Where things make sense

I had this picture as wallpaper on my laptop for quite sometime now. I don't know, but perhaps it's already in my subconscious to be so attracted to anything related to heartbreak. Or anything remotely related to it even.

Or perhaps I can so easily identify with just any and every hyper-romanticized notion of brokenness, thinking that nothing makes sense until one is broken. That is the curse of being a romanticist, I guess. Of being a sentimentalist slash idealist, whatever is more appropriate.

No, I have this wallpaper and the phrase from a song that goes with it to remind me of something more. To remind me of the breaking that God allowed in my life so that everything would make sense. After all, it was in the breaking points that I have found what is truly valuable in this world and in the next. It was in the breaking points that I have managed to see that there is so much more in this life.

Break my heart for what break Yours...

That is my prayer, my creed, my virtue. To be broken by the things of God. To feel the brokenness of this world and to try to offer healing and restoration. God, let my heart break for the things that break your heart...

What you are

Photo from desiringgod.org

You are a stunning work of art, and I bet you're not aware of it. You are a picture of how careful and how thoughtful your Creator King was in making you this wonderful. Truly, every bit of you, every intricate detail was made to reflect the Master's glory in you.

You are incomparable with your smile that I always love to see and behold. I would love to tell you that you look more beautiful to me than a gazillion of stars forming constellations in the evening sky--but I am so naive and so limited in words to ever describe you.

Besides, what would I say when I talk to you? Just by looking at you could easily flush clean my vocabulary. And I am so afraid that the only words that would ever come out was "I love you, my Warrior Princess".

What we are

Perhaps, broken is what we really are. I oftentimes like to think that in this wonderful cosmic drama, we're just debris floating in endless space and wandering aimlessly. With nowhere to go. But I was quite wrong about that, thankfully. I realized that we're not just bits of a broken puzzle but pieces meant for a masterpiece that is beyond our hopelessly limited imagination. We're parts and parcel of a greater whole, of a grander story. We are glorious ruins floating ceaselessly on grace and love of a Savior.

Oh, what wonderful ruins we are!

*******

"Glorious Ruins"

When the mountains fall

And the tempest roars You are with me

When creation folds

Still my soul will soar on Your mercy

I'll walk through the fire

With my head lifted high

And my spirit revived in Your story

And I'll look to the cross

As my failure is lost

In the light of Your glorious grace

Let the ruins come to life

In the beauty of Your Name

Rising up from the ashes

God forever You reign

And my soul will find refuge

In the shadow of Your wings

I will love You forever

And forever I'll sing

When the world caves in

Still my hope will cling to Your promise

Where my courage ends

Let my heart find strength in Your presence

Blessing in the Breaking

Breaking doesn't offer much appeal to people specially when our built-in proclivities and human tendencies favor the good and the comfortable. We seem to have some kind of natural aversion to  anything that is unpleasant and troublesome. Eh sino ba kasi ang gusto ng nasasaktan?

Of course. I don't like pain either. I don't like breaking points specially when I have a limited view of their purpose or their outcome. Sometimes, I do prefer the "unexamined life", the kind that is free from burden and pain only because it is spent in avoiding change and running from challenges as much as possible. But that kind of life is a rather wasted life. Not only it is boring but it is tragic.

I'm just glad that as Christians, God offered us another perspective of looking at pain and breaking. In the world's standard, pain is viewed as something to be avoided that's why people have created many ways to forget pain and suffering. We hide behind systems that give us comfort and pleasures. We've built a lot to satisfy our hedonistic side that even the Greeks would die in envy. But in the eternal view of things, even pain and breaking have got to do with a Christian's maturity and perfection. In fact, we should not be surprised by pain and suffering in the world because Jesus clearly said that we will have trouble as long as we are in this world, but the fact that He already overcame it gives us the confidence to press on towards following Him all the way. Persevere, endure the race of faith He says, and we too shall overcome.

I want to share three things that I learned in my own personal breaking points, and it is my prayer that you will also experience the many blessings that come out of the breaking.

It is an opportunity to experience God. Our breaking points could be God's way of teaching us something of value and importance to our life. I must realize that the process of breaking is necessary. It is allowed by God to bring out the best in me. The Scriptures is replete with examples of men and women who came to their own breaking points, and were blessed beyond expectation when they have endured till the end. Men such as Abraham, Moses, Joseph and Jacob are among those who experienced the process of breaking. Yet in that same painful process they have experienced God more and proven Him more. Psalm 34:18 affirms, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

It is an opportunity to move ahead. God's design for us is to move forward to maturity. He did not intend us to stuck ourselves in misery and disappointments. He created us to conquer and to rule. The Israelites during the time of Joshua were at a significant crossroad. They have been wandering and wondering in the wilderness for 40 years, and in chapter six of Joshua, we see them facing the Promised Land. Everyone was excited to receive what God had promised. But the wall of Jericho that stood before them seemed to be formidable. They needed to break down the walls before they could get in and move forward. And that's what God did because of their faith and obedience. But the victory over the broken wall was not the end. God designed them to move forward, and they did...marching through the ruins and moving forward in glory.

 Paul realized the importance of moving ahead after the breaking when he determined to do this one thing: "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

It is an opportunity to receive what God had promised.In Joshua 6:2, even before they came face to face with their enemy, God had already given a sure victory to Israel. All they had to do was obey, have faith, and take action. After the wall came crumbling down and Israel's victory became imminent, the people of God emerged triumphant. They had just experienced another miracle from their great God. And God has just once again delivered what He had promised. God has proven once again that He is a promise-keeper! So, whatever wall we are facing right now, the promise of God is we're already overcomers and conquerors! (Romans 8:37).

So, don't be intimidated the next time you're in the process of breaking. If it is for the glory of God that we should face such pain, then surely a blessing is on the way. And there will be an outbreak of God's blessings in the painful process of breaking!

*A sermon I shared during the third week of "Break The Walls" series in our youth fellowship.

Photo from the net

Thank you for the broken heart

I didn't like to be hurt. I have ran as fast as I could to spare me from that painful truth that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I've tried to veer away from the high road of moving on and instead preferred to stuck myself in my own, lonely world. I've hoped that this self-inflicted pain would soon drown me relentlessly and fiercely--so that nothing would be left but anguish and regret. All I wanted was to be free and be full and be able to do what I want. Not knowing that the things I could have given my life for were the same things that would take the very life in me.

So I ran away, broken as a man could have never been broken before. I never thought to find grace in the place that I was brought low, and sure to die in. But it was there that you have found me. It was in the pit of misery and sin and hopelessness that your grace have met me. It was in that dark dungeon of self-pity and self-destruction that you offered restoration. You have bought my humiliation and nailed it and left it hanging on a wooden cross so that the world will see that this is how much you love me.

But why? For a sinful, prideful, lowlife like me? How could you ran after a man who have given his life to his own pleasures and vanity and self-seeking ambitions? How could you dare allow yourself and your glory and your royalty to be bitten, spat on and be butchered for me? I have done so much to be more than deserving of what they've done to you. It was supposed to be me!

Now your blood was on me. But instead of blaming me for that, you have pardoned me and have set me free. And in the process you have let me realize that love has to be that way--sacrifice. It's the deepest love, the one that would give life to a person even if it would cause the life of another. Indeed, greater love has no one than this. I thought I've been broken before I've met you. But I was wrong. I was broken on the day you've met me. I had full of pride and selfishness that needed to be torn down. My will and my heart were impenetrable, but your love has broken them down--all for my own good. And it was very liberating.

I thank you for the broken heart, because through it, I have seen everything.

The Legend of the Miriam

From the official Facebook page of Sen. Miriam-Defensor Santiago.

Her name is Miriam. She could have been the best president we ever had. She could have been the most illustrious, the most intelligent, the most multi-awarded, the most qualified head of state in Philippine political history. She was so much more than we ever care to think. And she could have proven so much more. But chance did not allow her to. Or worst, her people did not allow her to. But that's life, so they say.

But now is  a time to move on. The grim battle for the highest post in the land was now over, new leaders have now been installed. It is now time to connect the dots of our collective destiny and move forward as a nation. This is not a time to mourn the defeat of that best presidency we never had under Miriam--although mourn we did--but to begin to pick up the pieces she have left in the battlefield and to continue the fight in the best way we can as loyal citizens of this great nation. 

Those who are left behind and who have been caught under the Miriam Magic must now take the cudgels to march ahead and carry the banner of her noble legacy. Those who have been inspired by her brilliance must now make sure that her retirement from long, unparalleled, glorious years in public service was not the end. But from where she ends, we, her warriors, must dare to begin. And we will.

She is still the best president we never had. She is Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Remember her name. Remember her legend.

Cheers to MDS! Maraming salamat po! Mabuhay po kayo!