God doesn't cough on you

There was a guy who needed a date for an event. He was asked by his friends to a dare: they will go to one of their girl friends' house and check whether she was a "date-able" kind. "If you don't like her, cough out," one of them said. So, they set off: a cough will make mark whether a deal was set -- or not.

It was the moment everyone was waiting for. They looked at each other on the eye as they stood on the porch. They rang the door bell. The gate swung open. A few meters from where they stood, a lady with a simple yet stunning beauty walked over. Porcelain white skin. Wide, brown eyes. A smile of a thousand words. Everyone was silent. All eyes were on her.

Amid the deafening silence, the girl let out a loud cough. A deal just fell through.

It was a gamble for both the guy and and the girl to come close to a deal just to get to know someone for a one-time date or a lifetime friendship. Nevertheless, when it comes to the Father, He didn't just gamble; rather, He gave in and gave out completely to ask us out for an eternity with Him. In last week's Makati Feast Legaspi, Bro. Jan Silan said God doesn't cough on us. Because at the moment He visited us, He knew exactly what He would see: the most beautiful creature crafted in His image and likeness. "In fact, He wants to reveal himself to you!" Bro. Jan exclaimed.

We see and meet Jesus everywhere, just as he is merely donned in blue jeans. Bro. Jan described Him as "transcendent" and "immanent". God is transcendent: He sees, hears, feels, smells, tastes everything. Just as the heaven is a vast space which is immeasurable in human eye, God is on top of everything. He assumes the top post of humanity, because people need someone to rescue them whenever they drown in worldly pleasures and problems.

In the same way, God is imminent. He is like a hanging vine ready for tight grips whenever one needs to cross from one tree to another. He is always ready to aim a beautiful word or song at us whenever we are seeking His wisdom. Above all, God dwells in us.

Bro. Jan shunned existing myths on prayer and said there is no such thing as a "right way of praying" for everyone. We can pray to Him as God, Father, Daddy, Aba, or Friend. Likewise, we can't measure how successful we are in connecting with Him by the words we mumble or the length of time we spend in prayer. As it is said, "The key to all success isn't the quality of your feelings but the quality of your faithfulness."

In the end, Bro. Jan wrapped up the talk by encouraging everyone to always ask God for His powerful message, "What is God telling me?"

And whenever you ask, prepare to act.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

- Romans 12:1-2

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Wrote this for the Makati Feast Legaspi bulletin's "Blast from the Past" for July 4 at midnight of July 3rd.

I was looking for other stories to place in the bulletin, when I chanced upon tweet from Time saying Pope John Paul II has already been cleared for sainthood. 

Completing the contents of Thursday's bulletin in the wee hours of the morning is strenuous and out of rhythm. Yet what evil intends for harm, God has purposefully designed for the better and best. I therefore included the John Paul story in the bulletin. Ain't it cool? :)

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My heart is in delight of you, Lord. I am never worthy to serve you, yet you never look at my frailty; rather, you look at me as your daughter who can do everything.  Many times I have wanted to give up. Yet your love lifts me up and your words push me to carry on. Yours are all the glory. May people get inspired by what they will read tomorrow. Amen.