Look Up

One time in a supermarket, my two sons decided to have fun (oh no, not again!) by running around through the mazes of display cabinets, freezers and fruit stands. Aim would playfully prod his kuya to play “catch me” as he giggled and scurried away. I was a bit worried for Aim to get lost as he is simply too young to know his surroundings so I followed and kept watch at a distance. To my amazement, however, he did not wander far and stay within my sight.

With curiosity getting the better of me, I observed his actions closer.

It was then that I noticed that every time Aim would reached and realized he is in an unfamiliar spot, he would look up and gaze his eyes around until he finds something. He would then start to rush towards that high object and stop just below it. It was a giant colorful replica of a fruit basket (or fruit-pail if there is one). My genius son (ehem) was actually using that hanging figure as his guide and starting point before resuming his next run. That was how he did not get lost.

He just needed to look up.

In this time of great scientific advancements, humans can now look at things that our forefathers would never have dreamt of. Nowadays, we can see the deep recesses of the universe using powerful telescopes like the ALMA or Atacama Large Millimeter Array telescope in Chile. We can also undergo minimally invasive medical procedures called laparoscopic surgery with tiny telescopes to allow the surgeon to view the procedure. Even the gadget world has welcomed the introduction of an internet-ready eye wear to recognize faces and provide their information through on-line social networks.

Now that holy week is here, may we set aside all visual attractions and distractions to look up and seek God. Sad to say, even though God’s presence can be visualized in everything, everyone and in every situation, more and more people are becoming less aware of His all-embracing love. Worse, His misinterpreted “absence” becomes our alibi for straying farther, our excuse for staying far and our justification for being lost.

The simple, yet unwavering and eternal truth is that God exists and that He cares. He does not want us to stay away or stray farther but to find our way back to Him. He does not want us to be lost but to be found. He cared and loved us so much that He shared in our humanity to be physically seen and verbally heard by the people of His time and later, to suffer intensely and be put to death on the cross for you and me.

If you still have doubts, then look up at our suffering Jesus on the cross.

If you want re assurance, then look up to our resurrected Savior this Easter.

God bless.

I Do

He was thin, dark and shy.

She was slender, petite and friendly.

He was nursing a rejected heart.

She was a nursing student with an open heart.

He caught a glimpse of her gorgeous smile.

She pretended he was far by a mile (at least that's how he felt then).

He found himself visiting her in the days that followed.

She cordially accepted his friendship, meek and mellow.

Their friendship and love, as the years went by, blossomed and grew.

Finally after eight years, they were married as they exchanged "I do".

Yes, that pretty much sums up how I met my one and only ex-girlfriend and now the mother of my beautiful and wonderful kids. Those eight years of getting to know each other's best and promising sides while deepening and enriching our spiritual lives has become our strong marital foundation.

Now that we are on our 15th year as husband and wife, what a colorful and memorable journey it has been so far! We have been through a lot of mostly grace-filled ups as well as a couple of challenging downs that included one life-changing and heart-breaking loss. We have lived mostly overseas and met great friends with similar interests in life, love and living. But now that we are back in our motherland, we are now making some adjustments after our long hiatus. Our eldest who was home-schooled ever since, has to bear the brunt of my at-times impatient teacher-parenting, while my wife undertakes the daily grinds of the house up-keeping and the delicate and stressful art of home-making.

Once I asked myself what would I be now if I haven't met my wife.

By God's grace and mercy, I do believe that I'd still be a striving-to-be-a-good person mainly due to the consequential upbringing of our parents. And just like most of everyone, I would still be in pursuit of a meaningful life in whatever direction I would feel the Lord is leading me into. I would be fine, I guess.

But God has no plans for a "fine" life for me. He is not interested with me just getting on with my life. He meant for me to be able to reach my full potential. He has planned great things for me ever since.

Indeed, with my wife by my side and our ever-growing kids, I am becoming a better person, a better husband and a better father as time goes on. I am far from being perfect but the journey with her makes it all worthwhile and worth remembering. She always give me her understanding and support when I am struggling. She constantly prays for our family's safety and well being. She is my best friend and a true confidant of my innermost fears and frailties and my co-conspirator in my achievements and successes.  

In my lifetime, immeasurable and profound joy will always be with me because my ever-loving wife is with me.

Happy anniversary, honey!

Cheers for more, much more, forevermore years!  

 I love you!

Yes, it's you ...

You're the one in my life I've known

From the start that it's you I'd spend forever with

So please hold on with me...

You know so well that we can't last a day

Without each other

You're all I have and you're all that's there

To keep me goin'.*

-Side A band (with a slight lyric revision from my side)