Called to Mission Everyday?

I am in Baguio for my DFA appointment.

Why Baguio you may ask?

Getting a slot in Manila is next to impossible.

Actually, getting a slot ANYWHERE is!

So, though I need to travel a bit, I know it is a blessing.

I was able to set the appointment last January 13 on a Saturday. So, it’s Saturday the 13th! (Not that it has a significance whatsoever, it just sounds cool and creepy at the same time haha!) My point really is that, it’s almost 3 months ago. If you know me, you wouldn’t be surprised if I’ll tell you that completely forgot about it.

It was just last week, on a Good Friday, when I was reminded of it.

Along came the reminders of all other schedules, stuff to do, etcetera, including the dreaded Ablaze board meeting on Thursday.

Monday. Using the heaps of work that need to be done as an excuse, I talked to some friends, hoping to find connections inside DFA who can help me out and transfer the appointment or just cancel it completely. I want to make some sort of an arrangement where I can just bypass the process, not because of the things that I need to do, but simply because I got lazy. I don’t want to queue, let alone travel for at least 10 hours, just for an hour engagement. There should be a special consideration for busy people like me right? An easier route, a more cosy option. After all, I’m a missionary.

Tuesday. One question came from a friend that made me change my mind. “What is more important? An excellent presentation for the Ablaze board meeting, or the opportunity to go on mission anytime?” 

No, my dear brethren, the question was not laid down, for me to choose one over the other. Both are God's blessings, and I don't think He enjoys torturing us with options like this. I believe it was raised as (1) a challenge to stretch my self a little bit more, all for His greater glory, and (2) a reminder that I am a missionary -- retreating to my comfort shouldn’t be an option; I am trained for this!

Then, it hit me!

What the fudge did just happen?

Why do I feel that I am entitled for a special treatment?

And since when did I become so lazy?

Whatever happened to serving as opposed to being served?

Since when did I learn to retreat to my comfort instead of stretching myself even more “for the sake of the call”?

Who am I?

Why do I exist?

What is the meaning of life?
Why on God's grace, am I still single?

Ok, the last four questions are irrelevant to this entry, and the last question is a complete baloney. haha!

So I dropped everything and took a break from the routine and my monotonous rituals. After my overtime, in the wee hours of the morning, I went home, changed to some random shirt, and went straight to the bus terminal as a chance passenger.

When God wants you be somewhere really bad, He will not just send you people to redirect you to where you are supposed to be, He will also send random affirmations when you’re already (or at the very least getting...) there. Here are the top 3 affirmations: (1) I was the last person to board the “executive” bus, as if they’ve waited for me; (2) I'm on a "lazy-boy" seat, as if God is poking fun at me. and (3) as soon as I got inside the bus, the stewardess, out of nowhere said: "Sir, ang ganda po ng shirt ninyo; Called to Mission Everyday." Well, a part of me was smiling (I was like, syempre gawang ablaze.com hehe!), but, to be honest, I was humbled knowing that just hours ago, I was the opposite -- humbled to be reminded of who I really am. 

So, it’s Wednesday and here I am in Baguio, waiting for my appointment while preparing for the Ablaze board meeting’s presentation, TOMORROW. 

I don’t know how this passport renewal application and the board meeting presentation, will turn out… but nah, it doesn’t matter anymore. I already had a great adventure with the Lord.

Far out! Speaking of being forgetful, I forgot my laptop charger! haha!

I’ll end here. I need to stop wasting my battery for this boring blog, and I need to stop wasting your time reading it. 

Time to go back to my presentation.

And, oh, one last thing, please don't forget to remind yourself that you are blessed! 

Pray (always).

1) When the Lord puts us in a circumstance that will make us pray, He just wants us to rest in Him. When we're not in control, all we need to do is to surrender and rest in His loving arms. Because really, there's no other better place to rest, and there's no better time to do it but in prayer.

2) Prayer doesn't equip us for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work! The challenge is to put God (even) most especially in doing His mission. When our prayer time goes through rough times, it is perhaps because He wants us to focus more on it more than anything else. 

3) Establishing relationship with the Lord is what prayer is all about. If the Lord says "yes" to our prayer, it leads us to give thanks; if He says "no", it allows us to pray for the grace to move on; if He says "wait", it makes us pray even harder. You see, answered and unanswered prayers are there for one thing, to move us closer to our God.

Our persistent prayers may not be a guarantee God's yes but it is a perfect path to establishing a personal and deeper relationship with Him.

Pasakay...

Habang nag-aabang ng masasakyan,
may mga jeep na humihinto pero ang tinatahak nyang daan
ay hindi pareho sa aking pupuntahan,
may mga tricycle na willing mag hatid at tanong ng tanong
pero hindi naman pala pwede sa dako pa roon,
at may mga taxi na pwedeng-pwede sana
pero halos lahat may sakay na...
Alam kong late na ako sa office pero pasasaan ba at dadating din ako dun.

Sa pagco-commute, ang mahalaga lang naman ay alam mo kung saan ka pupunta at kung ano ang dapat na sasakyan. Kailangan mo lang talagang maghintay, magmasid ng maiigi at matotong pumara ng maayos.

It's OK to be YOU!

I believe in biodiversity. I believe that God created us to be who we are -- that each person has his own characteristics, that every individual is unique, and that each soul is special. Whatever His purpose may be, you should acknowledge the fact that you are one of a kind and others are too.

 
Needless to say, being who you are is perfectly OK, but frustrations and questions come when the standard of following Christ sets in.

While it is important to follow norms, rules, and customs, we should not be too hard with our selves (more so with others) in as much as following Christ is concerned.

He, and only He, has the reason why we act the way we do, or at the very least, why He allowed it so. He knows the reason why He permitted certain things to happen in our lives, that brought us to where, and who we are right now.

We should never lose our identity in the process of serving our God. We can never really share, and show Christ to anyone, if we’ll fail to acknowledge who we are, if we’ll fail to become the way we are designed to be.

St. Catherine of Siena: "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."

The trick therefore, is how to create more opportunities, so that others may experience HIM through our uniqueness.

Let us LIVE our lives to the full, LAUGH more often, and LOVE out loud.

patience is indeed a virtue.

I think I've mentioned that i am impatient in one of my blogs but I did not really dwell much on it. There’s no point of denying that. I always rush things and I am easily irritated especially when things don’t come my way. Needless to say that patience does not come naturally to me.

So every time I hear people saying: “Patience is a virtue”, I will jokingly ask, “Whatever happened to ‘time is gold’?”

As the dictionary would describe it, patience can either be the ability to endure waiting without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. I happened to experience and realize it just this weekend because of two inspiring and passionate organic farmers (who are, by the way, patiently waiting for the "right one" haha!) and my Bohol adventures (yes, including the part, when I missed my flight ... again! hehe!).



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Kitsokoy's thoughts:

Patience has to have trust || Trust has to have patience. You can’t be patient if you don’t believe that things aren't random and that they happen for a reason. Likewise, you can never really say you trust if you can’t be calm in difficult situations, if you can’t wait for God’s perfect timing for His perfect gift.

Patience helps you find joy (even) most especially in trying times. I have always believed that happiness is a choice, but it can only be an option if you see delays as a part of life, if you increase your respect/compassion towards others, and if you have peace in your heart. In other words: if you want to be truly happy, practice patience.

Patience is the virtue that sets apart “being still” from “doing nothing”. It compels you to seek peacefully and persevere calmly. It is actively preparing for the things you are humbly begging for, it is enduring the delay should God say "Wait", and it is willingly bearing the pain of moving on should God say "No".






Perhaps waiting can be annoying sometimes but are we just going to allow that to define us? Perhaps the pain is too much to bear, but aren’t we called to be faithful at all times?

May I learn to live with patience, choose to laugh instead of becoming upset, and love amidst hardships.

kitsokoy090113

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PS. When you get to visit Bohol, don't forget to go to, or even stay at, BOHOL COCO FARM. Cheap backpackers accommodation, good ambiance, great food, and awesome people! Try Coco Pancit, and the Camote Top Splash. :D

If you want to checkout their facebook page, click here.