All Rise (some are excerpts from Our Daily Bread)

I can’t remember how I started reading “Our Daily Bread”. There’s also a Filipino version, but I stuck to the original edition. It’s been a habit now; I get one and read my daily dose of inspiration from it. However, I have been remiss lately, because of the numerous endeavours that I partake in. Today, I was able to keep up and I noticed that I dog-eared some pages. Flipping through them, there were stories that reminded me about our limitations as humans such as the story of Sue Kehr, who was a successful nurse, but now she only, makes and gives away delicious homemade bread. The Norwegian Immigrant Ole Evinrude, suffered scorching heat and rowing exhaustion (5 mile round trip) as it also it tested the limits of his human power when he had to row back and forth the Wisconsin Lake, just to oblige his fiancée Bess’ craving for Ice Cream. He returned I bet with a dripping ice cream shake. Dana and Rich for had an ordinary afternoon bike ride; with the thought that this activity would refresh them when they go back home. They did not go straight home; they ended up in a hospital, because Rich lost control of his bike and he rolled down a hill. The Tsunami that struck the western shores of Sri Lanka was devastating and painfully vivid to all who witnessed it. Till now many still shed tears as they relive & remember loved ones who perished in its wake.

What is amazing is when we read and reflect we can envision how through these shortcomings, hope and resilience flourish. Sue Kehr did not intend to have that head injury, but that did not stop her from serving God’s people. She may not be able to perform as a nurse, but she rose to the occasion and amazed many at how God works in her life, by distributing her tasty treats to ministries. Ole Evintrude, tried all his might to please his fiancée, but he conceded to the fact that he cannot rely on his strength alone. There must be a better way, so he put his mind to work. A year later, he tested his lightweight motor for small boats. Like many of us, we can not rely on ourselves to solve all our woes or direct our lives as we want it to. God’s power is greater and as we deepen our relationship with him he’ll help show us a better way. Dana devotedly kept vigil at her husband’s side because he couldn’t feed himself and he couldn’t walk. One day, Rich told his wife that he doesn’t know if he will ever walk again, but he is walking closer to God. The people of Sri Lanka have moved on, the terror would not be forgotten, but Hope sways them forward to respond to life as it heals the loss & trauma that came to them.

Everyday that I read, my outlook towards life is enriched with inspiration. Reading is just one of the ways I get encouraged. Sharing experience with new and old friends add essence to a quiet day at home. I like using the phone for instance to just say hi and it results in a never-ending story telling moment (2 hours not enough, good thing our telephone line is not metered) Messaging online and thru hand phones are great, too. What is astounding is how correspondences like these give me a major high. It keeps me giggling and smiling for no reason all day. Well that is until I get a sarcastic remark or an angry reaction from anyone in my family that pops my bubble. And those rejoinders were totally uncalled for. Anyone with similar tales as I do, it’s not so bad, really. I get infuriated for a time, but moments of calm replace it afterwards. That’s when I revert to reminiscing all the good times I just had. I realize that getting annoyed only makes my wrinkles appear, my double chin to shake and my cute round face to look unglamorous.

But anyway, this is a side comment. What I want to write is life has unexpected turns and we may or may not recover from the previous splendor, but wonderful phenomenon always replace what we lost. That’s why instead of living in the past, I live my now. Its human nature to get envious, but what is not is get obsessed and wants everything even when you cannot afford to. I always believe that many things happen for a reason and that everything has it’s time and it’s season. But I never expected the difficulty when I am the one faced with this disposition. Like all those people I mentioned, I too, have undergone my own personal trauma. My family and some other close people suffered with me, too. Experiencing what they’ve gone through made me a believer. I believe that God’s hand is always open, he never sleeps, he does not judge, he knows what’s in our hearts and He carried me all the way through my struggle, just as he does all of us. Until now, my family and I still carry the burden brought by my affliction. I have members in the family who succumb to pessimism and are overly cautious trying to prevent anything similar happening, fixating on things which are out of our control by preparing for it. In moments like these, I have to accept the good with the bad and raise my troubles to God. He keeps me at peace.