Christ in Me

Life is indeed full of irony. I encountered this vulnerability talk again a few days ago and it got me thinking. I remember this song by Casting Crowns, one of my favorite songs I fell in love with back in 2008 when I was rediscovering Jesus. It is entitled "In me" and the chorus goes like this,

"Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me
Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that You want me
So I'll stand on Your truth,
And I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory,
By the power of Christ in me"

Let's face it, we all have weaknesses. Perhaps, even far too many weaknesses than we'd care to admit. And sharing these with others is a "no-no" because we are afraid they might judge, creating in our minds many assumptions of what they might think about us. This causes us anxiety. Therefore, we are better off not sharing it as much as possible. Fear and doubt cloud us most of the time that is the reason we put on a straight face. Usually, when we are asked, "kumusta?" and our autoreply is "Okay lang". Although it is not entirely bad because we always strive to be fine in times of adversity. I guess we should somehow keep in mind that it's okay not to be okay when you are really NOT okay.

One thing that I have realized is that acknowledging the fact that you are not okay is being courageous. Sometimes we don't see or we literally choose not to see or face our problems and tell ourselves we are "okay" even if we are not. It is is not a sign of courage instead, it is our way to escape our reality. We just close our eyes and hope it will all go away and fix itself one day without even doing anything about it. There is a term for this and that is "Escapism" which then becomes one of our favorite hobbies. It is like an addiction we are so fond of, like the best buddy you never had.

Nonetheless, let us remember, there is a Time for Everything. Let me quote this beautiful bible verse Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

A Time for Everything
1There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Yes, it is okay to be weak, to be seen as weak, to admit that you are weak, to accept the fact that you are weak because only then can truly face what you need to face. Only then can you be helped. Unless you recognize something as a problem, it will not seize to be a problem.

It is in your weakness that you are made strong by being vulnerable you are humble and brave enough to acknowledge, to be heard, to ask for help, to take some time, to be totally healed, to be wholly loved and to receive endless grace. That, in time, not in our own strength we may genuinely say, "By the power of Christ in me".

P.S.

Open your eyes. Wake up. Surrender. God is waiting.

My Delight

Your beautiful love keeps on giving
Now, this life is worth living
A heart so pure and just
Like a song inspired by emotions
You linger in my every thought
Keeping me grounded
But taking me higher
Each moment with You
Is such a delight
Inexplainable joy
Only You can fill me up to the brim
None but You alone
You are Exquisite!
My Lord, My God, My Delight

Free

My love is free
It cannot be bought
It cannot be earned
It cannot be bribed

Universal Calling: You Choose

Another reiteration from today's mass by Fr. Jun Balsamo.

#Discipleship means to meet, stay, and experience Jesus in this life now not later. #Vocation - Single life, Married life or Religious life neither one is more valuable than the other. Regardless of what we choose, we are all called to be Holy. This calling is universal.

Sometimes we ask God, "what do you want me to do Lord?" We get confused with all our options. Most of the time, it gets too confusing that we don't choose anything because we are afraid to choose wrongly, and we #worry what if it's not God's will He might not bless us, or whatever #fears we may have, hiding at the back of our minds. We end up holding on to our fears so much so that our indecision becomes our decision.

Yes, we ask this question, but honestly now, "Are we really ready for His answer?" Because when He does answer we might not like what we hear and given our stubborn nature we still make our own ways instead of letting Him be our guide.

Perhaps, we should just stop and take time to look into ourselves and ask ourselves what it is that we really want to do in our lives. More often than not, we just go through life without reflecting on where we are heading. Then, suddenly we realize years have quickly passed by. We look at our past, what we have accomplished, and what we want to achieve. We all want to be happy. So, "What will really make you happy?"

I heard during last Sunday's mass, that if you listen to your heart you are listening to the Voice of World. Naturally, our heart yearns for #Happiness. But if we listen to the Voice of God, we long what our soul longs for and that is Salvation - #Eternity, to spend the afterlife with God.

I believe God has planted little seeds of desire in our hearts. He placed it there uniquely for our good and our sense of purpose.

At the end of the day, we are given free will. God does not impose anything on us. He just says keep my commandments. Basically, it is up to us to choose whether or not we follow. It is our responsibility to choose, not God's. Also, it is not anyone else's responsibility. So, let us be responsible for our lives.

Perhaps, you may be having these thoughts, my friend, God wants you to know, that He wants you to be happy by following your heart and keeping His commandments. In this way, we can achieve both happiness and salvation at the same time. :) Do not be afraid. Whatever you choose, He is with you every step of the way. Guiding you. Keeping you. Protecting you. Just have #FAITH and #TRUST.

God loves you so much more than you'll ever know! <3 span=""> <3 span=""> <3 span="">

#YouChoose #Reflection #SundaysBest #ThankYouLord

What is love?

For what is love,
                          if it is not being given but only withheld?
For what is love,
                          if it is not being felt?
For what is love,
                          without being experienced?
For what is love,
                          if you felt is so much in your heart but only yourself will ever know?

Really, what is love,
                          if you do not give it away?

Vulnerability

It is in your vulnerability that you allow yourself to be seen as you truly are, to accept yourself wholly setting your doubts and fears aside, and to be loved as you are imperfectly "YOU". Having peace in knowing that it's really okay and all is well.

#Humanity #AllisWell #Vulnerability #LittlestThings