Seasons of Waiting

• 

PAG-IBIG.

Ito ay darating sa panahong hindi mo inaasahan.
Ngunit ito rin ay biglang mawawala ng hindi mo inaakala.
Sabi nila masarap daw ang magmahal. Masarap ang pakiramdam ng mayroong isang taong palaging andyan para sa iyo.
Sa panahong walang-wala ka na.
Sa panahong nahihirapan ka.
Sa mga oras na gusto mong tumigil na.
Kapag nawawalan ka ng pag-asa.

Ang sarap isipin na mayroong isang taong handang manatili sa tabi mo, kahit pa ikaw na mismo ang sumusuko.
Ngunit darating ang panahon na hindi mo inaasahan.
Na ang taong minsa’y inakala mong mananatili hanggang dulo ay bigla nalang mawawala.
Ang mga pangakong binitawan ay bigla nalang maglalaho.
At mapapatanong ka sa sarili mo kung bakit.

Bakit ako iniwan?
Bakit ako nawalan?
Bakit ako mag-isa?
Bakit ako nasasaktan?
Bakit ako nalulungkot?
Bakit?

Lumipas na ang mahabang araw at hindi mo parin nasagot ang iyong mga tanong.
At ang sakit sa iyong puso ay nananatili sa loob ng mahabang panahon.
Hanggang isang araw, pagmulat mo ng iyong mga mata sa umaga,
Iyong napagtanto na mayroon ka nang kasagutan sa iyong mga tanong.
At natutunan mo ang isang bagay pagdating sa pag-ibig.

IIBIG LANG KAPAG HANDA NA.

IIibig lang kapag handa ka nang magpatawad kahit sobra kang nasaktan.
Iibig lang kapag kaya nang ngumiti kahit nahihirapan.
Iiibig lang kapag hindi na galit ang nasa puso.
Iibig lang kapag handa nang harapin ang pagbabago.
Iiibig lang kapag natutunan ng maging totoo.
Iibig lang kapag hindi na sariling kapakanan mo ang inuuna mo.
Iibig lang kapag mas malalim na ang pang unawa mo.
Iibig lang kapag mas nakikita mo na ang magandang plano sa hinaharap kaysa sa nakaraan.
Iibig lang kapag marunong nang magpasalamat sa lahat ng pagkakataon.
Iibig lang kapag narinig mo ang tinig na nagsasabing “Anak, sya ang inilaan ko para sa iyo.”
Iibig lang kapag handa na ang puso.
Iibig lang kapag narinig mo sa tunay na may akda ng pag-ibig na ikaw ay handa na.

Dahil kailanma’y hindi naging madali ang umibig.
Ito ay isang desisyon na dapat pinanghahawakan kahit anong bagyo man ang dumating.
Ito ay pinaglalaban, hindi iniiwanan.
Pag-ibig ang magpapasaya sa iyo.
Ngunit kapag hindi ka handa, ito rin ang wawasak sa iyo.

Kaya pakiusap,
umibig ka kapag handa ka na.
Uulitin ko, iibig lang kapag handa na.

• 

Mayroon talagang mga bagay na nakatadhanang matapos.
Kahit gaano mo ipaglaban, pero kung sa katapusan ito nakalaan, wala kang magagawa.
Ang hirap pala ng ganito.
Hindi ko tuloy maiwasang mapatanong sa sarili ko.

Bakit pa kailangan magtagpo kung lilisan lang rin naman?
Bakit kailangang magkakilala kung maghihiwalay rin pala?
Bakit magmamahal kung iiwan rin sa huli?
Bakit lumalaban pa kahit alam mong talo ka na?
Bakit pinipilit pa kahit ang sakit-sakit na?
Bakit iniintindi pa kung wala naman na talaga?
Bakit kaya?

Siguro dahil hindi naman talaga kayang pigilan ang puso na magmahal.
Kusa itong magmamahal sa panahon na hindi mo hinihintay.
Titibok ito sa isang taong hindi mo inaakala.
Mararamdaman mo nalang bigla na parang may paru-paro sa iyong tiyan na para kang inaangat.
Masasanay ka na andyan sya kapag kailangan mo.
Minsan magiging sandigan mo kapag hindi mo talaga kaya ang pagsubok ng buhay.
Mag-aaway, pero hindi maghihiwalay.

Pero kapag nakatakdang matapos, matatapos.

Natutunan kong hindi natin kayang labanan ang tadhana.
Kahit ibigay lahat ng pangunawa at pagmamahal, hindi ito magiging sapat na sandata para manalo sa giyera ng pag-ibig.

At isa sa pinaka naunawaan ko ay ito:
KAPAG TAPOS NA, TAPOS NA.
Wala ng balikan.
Wala ng pilitan.

Tandaan mo, sa bawat pagwawakas mo sa isang kabanata ay may panibagong simula.
Panibagong araw na haharapin na hindi pugto ang mga mata.
Panibagong pagkakataon na dapat pagkatiwalaan.
Panibagong oportunidad na dapat gampanan.
Panibagong puso na dapat mabantayan.
At higit sa lahat, panibagong tiwala na dapat ingatan.

Halina’t sabay sabay nating wakasan ang lahat ng agam-agam.
Kailangang wakasan na ang drama, sakit, luha at lungkot.
Tapusin na ang mga bagay na walang magandang maidudulot.
Sa mga ala-alang walang ibinigay na saya — tapos na.
Tapos nang isip-isipin ang pangalan ng taong nanakit sayo, mga pangakong parang ibinubulong pa sa tenga mo — tapos na.
Tapos nang paasahin ang sarili sa ideyang “Baka pwede pa, baka kaya pa.”
Tapos nang ipaglaban ang pagmamahal na minsang pinahalagahan at iningatan mo.
TAPOS NA.

Maaari ka nang huminga ka ng malalim.
Tumingin ka sa salamin.
Ngumiti ka ng malalim.
At sabihin sa sarili:
“Wawakasan ko na.”

Naiiyak ka pang sinasambit ang mga katagang “ayoko na”.
At sa huli, napangiti ka muli.
Napabuntong hininga.
Sinimulan na isipin kung paano magsisimula.
Mga istoryang ipagpapatuloy mo.
At napaisip ka nalang bigla,

Sa pagwawakas mo sa isang kabanata,
may panibagong simula.

Oo, may panibagong simula.
May panibagong pag-asa.
Saludo ako at tinanggap mo ang pagtatapos ng kwento ninyo.
Malaya ka na dahil TAPOS NA.

• 

Have you ever tried to walk by yourself on some days? How does it feel?
Imagine yourself trying to climb the mountain alone. At the start of the journey, maybe you would feel excited, but along the way, when the road becomes rough and the cliffs are so high, you will start to feel tired. You’ll be hopeless. You wouldn’t even dare to finish the hike.

I remember when I was travelling, we are required to have a tour guide so we will be able to reach the falls and cave that we are desiring to go to. While travelling, we feel so tired because of a long time of walking. When we asked our tour guide if we are already near to the destination, he just kept on saying, “Five minutes nalang po.” And it’s crazy! The five minutes that our tour guide said to us took almost an hour before we reach the destination that we wanted to see.

I asked myself, what if I go there all by myself? Will I be able to see that beautiful and refreshing creation of God? I think NO! Because along the way I will stop. But thanks to the people whom I’m with during the long walk. I enjoy the conversation and the picture taking while walking towards the destination. And that is the importance of walking with someone in life.

Our life is a journey.
A series of ups and downs.
A process of give and take.
That’s why it’s important that we have God while walking in every season of our life.

Because walking with God gives us hope and makes things easier.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff comfort me. Psalms 23:4

This is one of the great promises from God when we are in the darkest season of our life. When it seems that God is not on your side, in times that you feel and think that God is so silent, always remember that the Lord is always within you — He never left you nor forsake you.

The Lord is always walking beside you. He is going through every situation with you. He loves and cares for you and will always stand by your side. Walking with Him will give you the comfort of knowing that He is always there for you. He is always with you when you need someone to lean on and a shoulder to cry on; He is always there with open arms.

Walking with God means synchronizing your steps with Him.

If God goes left, you’ll not go to the right.
If God moves forward, you’ll not go backward.
That is what it means to walk with God.

When our plans and His plans are not aligned, follow Him. Do not follow your own plans because it  is only God who knows what’s best for us.

Isn’t it amazing how good and great our God is?

That despite our failures and shortcomings He still remains on our side. Whenever we are in fear, worried, depressed, and stressed, God is always saying to us that He is always there for us.

HE WILL NOT LEAVE US.

I pray that we may learn to walk with God in all the seasons of our life.

Cast away your fear! God is renewing your faith.
Remove your worries! The Lord is now giving you new opportunities.
So when you feel that you are alone and having a hard time, always run to the arms of the Father. 

Seek Him. Never forget that you are not fighting your battles alone, HE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU.

• 

Ikaw ang aking maling akala.

Akala ko ikaw ang magiging sandigan ko sa panahon na nahihirapan ako.

Akala ko ikaw ang magiging kamay na aalalay kapag nadapa ako.

Akala ko ikaw ang magiging kasabay sa bawat hakbang na tatahakin ko.

Akala ko ikaw ang magiging unan na iiyakan ko kapag nasasaktan ako.

Akala ko ikaw ang kukumpleto sa kakulangan ng puso ko.

Akala ko ikaw

Pero isang malaking akala ka lang pala.

Naramdaman ko naman na minahal mo ako.

Naramdaman ko naman na mahalaga ako sa iyo.

Naramdaman ko naman na iningatan mo ako.

Naramdaman ko naman na minsang pinili mo rin ako.

Ngunit paano kung hindi na kita maramdaman sa panahon na kailangan kita?

Paano kung naubos na ang pasensya?

Na parang isang kandilang unti unting nauupos.

Unti unting nawawalan ng liwanag.

Nawawalan ng pag-asa na baka pwede pa.

Paano kung wala na ang saya?

Paano kung wala ka sa panahong kailangan kita?

Tinanong ko ang sarili ko.

Mananatili pa ba?

At napaisip ako.

Dahil mali ang aking mga akala.

Dahil sa bawat ikaw na pinili ay mayroong Sya na sasapat sa lahat ng kakulangan ko.

Mayroong Sya na magiging sandigan ko.

Sya na aalalay kapag nadapa ako.

Sya na sasabay sa bawat hakbang na tatahakin ko.

Sya na handang yakapin ako sa bawat pag-iyak ko.

Sya na aking sandalan sa panahong gusto ko nang sumuko.

Akala ko ikaw, pero Sya pala.

Baligtarin ko man ang mundo, hanapin ko man sa apat na sulok ng kwarto,

Hinding hindi ako makukumpleto, kung hindi Sya ang una sa puso ko.

Alam kong maraming magbabago kapag sinimulan kong itama ang akala.

Masasaktan ako pero ang mahalaga natuto ako.

Kaya naman ngayon, handa na akong yakapin ang tama.

Bibitawan na ang mga maling akala.

Bibitawan ka na, yayakapin na Sya.

Isasantabi ka muna, uunahin na Sya.

Ikaw man ang maling akala, salamat parin dahil may totoong Sya — Sya na walang iba kundi si Bathala.

• 

A woman of faith is a woman who knows how to trust Gods timing.

A lot of times we would be tempted by a lot of things. Our nature of being an impatient is normal to us. We don’t want to wait for long lines, to the food to be served, to the bus to ride on, and to the destiny that the Father has brought to us. Our nature of being impatient leads us to not see the best plan that the Lord has set for us.

We always forget that God knows better than our emotions, desires, and feelings.

God has created a world that unfolds according to His own timetable, not ours.

What’s wrong with us is we always force to Him our plans that we think are best for us. We just only see temporary pleasures and happiness but the Lord sees our eternal benefit. We as a human, can always tend to make a lot of mistakes, God does not.

God’s plan does not always happen in the way that we would like or at the time of our own choosing.

Our duty – as a believing woman of God – is to wait patiently for God to reveal Himself.

That is our goal. Not to pursue our own dreams and desires, but to have a desire to know Christ more. Our prayer should always have a hunger to see God and may He reveal to us Himself. With that, we would understand His glory, grace, mercy, love and faithfulness. We will not be able to wait patiently up until we don’t realize and understand the goodness of the Father.

Always wait for God patiently!

But until God’s perfect plan is made known, we must walk in faith and never lose hope. We must continue to trust Him. Always.

When things seem so wrong, or our plans are not aligned to the plans of the Lord pray and seek God’s favor and answer.

For now, as a woman of faith, learn to wait patiently. It’s safe to trust God’s method and to go by His clock.

In God’s hand, everything will fall into its perfect place. 

• 

Let me begin this by saying “I am so proud of you.”

I don’t know where did you get all the courage and strength to face and to continue this life. I know that life hasn’t been too easy on you but I just want to congratulate you that you decide to keep going.

As you read this letter, may you be reminded of some lessons that I am about to give to you as you embark on a new journey of your life. I’m not sure where you are as of the moment. You can be in a place of prominence and glamour, or in a season wherein you are embracing your transitions in life, or maybe you are in the ‘adulting’ stage of your life. But whatever season you may have, please hear my words.

Stop being so hard on yourself. Everything will make sense to you one day. All the pain, disappointments, and frustration will become worth it. Believe me, every season you undergo will be worth it. Remember, everything happens for a reason.

You are in the exact place you are meant to be right now. You are there with the purpose to learn, grow, and be mature.

So breathe, be patient, and trust the process of your season. Accept life for what it is. You can’t control everything. You cannot control what will happen tomorrow but you can do something about it.

Don’t take everything so personally and try to not let others get you down. Most of the time, things have nothing to do with you, and everything to do with the other person. When people hurt you, try and understand their side of the story. Learn to forgive not just the person who has hurt you but also yourself.

Sometimes, we become hard on ourselves by not simply forgiving our own self. 

You are a work in progress.
A masterpiece still lacking pieces. 
A painting looking for the right colors. 
And a drawing still carving the best curves.

Even though you think you are broken, there is so much beauty in your pain. Also, you’re really not as broken as you think you are. You are stronger than anything that has tried to tear you down. You are a survivor, not a victim. So with that, try not to be so hard on yourself, we both know you’re doing the best you can.

You must also learn to completely love yourself, before you even try to love another. And a lot of people will not understand this. They would think that self-love is selfish, but it is not. Self-love is about accepting YOU– your flaws, your mistakes, your body, your skin, your own beauty, and even your own opinions in life. And probably you would ask, “How do I love myself so I can give love to others?”

Let me share with you this quote from one of my favorite authors. Marshall Segal said these words:

“You will not love anyone else if you do not love God first and most, and no one will truly love you if they do not love God more than they love you.”

And this is true. For you to be able to love yourself, you need to look for the love not that this world is giving, but you need to learn to look for the love that the Lord is offering to you. Once your heart is full of His love, you will know how to truly love other people. And when they love you back, they will not complete you for you are already completed by God, you will just be overflowing.

Love yourself because you deserve all the best things in life. 
You are smart.
You are beautiful.
You are enough.
You are everything.
You can be more.
You are all.

Most importantly, gracefully let go of the things and people that are not meant for you. Accept things the way they are.
Dearest, please stop fighting for the people who don’t even have the courage to fight for you. They don’t deserve a place in your special heart.
Stop pleasing the people to love you. Please stop.
Learn to accept that there are people or things that are not really destined for you. They just simply serve a purpose in your life why you meet them. Please accept that.

Lastly, I want to thank you.
Thank you for not giving up despite all the hurts that this world brings to you.
Thank you for not quitting despite all the disappointments and failures you’ve experienced in life.
Thank you for being strong.
Thank you for having a kind heart.
Thank you for persevering.
I know you’re tired of holding on to things that are not really meant for you.
I know you lose all the courage in fighting for the people that are not really meant for you. But I’m so proud of you that you learn to let go.
I am so proud of you on how you accept a break up without having a closure.
Thank you for never giving up and being so tough. You inspire others and you lift them up. Stay strong. Stand up tall. Be more beautiful than ever. Make them wonder how you do it.

Just promise me, you will make the most of it all. Never let anyone get in the way of your goals in life. More importantly, never give up on your passions and your dreams. Do not waste your time on people who do not believe in you. You don’t need anyone like that in your life. Only surround yourself with people who encourage and inspire you.

You know you deserve the best things in life, now go get it.

Isa sa pinakamahirap na gawin ay ang bitawan ang isang taong pinakamamahal mo. Ngunit paano kung hindi mo na nakukuha ang mga bagay na dapat para sa iyo, mananatili ka parin ba?

Hindi ako sigurado kung gaano kahalaga yung pinanghahawakan at pinaglalaban mo, pero gusto kong sabihin sa iyo na mas mahalaga ka — yung sarili mo, yung puso mo, yung nararamdaman mo, mas mahalaga ka higit pa sa mga ginugusto mo.

Maaaring natatakot kang bumitaw.

Marami kang agam-agam.

Mga tanong na,

“Paano kung waka na akong mahanap na iba?”

“May magmamahal pa ba?”

“Maaari pa ba akong maging masaya?”

Maraming tanong na gugulo sa isip mo.

Hindi ka makabitaw kasi hanggang ngayon iniisip mo na ‘ baka pwede pa’ o ’baka kaya pa’.

Patuloy ka pa ring umaasa sa posibilidad na magiging maayos rin ang lahat.

Hindi naman masama umasa. Hindi rin masama ang mangarap.

Pero, kung nasa harapan mo na ang katotohanan, tatakpan mo pa ba ang iyong mga mata para lang ipaglaban pa kahit na sinisigaw na sa iyo na bumitaw ka na.

Bitaw na.

Bitawan mo na ang minsa’y hindi naman talaga naging sa iyo.

Bitawan mo na ang galit na kinikipkip mo.

Bitawan mo na ang inggit sa puso mo.

Bitawan mo na ang mga pangakong sinambit sa iyo.

Bitawan mo na ang taong nananakit lang naman ng damdamin mo.

Bitawan mo na.

Hindi mo kailangan ipaglaban ang taong sumuko sa iyo.

Ipaglaban mo yung taong inilalaban ka sa panalangin.

Kailangan mong lumaban para makuha mo yung pangakong nararapat para sa iyo.

Narinig mo na ba ang tinig na nagsasabing,

“Andito ako anak ko. Ako muna ang mahalin mo.”

Naramdaman mo na ba ang mga yakap na nagsasabing,

“Anak nandito ako para patahanin ka sa bawat iyak na naririnig ko mula sa iyo.”

Nakita mo na ba yung mga kamay na nasa harapan mo na nagsasabing,

“Halika anak, bubuuin ko yung wasak mong puso.”

Maraming tinig na bumubulong at sumisigaw sa iyo.

Pero piliin mo yung tinig Nya.

Tinig na kailanma’y hindi ka iiwan.

Tinig na palaging ipaparamdam sa iyo ang halaga mo.

Tinig na palaging yayakap sa iyo.

Tinig na bubuo sa iyo.

Kaya lakasan mo ang loob mo.

BITAW NA!

Hindi ka talo kapag ikaw ang bumitaw.

Matututunan mong lumipad ng mataas dahil wala ng bigat sa puso mo.

Makakapagpatawad ka dahil tinapon mo na ang galit na mayroon ka.

Makakausad ka rin dahil wala ng dahilan para balikan pa ang nakaraan.

Mabubuo ka rin dahil naniwala kang sa mga kamay Nya, mabubuo ka.

May pag-laya sa pagbitaw.

Makakalipad ka na muli.

Makakangiti ka na muli.

Makakahakbang ka narin mula sa dilim ng iyong nakaraan.,

Makakalaya ka.

Nararamdaman mo ba?

Papalapit ka na.

Papalapit ka na sa daan na kung saan wala na ang lungkot, ang sakit at pait ng nakaraan.

At kahit pabalikin ka man muli sa nakaraan, pipiliin mo parin ang kasalukuyan.

Yung ngayon.

Yung ikaw ngayon.

Dahil malaya ka na ngayon.

Dahil masaya ka na ngayon.

Dahil buo ka na ngayon.

Gumigising ng hindi pugto ang mga mata.

Nakakatulog sa gabi ng walang mga agam-agam sa isip.

Pipiliin mo na yung ngayon.

Dahil bumitaw ka.

At sa pagbitaw mo, naramdaman mo yung sakit pero sigurado ka sa kagalingan.

Nadurog ka man, nawasak ka man, ang mahalaga natutunan mo ang isang bagay;

MAY KALAYAAN SA PAGBITAW.

If God will ask you for one thing that you wanted the most, what would it be and why?

A lot of us are searching for something that will give meaning into our life. Maybe the answer that you will give to God if He will ask you for one thing that you wanted the most in life could be money, good health, wisdom, relationship, and many to mention.

But for me, all I want is inner peace. Just like me, we all come in moments of uncertainty, pain, sufferings, anxiety and depression. I’ve been anxious about the validations of other people in my life, the uncertainties in relationships, doubts about the future, and stress from work. Those emotions literally drag my faith. That’s why I realize that peace is what matters to me the most.

Let me share you three things why we are not fully experiencing the peace from God:

1. We always seek the approval/validations of other people.

Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace. 
 - Dalai Lama

It’s hard to be at peace if we will keep on seeking the approval and validations of other people, especially if those people will continually discourage and drag you down. Sleepless nights, heartbreaks, and low self-esteem are some of the impacts that will definitely happen to us if we always seek the approval of other people. We are always distracted because of what people will say about us. And that is the moment wherein peace is being taken away.

2. We believe that peace could be found to other people.

Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.
 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s true that when you are with the right people, there’s peace. But let me tell you one truth? Every person you value so much will also disappoint you, that’s the truth. If you cling your peace to a person and time comes that he/she disappoints you, your peace will be affected. We see, peace could not be found in other people. Peace is in you. It is something that you need to protect. Your peace will always come from God, not to your family, friends, partner or to anyone. It can only be found from.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

3. We focus too much on the storms of life.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

Above all the reason, here’s the common conclusion why we are always anxious in life. With the storms that we’re facing, we forget that we can still experience peace in the middle of the storm. Let us look in the story of Jesus together with His disciples where He calms the raging storms that they encountered. If you have your Bible, you can read the story in the book of Mark Chapter 4:35:41.

It is the time where Jesus and his disciples are about to go to the other side. And for them to be able to get there they need to ride a boat. While in the middle of the sea, a violent wind with strong rain came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. And what do you think is the response of the disciples? Of course, they were afraid and terrified. So they woke Jesus and reported what had happened. And this is one amazing thing Jesus did — He rebuked the wind and calmed the waves. And Jesus said to His disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The questions that Jesus asked to his disciples stroke my heart. If Jesus is within me, why would I be afraid in the storms of this life? And here are the things that I realized in searching for peace

1. My circumstances were determining the level of my peace.

If life’s circumstances were all good, then I was at peace. If storms were enriching me, I was stressed, anxious, and tired all the time — exhausted from my emotion. I was just like the disciples — fearful of the storm, hurt and confused because I thought that God didn’t care. But Jesus brought me to the next point.

2. Jesus was trying to teach me that peace is possible, no matter the storm.

Storms of life are made for us to fully appreciate God’s gift of peace. When we are in a battle, it’s not easy. Sometimes, we are struggling in understanding God’s way of allowing us to understand how He expects us to experience peace in the middle of the storm. We also think, ‘Lord, do you still care for me?’ But because of these storms, it leads me to my breakthrough point.

3. My storms revealed my level of trust.

Peace is not about everything is going to be right in your life. It means being at peace when storms are shaking your life. And always remember, that the storms of life is God’s way to see how much we are going to trust Him.

We always have room to grow . But one thing I learned, the path to peace is found by trusting and fixing our thoughts on the one who is never unsettled with storms. It didn’t happen overnight. But little by little, more peace and rest rejuvenated my tired, weary soul.

I am praying that as you read this, may you trust the Lord in the middle of your storm. Believe me, He will calm the storm in you and will allow you to experience peace — peace that will never be taken away. Beloved, you deserve a sleep with peace in heart.

One powerful message that the Lord wants us to understand and to live by is to walk by faith and not by sight. This cliche has been posted and preached a lot of times but today, the Lord gave a revelation to me in this passage.

In Matthew 7:13-15, Jesus shared the narrow and the wide gates. He said that we should enter the narrow gate for it will lead us to life while the wide gate leads to destruction.

Let me just share the insight between the narrow and wide gate that Jesus is speaking in this verse.

Wide Gate

The Bible tells us that this wide gate is the road that leads to destruction. For me, this road represents our comfort zone. When Jesus warns us not to choose this road, it means that there is something wrong with it. Maybe what Jesus wants us to learn is that in life, it’s not always about our comfort. If things go easy, it means that we are in a wide gate. It means that we are still in our comfort zone, a life that we don’t want to leave.

Staying in our comfort zone will not make us grow. There’s no stretch in our faith in this place. We would just always go back in our routine. Its hard to step out in comfort especially when we get used to it. Part of stepping out in our comfort zone is to surrender the things that the Lord wants us to remove in our life. And it is only God who can say to us what are the things that we need to surrender.

Or you can simply ask yourself, what are the things that make you less Christlike?

Narrow Gate

I love the idea why Jesus wants us to choose the narrow gate. If you’ll think of it, Jesus said that narrow gate leads us to life. And one thing I understood about this passage is this: Jesus will definitely help you when you are in a season wherein problems are showering on you! Choosing to walk in the narrow road means choosing to suffer. Because the reality is, Jesus said that we are to face troubles in this world. Jesus did not promise us a perfect life. But He promised us that when we choose to walk with Him, we will be able to experience a life to the max — life that is blessed and victorious.

We may not be able to know what we are going to encounter on that narrow road, but one thing I am sure of — Jesus will be with us in our everyday walk. Yes it’s hard and difficult, but Jesus will never leave us. He will lead us to a life that He promised to us.

Choosing the narrow road means that we choose to walk by faith.

I love the story behind every sheep who chooses to walk by faith with their shepherd. One characteristic of sheep is that they have blurry eyes. They don’t really recognize the face of each other, especially the face of their shepherd. What is amazing about the sheep is that they follow their shepherd through listening to the voice of their shepherd. When the shepherd calls them, they will immediately follow. They know the voice of their shepherd. That is what walking by faith means. You don’t know what path you are taking, you are not sure  what environment you have, you are uncertain about the things that are happening to your life, you have doubts about your finances, — but you will choose to follow the voice of the shepherd.

And our shepherd is Jesus Christ! His voice is the only voice that we need to follow. Not the voice of other people nor the voice of this world.

In conclusion, while we are walking through the narrow road, listen to the voice of God. Walking by faith is hard. It requires a lot of courage, determination and perseverance. But let me remind you of the prize — life that comes from God. The reward is eternal. Sometimes, that is what we missed, we always work on the things that will just satisfy us temporarily. We focus on worldly things. As a result, we are missing the plans that the Lord has prepared for us.

I pray that we will always choose to suffer with Christ!

Life here on earth can be difficult and discouraging at times. We are living in a world where trials and challenges are inevitable. Life is not easy and sometimes we will always find ourselves mourning during the darkest days, struggling to fight every temptation and distraction, and facing terrible consequences due to the mistakes that we did before. And it’s so disappointing to see ourselves not growing and changing even if we are trying to become more. The tendency is, we will more likely to give up and stop to run the race that the Lord has set for us.

But let me encourage you with this verse.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 2 Corinthians 15:58

May we be reminded by the Word of God to be immovable. When the storm and waves of this life occur, be firm. Be strong and be courageous. If you find yourself enduring difficult circumstances, keep going. Do not be discouraged. Stand firm in your commitment that no matter what happened you will finish what was the Lord has started in your life. Your decision to be firm will determine how long will you endure the process as you experience problems. If you choose to stand firm until the end, believe me, great things will come in your way.

Let me give you three things that we need to remember so we will stay committed all the time.

1. FIGHT ONE MORE ROUND!

Speaking about fight, I was reminded by a boxer who was once beaten and get knocked down by his opponent. With all his might, he stood up. He continued the fight because in his mind, there’s another round. He needs to fight one more round. The battle is not yet over.

When you want to give up because the pain is so heavy, when you want to quit because nobody believes in you, when you want to stop because someone is mocking you, please remind yourself to fight one more round. In life, fighting is the only thing that you can do to continue. When you stop fighting, you stop living. It means you have to overcome the trials, resist the temptation, and conquer every fears. But what if you choose to fight and you fail to win the battle? Would you give up? No! You never stop. That’s why you need to remind yourself that ‘ I NEED TO FIGHT ONE MORE ROUND’ because you know and you believe that at the end, you will see victory! It’s better to try than never.

2. BE PERSISTENT.

Do you know someone who loves to hike? I have a lot of friends who really love hiking. And I just wish I could also join them at the top of the mountain enjoying the beauty of the view from the top. But to be honest, I never tried hiking. But I did try a challenging trek that took me more than 2000 step to reach the top. And one thing I learned, if you want to finish the hike/trek, you have to be persistent. You have to keep going. You need to continue even if it’s hard and tiring. You have to persevere if you want to see the beauty of the view at the top.

And just like in our life, persistent means to continue even if the situation is challenging. Let me share to you two things why you are continuing. First, when the situation is good. You move forward because everything seems so easy. There’s no roadblocks along the way. The path is so smooth and clear. This is the happy pathway. Secondly, you continue because the situation is not good. The only reason that you have why you are moving forward is because you want to get out in the place where you weren’t supposed to be. You have to move out and step out of your comfort zone. It’s hard but you have to be persistent. Regardless of any setbacks, your goal is to achieve something great — the grand plans of the Lord for your life.

No great achievement is possible without persistent work.

Bertrand Russel

3. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP.

The easiest thing to do in life is to give up. When the dreams are so impossible to reach and plans are hard to achieve, our tendency as a human is to give up or to quit. That’s the only option that we have when we are in the season of trials. But let me tell you a secret in life for us to be successful and to experience God given destiny that He has prepared for us.

Before you give up, always ask yourself ‘Am I giving up the wrong plans and goals in my life?’ Because sometimes we give up on what is worth fighting for and we continue to fight for the things that is no longer needed in our lives. You must know when and what to give up. Not all the time you have to quit, and not all the time you have to fight for something.

Sometimes, God would allow you to be in a certain situation wherein He wants to see how will you respond. How do you stand firm in the commitment that you have? God wants to see a heart that is always willing to commit and persevere until the end.

We may not be able to explain and understand what God is doing, but one thing I will assure you, God gives the best things to those people who stand firm in their commitment.

Never give up! You’re already too close to your dreams. ✨