God carries it also

It's the last day of being home.

I woke up around 8 in the morning this day and just before doing anything else, I prayed and checked my phone (I usually place it beside my bed.) if there's any message.

I got this:

"He is always to be found in the thickest part of the battle. The heaviest end of the cross lies ever on His shoulders. If He bids us to carry a burden, He carries it also. If there is anything that is gracious, generous and tender, so lavish and supernatural in love, you will always find it in Him." - C.H. Spurgeon

It's from 'textmate'.

Mulling over my trip to Davao tonight for a contractual job until December 15, the message became a pressure-relieving reminder that whatever odd I will be needing to surpass, He is there for me for guidance, protection and strength.

I say thanks so much to the one who sent it. I consider her life, per se, as an inspiration.

This will be the very first time that I'll be away from home for more than a month. I thank God for this opportunity for me to learn to stand alone and depend on myself.

The work. After the recently concluded fieldwork in Iloilo National High School (Thankfully the processing and interpretation of data is finally done.), God gave me another opportunity to be involved in a study to help our fellow-Filipinos in Mindanao. This is a Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction Project through the Asian Development Bank. Apparently, this focuses on alleviating the socioeconomic and psychosocial status of poor women market vendors in Mindanao. The output of this work will be the bases of formulating steps in order to uplift the status of the market vendors on the areas of concentration.

On the other hand, this is my chance to help my own family here in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.

I express my utmost gratitude to my cousins, Pastor Paul and his wife Nang Nyl and also Tita Cora - Pastor Paul's mother - for fervently recommending me to obtain this work.

I now know the answer why God made me face vast challenges and odds during the 16 years of formal education from kindergarten to college.

Hiatus. I don't know if I can visit you guys as often as I was doing for the past days. For now, I don't know the system and process of the work. Hopefully, I can still have time to mingle with you.

May God take the wheel as I travel and may He fill me up with
wisdom to tackle the obstacles.

If He bids me to carry a burden, He carries it also.

Textmate

The advent of text messaging here in the Philippines definitely had an enormous impact on my personal life.

I was really engrossed to text messaging and had several textmates in a row back in high school. Bad thing is, I didn't have my own phone that time and I was only borrowing from Nanay. Obviously, I was often scolded when she discovers i used more than 50 pesos of her load for petty conversations with anybody anonymous. That was really stupid!

Not until year 2000 when somebody introduced me to a girl who is from the Panay Island. Her personality reflected on the way she replies, on what messages she shares, on how she gives advices, on how she explains things in the Biblical perspective and how she gives reminders. Yes, through that I knew who she is. She's God-fearing. Smart. Diligent. Prayerful. Optimistic. Loving. Thoughtful. You name it!

She was worth every peso and every minute I spend with her through text until I already had my own phone. She has been there sharing her insights on life, love, optimism and Christ-centeredness. She taught me priceless lessons - though I am a year older than her. Gradually, she helped me unfold the realities in my life. She inspired me to pray even more stronger and more often and she encouraged me for several times whenever I'm down. She silently made me recognize my immaturity. We shared laughs, we shared sadness, we shared prayers.

Everything was through text.

But God was so wise to provide us a way to meet. And I was able to know her even better, meet her friends, meet her classmates, meet the church where she's part of and also meet her family.

As I reminisce, I can't imagine those times that I was able to attend my 'textmate's' graduation day in high school where she graduated Valedictorian of her class with other cool academic awards. I also attended her thanksgiving party Sunday after her grad day. I also attended her debut and all I can say was 'awesome'.

Imagine I was across a vast sea but still managed to attend few of the most important events in my 'textmate's' life. Do you think I'm in love? Yes, I am. But waiting must still be the game.

Now we are texting for nearly 6 years.

Turn off the 'textmateship'. We're good friends now and if you would ask me who among my friends who had a great impact on my life? She's one of them. (Here's another one.)