This is proving to be another month-long celebration for me. Just as my home branch, Lingkod QC, has been having month-long celebrations of its anniversary, the Lord has allowed me some memorable Julys in the past that always culminates in my birthday at the end of the month. I wrote about it extensively in a previous post which I sent to all my friends way back 2002.
It's the fourth of July and already I can feel my blessings in torrents. It started with a Friday brunch with my good friend and sister Shane who helped me face my target budget for my new life. This allowed me to count my blessings and see how God has provided for me so well that I do not have to worry, even if a part of me does, about the future. Friday night was Mass with Lingkod QC and a chance to give my sharing to the community, "Joy in Living for Christ", as part of our theme for 2005, "Joyfully We Proclaim God's Glory!" I tried to give the QT's a blow-by-blow account of how God led me to this new mission in life.
Last Saturday, as I wrote about in my last post, I spent the day at the Bukas Palad Choir Convention and learned how to serve God better through music. I even enjoyed fellowship at McDonald's afterwards, for several people from the convention, including Fr. JBoy, were there, and it felt like the energy from the Ateneo High School Covered Courts was transferred there.
Sunday was spent with the family. My kuya endorsed to me my father's automatic car and I finally said goodbye to the stick shift! It was like driving a toy car. The steering wheel is so light. It signaled the end of half of my driving-related stress. God is good!
Last night, I got to know some teenagers from nearby Batasan, for they attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar where I gave a talk about The New Life that the power of the Holy Spirit brings. It was fulfilling to serve in this particular parish-based LSS and to make new friends in my literal community, aside from our MGL-parish priests. I was also inspired to witness God's work in the life of the seminarian-brother who shared. Still, I know this is not a call for me to enter the religious life. It's the whole living-for-Christ-is-the-only-source-of-joy theme that permeated the night that made me so joyful. In my night prayers, I was full of gratitude to God and thanked him for new friends, brothers, sisters, and services.
Today is a new day. Just the fact that I'm free to spend it any way I deem productive is joy enough for me. For the whole month of July, I am on vacation in order to catch up on all the chores, errands, favors and duties that I have neglected the past few years while I was busy with lingkod QC and court attorney work. I am also taking enough rest, exercise and recreation. I know this is just a foretaste of heaven and life is not supposed to be one big vacation, so I will savor every minute of every day.
As I turn another year older soon, I face it with greater joy and confidence than when I faced my 30th birthday last year. :) This passage from Ecclesiastes 3 comes to mind, and oh, 'tis true, 'tis true indeed.
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man's mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 also that it is God's gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. 14 I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him. (Ecc 3:1-14, RSV)
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