Beautiful

"Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into thetemple courts." Acts 3:2 (NIV)

Nakaka-addict talaga ngayon ang magbasa, kasi tuwing babasahin ko ang Scriptures prayerfully, the Spirit leads me to new reflections to old passages. Kahit nga magpalit lang ako ng Bible version, naiiba na rin ang reflection. Since I left my NRSV Bible last night at Janet's house afterour AG, I went back to my NIV and saw these beautiful words. :)

Take this man who was crippled from birth. Hindi ko naman fully ma-imagine kung paano maging lumpo talaga, pero may mga bagay (sobrang dami) na maco-consider kong crippling sa buhay ko, from birth pa. May mga misconceptions na ako about God na kinalakihan ko na, na sobrang hirap nang baguhin. Now that I'm into a personal relationship with God, I'm being called to unlearn those things. Lalo naman sa aking self-image, itdoesn't take a genius to know that a woman's concept of beauty is really a complicated issue.

So maybe like the crippled man, I allowed myself to be brought by the world into the temple gate called "Beautiful" - I find this name so significant in today's First Reading - to beg. Not knowing any better, not knowing he could ask for so much more from the One who lives inside the temple, he just begged for money, for silver and gold. He, like me,didn't know what true Beauty meant. He probably had a simple, outsider'sview of God. He didn't even ask that he be healed... or maybe, he stopped asking after a while. Kuntento na siyang magpabuhat sa mga nagsasabi sa kanya kung ano ang dapat gawin at hingin at magpabitbit hanggang sa TempleGate. Kuntento na rin siyang maupo duon para mamalimos.

Until God sent Peter and John into the crippled man's way. He who was waiting outside the temple gate called Beautiful begged for money. Hedidn't realize that by sending His disciples to the crippled beggar, Jesus was answering the true prayer of that beggar's heart - for healing. Money and external beauty are peanuts compared to God's mercy and love.

"He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God." Acts 3:8 (NIV)

That man instantly proclaimed how God had healed him. Siguro hindi niya akalaing gagaling pa siya. Hindi niya alam na ito pala ang hinihintay niya nang pagkatagal-tagal.

I'm also a beggar for God's mercy and love. I want to live by faith and not by sight. Sana pag andyan na ang Peter at John na pinadala ni God sa akin, magkaroon din ako ng expectant faith at hintayin ko rin ang ibibigay nila sa akin.

The farthest distance I've ever known is from my head to my heart....