It was the long weekend I so looked forward to. I did not plan to be grand. Staying at home was the first thing I had in mind when I learned that there would be a long weekend in our district this October. Giddy and excited, the meaningful and purposeful days passed by in almost three weeks. I listed down in my journal the things I needed to accomplish. I started my to-do list and was successful with some of them.
Watching movies and series is one of the hobbies I get to enjoy ever since I was a child, yet that joy seems nowhere to be found now. I have been wandering and looking for a movie or series that can bring back the spark and joy in watching cinematic art.
My wandering in the land of streaming and binging brought me to Tubi, an on demand video streaming app. The shows on Tubi appeal to my interest.
The South Korean movie 'Little Forest' caught my attention and awakened the dormant joy I had whenever I watch a movie.
The female lead was a familiar sight. Cute was the first word I would describe her. Her whole demeanor was a breath of fresh air.
The changing season in a small rural area in South Korea is like bringing colors to the black and white scenery of life.
The cold winter comes with sadness whereas a blooming spring brings hues of hope to the loneliness of the little woman. The summer heat pricks the skin of ignorance from the fickle-minded little woman. The falling autumn journeys with the wind as it goes along to the course of life and suffering.
Time makes the seasons change. Time makes little dreams come true. How time works is simple, yet the most difficult to understand with just our feeble human minds, without wisdom it is impossible.
The Little Forest is me, or maybe you.
I am nothing but grateful to the Lord for all that I am. Yet there is that one thing that has been bugging me even though I surrendered it all to Him. I gave up already even on the idea of having it or experiencing it. But it keeps coming back, the desire to have it, the desire to experience it. I avoid to be greedy just to have it, to possess, and experience it to the fullest.
Or maybe I need to be greedy?
I always ask God and he never answers me with a 'no', it has always been wait, wait, and wait. I do not want to sound impatient, but when is it my Lord, until when I am going to wait.
Shameless as I can be, there are times I feel like I really do not need it, I really do not like it yet there are also few times I yearn for it that I even talk to God and question Him of His time, will, and ways. How shameless I am!
There are things in life that can be a two edged sword from the human perspective. What meant to be good for you can hurt you sometimes and what you thought is good for you may cause you pain that lasts longer than it is meant to stay.
Dwelling on such thing that needs to undergo season of waiting until it is fully riped can definitely bring anxious and ungrateful thoughts. And those kind of thoughts are the last thing I want in my life right now.
The act of gratitude can save us from a lot of pain. Just being grateful even for the little things in life can help us overcome anxious thoughts. This may not come in an instant. It takes time, practice, and change of lifestyle, but we will surely get there if we have faith.
And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.
Oh Lord, guard my heart and mind.
Protect me from my own devices.
Give me a grateful heart every single day of my life.
Amen.
Work matters so are you. Life is work. The work itself is work. I am not just talking about the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work time or whatever required duration of time your company or employer wants to see on the log. It is more than an employee-employer contract work kind of thing.
Work is a gift from God. It is a blessing. When I was a student, I used to look at work as a resource which is really the entirety of its value in the human economy. Once I have work I can buy, I can do what I want.
Then, I graduated from a state university with a degree, they say it is a ticket to a better job and good life. I got hired and the salary was getting us by. I was grateful I had that job but I kept on searching for a stable job where I could get a better paycheck.
Three years after graduating from college, I did get a stable job with a decent paycheck. I was happy for myself and my family. I dream of the best life for my parents and sister. I want the best for them, and for myself, life has to offer.
During my first few years in my stable job with a decent paycheck, the dream job started to be a burden. At some point, I felt ungrateful. The work became a cross I had to carry like it was some sort of punishment, and I did not like what I felt about my work. The joy of doing it got lost along the way. The passion and dreams I once had for my work were nowhere to be found during the first five years in my job.
The purpose of the job was a source of money so we could buy our basic needs. A resource to get us by in our everyday needs. I was able to get what I wanted, oh yes I did. After getting my wants, I was happy, but it was only temporary. It never lasted and my wants were never satisfied.
We were just surviving and we were barely living.
I wanted to find the joy and spark in my work. I did not want to go on doing what I did feeling it was a burden I completely wanted to put off my shoulder. I wanted to carry the burden with joy and hope that even though things got hard everything would be alright at the end of the day. I sought that joy and spark in my work.
There was something lacking in my work, that was why I was not satisfied or seeing the value of my work. Do you have any guesses as to where I found it?
I found it in God. Cliche as it sounds or superficial as it is, I cannot deny that reality in my life. He made my life brand new. He refreshes my soul as I get to know Him more and more. I have found not only the joy and spark but also the purpose of my life, and why I do what I do.
Ahead is not an easy road. Unpredictable things may happen along the way, and work might feel like a burden big time. I can only pray and hope for you and me that get to see the worth and value of our work through God's perspective. That our work is part of His good plan in our lives.
Work can get hard and annoying sometimes, and this book I just read entitled, Work Matters, serves as one of the many reminders, I get from God that I even brought it here in my new workplace. I would also like to remind you that more than work God cares for your first, your well-being. He wants to be purposeful, joyful, and hopeful with the work He assigns to us.
Our God-given work matters and so you are, first and foremost. Whenever you feel tired and drained from your job, come to Him and you will find rest.
It was never planned. I was sad and feeling down and just stayed at home for three (3) or four (4) days straight. I was like hibernating and contemplating at the same time about the future when my sister in Christ, Mitch, sent me a message thru Messenger. She had extra ticket for the concert, since her companion was not available due to emergency situation so she needed someone to take her place, and I immediately said yes. It was timely and purposive. God's timing is purposeful.
Watching a concert of Planetshakers has been on my list of things to do since 2018, I think. Yay that it finally materialized this year.
More than the fun and excitement throughout the concert, it was a blessing. For Christians, it might be a cliché to say that I felt blessed during and after experiencing the worship concert. My unexpected attendance in the concert was like a push or a pat on my back I badly needed at that time. Thank God I had extra budget. I was feeling uncertain of the big decision I just made in my life, that decision was a leap of faith. Until now, I am still waiting for the result of that decision and there are times I am worried and anxious even though I already have surrendered the result to the Lord, still I cannot help but be anxious sometimes.
Do I lack in faith when I worry?
I pray that God will give me faith that I need to overcome this season of my life. I pray to completely surrender everything to Him. I pray to holistically entrust to Him every aspect of my life. I pray and I pray. Sometimes, it does not make sense. I feel stuck and cannot move on. Still, I hold on to His promises, the deliverance and that this too shall pass because through Him nothing is impossible. His glory will prevail and be shown for all the earth to see. Nothing is impossible.
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