BIDDING 2010 GOODBYE

from Google

It was year 2006 when I was branded “Batch 2010.” I was freshmen in the school of nursing and year 2010, back then, seemed to be remote. But there it goes, “Batch 2010” has already graduated and “Year 2010” is nearly over. Looking back, time indeed flew fast. So before the countdown to 2011 starts and fireworks dance in the night sky, I’ll try to look back and find some things that made this year “for a purpose.”

Year 2010 is the year I got 20 years old, graduated from school, got exhausted like never before while reviewing, passed a board exam, became a licensed professional, became a bum like forever, got restless and confused about what to do in life, got weird “stomach” sickness, felt the biggest blow financially, and worse, I nearly forgot about Christmas.

The second half of my year was, for me, filled with series of wrong decisions made and wrong attitudes displayed. It was a not so perfect year, yet I believe, I wouldn’t trade “my” year 2010 with somebody else’s year 2010. I may have made a lot of mess out of it, but it’s either I stumble and stay here forever or I stumble and get up, and since the game is not yet over, try again. Besides, a series of wrong decisions made and wrong attitudes displayed could lead to life lessons we could either choose to learn or to ignore.

This year, I learned that letting go and holding on, go hand in hand. Human nature says, it’s easier to be so tight-gripped about the bad things in life and just give up on the good things in life; just as when life offers you a bed of roses, it’s so easy to praise God but when life’s problems hit you hard, it’s easier to be mad at God and just run away.  But since I chose to take the narrow road, I must learn to live the other way around. There are three things I found to better let go:  if it’s not meant for me, if it’s not yet the right time, and if the situation is humanly impossible to solve. With that, it’s time to let go and let God. His promises and blessings, I need to hold on to, even if it looks like the hardest thing to do at the moment.

This year, I learned the value of “stillness.” I may appear as a silent person most of the time, but deep down inside me, silence finds an elusive place.  Silence, in fact, gives me an awful feeling.  I find myself, wanting to do something, all the time—even if unnecessary. “But I can’t just hit the accelerator all the time. Sometimes, it’s good to hit my brakes.” (joyce meyer)  My post board exam experience left me on the nuts. I was in my most confused state. I thought I was seeking God but, I guess, I was just blurting it all out on God.  I forgot that when you get lost on a road trip, you have to ask for direction, and to ask for direction, you have to stop.  You can’t ask where to go, while you are still on your own driving. Peace and rest gives God a good soil to plant whatever He wants us to do.

This year, I learned that I can only do one thing at a time. (What?) Yes, I used to multi-task everything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that multi-tasking is a bad thing; it’s just that, what happened to me was, I fell into the destructive attitude of a “hurry.” I used to be preoccupied with what’s next and I failed to truly savour every bit of what’s in the now.

This year, I felt like majority of my time were spent in waiting. Most of the time, I was just too early. Other times, they were just too late.  At times, I was just waiting for nothing. Perhaps, God saw it fit for me to wait because my must-learn lessons are best learned through waiting. Patience is one.

Lastly, this year, I felt that I wanted to give up my relationship with God already...only to find out that I don’t know how to live without relating with Him anymore. Or perhaps, I’m letting Him go, like a child pulling his hand from his father’s hand while crossing a street, but He won’t let go since He sees the danger ahead. Or, He won’t let go simply because He loves me..even if He is not being loved back enough. I don’t know. I am nothing special on my own to be held this long. It’s just the Father’s love so strong..

Year 2010 is not my favourite year. This is not my favourite season either. But even if I feel like I’m merely crawling in my journey in life, I truly hope that as I take my exodus from year 2010, I will carry with me a better change on the genesis and the rest of 2011.

THE MANGER

"The manger wasn't a clean place.
It was smelly and messy.
Yet, God chose Jesus to be born in one.
For me, the manger has always signified
the state of the hearts of some.
...There must be a reason why Jesus was born in one.
I believe it is to tell us and make us know,
that regardless of the state of our hearts,
it is never too messed up for true love to be born in.
None of us are ever beyond the reach
of our loving friend, Jesus...the reason for the season."

-from http://twitter.com/#!/4ever_on_faith

(Gary Valenciano)

GOD'S CHRISTMAS DAY :)

     "The child born in the night among the beasts. The sweet breath and steaming dung of beasts. And nothing is ever the same again.

     Those who believe in God can never in a way be sure  of him again. Once they have seen him in a stable, they can never be sure where he will appear or to what lengths he will go or to what ludicrous depths of self-humiliation he will descend in his wild pursuit of man....

     For those who believe in God, it means, this birth, that God is never safe from us, and maybe that is the dark side of Christmas....He comes in such a way that we can always turn him down, as we could crack the baby's skull like an eggshell or nail him up when he gets too big for that..."

.... 

  "How did Christmas day feel to God? Imagine for a moment becoming a baby again: giving up language and muscle coordination, and the ability to eat solid food and control your bladder. God as a fetus!...On that day in Bethlehem, the Maker of All That Is took form as a helpless, dependent newborn.

     "Kenosis" is the technical word theologians use to describe Christ emptying himself of the disadvantages of deity. Ironically, while the emptying involved much humiliation, it also involved a kind of freedom. A physical body freed Christ to act on a human scale, without those "disadvantages" (of infinity). He could say what He wanted without His voice blasting the treetops. He could express anger by calling King Herod a fox or by reaching for a bullwhip in the temple, rather than shaking the earth with His stormy presence. And he could talk to anyone-- a prostitute, a blind man, a widow, a leper-- without first having to announce, "Fear not!"

Publish Post-Philip Yancey, Disappointment With God 

Merry Christmas everyone!:)