Sunset and Solitude

(Photo from the net)

The last rays of the sun creeps desperately through the clouds which hover silently and peacefully in the air. The afternoon breeze invokes memories and warmth of a lost childhood, of a fanciful melody playing at the back of the mind. The blue of the sky which for this time has turned pale orange—like soft ember in the furnace—reminds me of a magical transformation of something too staggering to even describe, or even imagine.

Silence.

 There is something too familiar with this. I remember more stories, like flashes of light dawning upon my innocence and consciousness. Well, sunsets don’t have to be too sentimental like this, but they do. It does when all I need to do is to look at the setting sun just above the vast horizon, and to just be still and contemplate the mysteries of life that I couldn’t actually fathom entirely.

Standing in a field and watching such panoramic splendor somewhat offer me an understanding of what lies beyond the grasp of human imagination, of what possibilities could there be in exploring the horizon which seem to be tauntingly infinite.

And I just love the breeze of the afternoon air, and the scene revealing at dusk: when all there is was the chirping of the birds that happily glide in the sky, perhaps, joining me in the celebration of the greatness of the scene before me, a celebration of the beauty of life. When all there is were the trees beyond, the grass beneath my feet, the faint sound of a motorcycle somewhere, the hum of the cicadas now becoming a tangible musical background joining in the harmony; and yes, the soft rays of the setting sun now silhouetting the landscape which is wonderfully laid before the horizon.

And there was the profound stillness, its assuring comfort, its magic, and its mystery.

When I have nothing to say because words have lost their meaning in such a humbling scene, I keep my mouth and my mind shut, and allow only my heart to speak and my soul to see.

It is such, O Lord, a wonderful world.

There was never an unfathomable mystery, after all.

 ______
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” –Psalm 19:1

A Bumper Reminder

We were on the way home after today's bible distribution; the day's winding down, the traffic was building up, and the conversation with my Cell Leader, Kuya James, became a sweeping discussion on leadership issues, crises management, automobiles, jukebox music, seafoods, conspiracies and everything.

Then this simple and timely message I took time to shoot from a cargo truck ahead of us: "IN EVERYTHING YOU DO, GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD."

We will never forget

The day that changed a nation--forever.

Today is the 41st year anniversary of the Martial Law declaration
by Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Today, 41 years after, we are still under the shadow of protracted development; 

of power-hungry politicians that continue to ravage government coffers; 

of patronage politics and cronyism; of selfishness and indifference.

Today, 41 years after and we are still a nation
dependent on some foreign power; 

of culture that is not our own.

The evil king may have long gone; but the dragons are still here...
 lurking in every corner of

the Philippine society which is slowly being fed to monsters of our own creation.

Forty one years after and the heroes and heroines have long been dead.

And though the battle still rages--

the last Dragon slayer is still here...

Point of No Return

Waking up this morning, I was reminded of a Sunday sermon I heard in Assemblies of God Church in San Jose City, which talked about THE inevitable circumstance on which you'll come to a point that you realize some things in your life are out of synch and without proper perspective. It suggests that all circumstance should be viewed in lieu of God's sovereign and impeccable will, which requires our total surrender.

Surrender. Big word. Such a powerful word. Not in the temporal and earthly sense which shallowly view surrender as defeat; but in the eternal sense on which it commands courage and daring and triumph beyond compare. I know I've been consciously and unconsciously avoiding that word for so long, making sure that it won't manifest in areas of my life on which I want to be in control. I've been selfish and stubborn and was addicted to the idea that if it feels good, then it must be fine. But my realizations lately came crashing down on me. I cannot anymore deny the fact that my circumstances are now calling me to a higher level of surrender and faith and obedience. I cannot anymore contain the agony of suppressing the personal convictions that I hold so dear and so necessary to my existence.

You know, the truth is at some point, one must really decide on what directions to take. It takes courage to do that. It takes faith to step into the unknown. It takes conviction to once and for all decide whether you continue holding on to what is left and so hard to fix; or you must let go and give God every detail and allow Him to do the work of restoration and rebuilding.

I have come now to a point wherein I must let go of myself and let God come through in whatever circumstance. I believe that some things in our lives must be shattered so that it will reveal only who we really are and identify where our allegiance is. Some things must be broken so that with every little pieces you give to God, He will make it into something beautiful. Something beyond expectations. Eventually, all things will fall into their proper and rightful places.

So, am I shattered yet? Oh yes I am. Broken for God's glory