and I have no other resources. Loan was my immediate option. But it was not enough. Like graces from heaven, my SFC family helped me through their own pockets and through their physical, emotional, and spiritual support. How BLESSED I am! For his final operation, I, together with my younger sister’s boyfriend and my God’s gift, combined our savings to make it possible. It just lasted for an hour and it was a success!
God is enough! My father is now strong, alive and kicking not just physically but spiritually. He now understands the service I have in the CFC - Singles for Christ community. Now, my family is facing another trial. My younger sister needs to undergo operation because of the cyst in her breast. Please do pray for her because I believe, that through our prayers, “KAYA NAMIN ITO!”
doris_mayo@yahoo.com
jingvelasco@yahoo.com
Have you ever experienced being in a situation where you are in need of immediate help? Let us hear the story of Clarkson from Cabuyao...
“It was a typical day. I was walking in the busy streets of Alabang, already on my way home. Suddenly, a young man approached me. He introduced himself as a student, even showing to me his I.D. I'm skeptical at first and continued walking. He said that they are conducting a survey for a school project with the topic on “Trusting Somebody You Don’t Know”. My doubts were erased as I saw a young man, just a few meters away, doing the same survey. The “student” asked if I’m already working, how much money I have, and the things in my bag. I answered all his questions. During their interview they told me that the final test in the survey is entrusting to them all my belongings. I didn’t hesitate to give them all of my things in my bag, my phone, wallet, and even my handkerchief and coin purse as I saw another “interviewee” doing the same. The “student’s” phone rang and he told me that he will just look for their leader and will come back. I kept waiting for him. After a few minutes of waiting, I realized that I was robbed. Shocked to what had just happened, I immediately asked for help to anybody that would care to help me. First thing that came to my mind was to text my friend for help but I didn’t have a phone, that’s why I asked some people to text my friend. But they immediately rejected me and gave me that skeptical look. They probably thought I was a cell phone snatcher. I cannot blame them. Running out of option and in desperation, I took courage to ask for help from a mall security guard. At first, the security guard doubted me, but still he did help me! Thanks God! He gave me P30, just enough fare for me to go home.”
“A week before that incident, I was waiting in the jeepney terminal. A man with the same problem approached me and begged me to give him some money for him to be able to go home. He said that he had been robbed! I just ignored him and refused to help him. As I was going home riding the jeepney, I saw the same man walking alone on the highway. He looked so sad, tired, and in despair. I realized it must be true! He was in need of great help! I got off the jeepney and decided to help him. But it’s too late! I never saw him. I realized that God is really good for teaching me a very important lesson. He showed me and made me realize through the mall security guard that I should be of service to anyone who is in need of my help and that the way I care for myself must be the same way that I should care for other people.”
After hearing that story, I realized that sometimes, most of us wouldn’t even show our care to others until that same situation happens to us. God intends to make us to be more like Jesus by giving us these kinds of experiences. Although He could easily transform us, He has chosen to develop us slowly. As we grow in spiritual maturity, we just have to submit our ways to God in the process. As the Bible said in James 1:3-4, “Let the process go on until your endurance is fully developed and you will find that you have become men of mature character...with no weak spots.”
God has a plan for allowing things to happen. Sometimes, He forces us to look up and depend on Him instead of focusing on ourselves. Every experience in this life is a character building opportunity. Yet these troubles produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever... Our present troubles and times of despair won’t last that very long. Our pain is temporary but the reward would be eternal, if we just keep our eyes on Jesus.
All renewed Christians, SFC’s included, have been called and commissioned by God, our over-all Commander-in-Chief, to fight alongside His angels in this spiritual battle. The evil on has been desperately and tirelessly employing all the tricks in his books to distract us from our God-given tasks; that is why, all of us in God’s army have to be vigilant at all times to counter the devil’s attacks (1Pet 5:8-9). We se all around us the doings of the enemy: rampant graft and corruption both in the government and private sectors, attacks against the family, the prevailing culture of greed and violence that corrupt our youth’s minds, the global terrorism that renders helpless civilian victims, and many other forms of evil doings.
Part of our military strategy now is to get SFC’s involved in a holistic social endeavor; that is, to spread our works to the different sectors of our society. The Laguna Leaders Assembly held last July in West 2 had for its main thrust, the involvement of Laguna SFC’s in the different service ministries. Members were encouraged to sign in and join the Gawad Kalinga; Corporate-based, Campus-based, Government-based Evangelization, Pastoral and Evangelization, Oikos Society, Special Events and Pro-life.
Our community, CFC, together with all the different family and social ministries, hopes that with this new thrust, our mission of rapid, massive and global evangelization will soon be realized.
And as we gird for battle, let us all be inspired by St. Paul’s advice to the Ephesians (Eph 6:13-18), “Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that in the evil day, you may resist and stand your ground, making use of all your weapons. Take truth as your belt, justice as your breastplate, and zeal as your shoes to propagate the Gospel of Peace. Always hold in your hand the shield of faith to repel the flaming arrows of the devil. Finally, use the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, that is, the Word of God. Pray at all times as the Spirit inspires you. Keep watch, together with sustained prayer and supplication for all the brothers.”
May God be praised!