Jeremiah 22:3-9

First attempt at reading scripture without being told. All because I was bored waiting for my family getting ready for Sunday mass! I asked the Holy Spirit to guide me in finding what message is in store for me today. I realized it didn't need to be a long prayer for me to be heard :) I opened a page somewhere in the middle, and with my eyes closed, I unknowingly pointed to the verses:

Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah:
"'You are like Gilead to me,
like the summit of Lebanon,
yet surely I will make you a desert,
an uninhabited city.
I will prepare destroyers against you,
each with his weapons,
and they shall cut down your choicest cedars
and cast them into the fire.

"'And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, "Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?" And they will answer, "Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshipped other gods and served them."'"

I have always been told that our God is a loving and forgiving God. His love is without restrictions nor conditions, and even if we choose to disobey Him, He remains at the sidelines, eagerly waiting for us to come back so He can continue to shower us with everything that we'll ever want and need in this life.

However, going back to His fold will require us to think, act and say things in a certain way. It may seem like posing conditions, but isn't it that when you profess your love for someone, you do certain things for them because you want them to be happy? You are never obliged to do so, but you're willing to do them anyway, and it doesn't take much effort from you, because you're happy making other people happy. It should be the same with our relationship with Him, isn't it?

I dunno how often the Bible said that God will do awful things to those who worship other gods than Him, but I'm sure it wasn't just once. Now it may seem this contradicts the concept of a loving and forgiving God. When you think about it, however, it's the life worshipping other gods that will destroy us and reduce us to uselessness. Why? Because only God promises eternal life, only our God promises salvation. In this generation, it's the gods of wealth, power, and anything else that puts ourselves first rather than Jesus or other people. Up front, they're too good to be true, but that's all there is to it. Just like anything else on this earth, it's fleeting and temporary, and we'll no longer have use for it eventually. Who wants to get stuck with that?

There is so much to gain on His side, but even I still struggle not to stray on the path I've recently taken. Really takes a conscious effort to keep straight. I still believe in His promise though, and that's what keeps me going.

Back for good

This blog was initially for money-making purposes but I forgot why I had to sign up for a new one. In any case, I've decided to use this dormant account for more personal and spiritual reflections as I'm creating a habit of reading scripture on a regular basis.

I've always thought I had been given a pretty easy life. No personal issues going on, my family is intact, we get to experience the good things in life, I try to be spiritual, I have great friends, I'm generally surrounded by good people, things and events. Sometimes, I get to ask myself, "Is this all there is to it?" Not that I'm asking for a burden, but everything just seems manageable with prayers, support from loved ones and hard work. There ought to be something that will give more purpose to my existence.

Sometimes, I find myself reminiscing about my old life in the corporate world. I look back in fondness, never with regret nor longing, because I have found my place: in the classroom. I've been told time and again how financially burdened I could become, and how thankless this profession could be. But almost 3 years and counting, I can still manage to treat myself with good things once in a while, and my kids' enjoying school is the only form of appreciation I'll need to keep doing this. Money and making a lot of it has never been a goal of mine, heck, I never had the drive to climb the corporate ladder, honestly. Sure, it would be nice to acquire it, but it has never been a need, immediate or otherwise. Good thing I didn't pursue an MBA or it would have been just a waste of my time.

So what am I arriving at? Because I'm relatively whole (as far as I know and feel and believe), maybe, just maybe, I'm put in this earth to take care of other people. That teaching is the only profession that can enable me to touch other people's lives on a more personal manner. That it's young children I'm meant to take care of because of their innocence, because this is the time that I could create a deep-seated impact.

Maybe, just maybe, I'm with Peejo because I can take care of him, and I'm willing to take care of him in spite of what he has gone through. Maybe I'm stronger and more patient than most. Despite my fears and anxieties, I know He won't give me what I can't handle. And I guess it will be the same for other people I'm meant to take care of in the future. After all, having the Spirit in me should enable me to be more of a woman for others, isn't it?