Life for life

Yesterday, some of the guys who are with me at our training apartment finally fulfilled one of our grandest lifetime ambitions--that is to make a vegetable garden in the backyard of our home at Osmena Avenue. It was two years in the making, but as they say, better late than never. Lols. Sometimes, when you are living with a bunch of guys who have their respective hormonal patterns (and irregularities) and eccentric tendencies, making a house into a hospitable home would take quite an effort. REAL EFFORT. But I've been wrong to impose either an iron-hand discipline or a lenient type of leadership, upon learning that at best, people respond more to the way you LEAD them, not DIRECT them. And since I feel so accomplished in getting our hands literally dirty to make our dream come true, here is what tilling the soil and filling the holes with seeds have taught me.

Discipleship is like gardening. The principles involved in land preparation, planting, cultivating, and harvesting is quite the same with discipling people to Christ. It is boldly responding to God's call for more workers in the field because the harvest is already plenty. I have learned that discipleship is about getting your hands ready for the plow; making an effort to be the hands of Christ in reaching out for more. The Gospel is the seed that will be planted in the hearts of people so that they can grow into Christlikeness. But before that happens, I have to be there with people to cultivate them, feed them, nurture them, protect them, lead them. Making a seed grow is investing your time and resources until you finally see the fruits of your labor. In the same way, discipling people is a commitment to invest your time and to pour out your life for the sake of another. It is the willingness to spend and be spent. It is life for life.

When I look back at my own life and journey of faith, I can't help but be grateful for those people who, through the years have been more than willing to spend and be spent for someone like me. And today, for whatever it's worth, I'd like to honor them as a sign of deep gratitude. (Parang grumaduate lang? haha)

To ate Romyne for her boldness to share the Gospel during a classroom evangelism way back in 2005. You may not remember this ate, but I was there in one of the classes where you have boldly shared the Gospel to freshmen students. It is no irony that it was on our Earth Science class where I heard about the good news of Someone who came to earth just to save me. And though I've already heard that for so many times growing up in a Christian background, I never felt it more sincere than that day. Through you, God has planted something significant in my heart. I attended LAYF the following week at LA, and the rest, they say, is history.

To kuya Joshua who was my first cell leader. I appreciate you for not giving up on my silly attempts to escape our bible study session wherever I'm not in the mood. Pumupunta ka noon sa dorm namin sa Dungon para sunduin at hintayin ako. Palagi kang may dalang mais at mani noon. We did our one-on-one bible study sa park ng LASO. Matatandaan mo pa kuya? It was there that you have prayed for my childish concerns. And then, just like you, I also became a member of LASO. Initiation ko na pala yun noon, hindi mo naman sinabi, haha. Thank you so much kuya. Kahit this year ka palang kinasal, matagal ka ng may naging anak--ako yun. I praise the Lord because you we're one of my spiritual fathers. You have nurtured my desire for meaning and purpose in life those days.

To kuya Nebin my cell leader after kuya Joshua--for exemplifying a life of being a disciple and a discipler. I have said this before, and I will say this again, you are one of the most passionate and faithful disciple-maker I've met. You literally have spend and was spent for the sake of training us and leading us. Our stay at the Training Apartment with you taught us many things. You have modeled a life that sets discipleship at another level. Many of the leaders you have trained are still here, serving in the ministry. You have trained the Joshua Generation very well. Now we are passing the same to the next generation. Pwede ka ng mag-asawa, kuya. Haha.

To kuya Fred and ate Helen Grace, who also have been my cell leaders at one point, thank you for your time and efforts. You were there for me at just the right time in my life for a reason. I appreciate the prayers and guidance.

To kuya James, for teaching me that there is something more important than money and material wealth, and that investing in heaven and in the life of people is the best we can do in this world. Thank you for cultivating in me the virtue of hard-work, perseverance, diligence, maturity, decisiveness. I'm still a work in progress, but by God's grace, I am learning a lot.

To kuya Romy, my pastor and mentor, for helping me process many of my major decisions and transitions in life. Without your godly wisdom and counsel and prayers, things would have turned out differently for me. I praise the Lord for your guidance and leadership not only to me personally, but to the church as well. Thank you for your generosity, and for allowing me to be used in the ministry in ways I never thought possible. I look up to your life and to your testimony. I always tell my disciples that if my life would turn out the same way as yours, then I would not ask for something better, if that's not asking God for too much. You are one life multiplied in many.

To my disciples and fellow warriors in the service of the One True King, we are standing on the shoulders of the giants. We are here because of the faithful men and women who have responded to God's call in their lives to sow a seed of faith. We are the fruits of their labor. It is now our turn to do the same. To plant the seed of faith, to be willing to plow the field and reap the harvest for God's greater glory. Let's go and make disciples!