Pre-loved

There is nothing more precious than the love of God to mankind. Watching His Son die on the cross felt more than an arrow piercing His heart through and through. But because of so great a love, He endured the pain.

The spirit of prophecy penned that the plan of redemption was not an afterthought. God the Father and the Son foresaw the existence of sin and thus made measures to redeem the lost. It wasn’t God’s will that sin should exist; but in His omniscience He saw that this would happen.*

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10 KJV). Thus, “…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). We are pre-loved!

Who else did such a marvelous act? No one else other than Christ. If God then loved us even before we have loved Him, will we seek for other lovers who promise nothing but disappointment and discontent? Will we run “after empty things that cannot profit or deliver” (1 Samuel 12:21 ESV)?

Many times we have allowed the world to rule us and corrupt us. We have sought for a king who only brought brokenness and disgrace. Instead of doing this same thing this year, let us turn to God – the One who had walked before us and had fought our battles. May we rise up to who we are in the eyes of God.

We are pre-loved and forever loved by the One who said and “it was done.”

*Reflecting Christ, p. 23.4

Status: Single

“A servant never worries when her Master is her Heavenly Father.”

When God Finds You

I am just a typical christian lady. My desire is to wait on God in everything and do things His way. This mindset led me to confidently choose the profession and the kind of life I am now living. I fully believe that I am in the middle of God’s will. However, has life been always that smooth and easy? Wasn’t there any points of tension and pressure, where my will collides and contradicts with His will?

Among all the aspects of my life, there is one area where I usually keep my mouth shut. Not because I have nothing to say about it; but because I intentionally evade the question, “How’s your love-life?” There it is. There is no more hiding. I am just as preoccupied as the rest but is just pretending to be fine.

So what’s the big fuzz about it? Why am I acting so? Let…

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“I can’t take my eyes off you”

Jesus said, “I can’t take my eyes off you.” Will you fix your eyes on Him too?

When God Finds You

“I can’t take my eyes off you.”

This is a phrase from a popular love song that we love to listen to. This line tells that a person who is “in love” with someone cannot take his/her eyes away from the person he/she loves. I asked a friend if this is true and he said, “Tell me I am wrong, but this is really the case.”

In the same manner, the God who is love, who loves perfectly and purely looks at us and searches the deepest parts of our souls. His eyes are on us 24/7. Let me tell you His story.

He created man in His image. He gave Him everything he needed and placed Him in charge of all the things He created in this world. But a tragedy took place in the beautiful garden called Eden. Man fell to sin. God saw what man did. God…

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Oh! The Mystery

The mystery! Oh, the mystery!
My heart will tell it with sincerity.
For You have touched my lips to say,
What You’ve said You’ll do for me.

Source: Oh! The Mystery

If we surrender all

Verse 1:
Some things in life
we cannot understand,
We get hurt and
sometimes we just cry;
Some say life is like a puzzle
that someone must unfold,
Isn’t it better to give Jesus all?

Chorus:
‘Cause Jesus knows everything about us,
He knows when we rise and fall;
He understands our fears and holds our tears,
That’s if we surrender all to Jesus, our Lord.

Verse 2:
We sometimes feel
that no one really cares,
For our broken hopes
And our unspoken dreams;
They say life is full of storms
That someone must endure,
Isn’t it better to give Jesus our all?

When the world has turned against us,
He is the One who upholds us;
For His love is beyond imperfections,
And sees the lost beauty of His creation.

Apparent Failures

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
[11] For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Every day passes by without a hint if I will ever be the one I was meant to be. The study materials are piling up on one end of my desk, and another bulk of homework is lying on the other. “Am I still learning to be a competent doctor? Or am I cramming to meet the deadline and ace the exams?” Thoughts of uncertainties frighten me.

One day, I stood in front of the bulletin board that was hanging outside our classroom. I skimmed through the pages of paper and looked for my name. The numbers I saw opposite my name were in bold and I could see right through it what it means. I failed! It was as if the letters F-A-I-L-E-D were written next to my name. I’m not the one who had never faced defeat, but this one was heartbreaking.

Before I could declare my case a hopeless one, I remembered Moses who spent forty years in the wilderness. I don’t know how difficult it was for him to learn Leadership 101 but I am sure that he also felt the same thing as I did. Think about it. Forty years!

No matter how I looked at my score in different angles, it’s still the same. However, my weary soul was comforted by the words written by Mrs. Ellen G. White. It says,

The thoughts and ways of God in relation to His creatures are above our finite minds; but we may be assured that His children will be brought to fill the very place for which they are qualified, and will be enabled to accomplish the very work committed to their hands, if they will but submit their will to God, that His beneficent plans may not be frustrated by the perversity of man. – {PP 638.1}

Dear Lord,
Help me to trust in Your plans for me. Though I face apparent failures each day, I pray that You’ll keep my feet securely founded in You – the Rock of my soul. Give me faith to believe that You will bring into fulfillment all that You wish to happen to me, in me, and through me. Amen.

Through The Waters

Isaiah 43:2 KJV
[2] When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

It was a fine Friday afternoon. I just had my class in Nephrology when a classmate said, “Happy Sabbath, Grace.” I felt a tap of relief after hearing this. She’s not a sabbath keeper like me but she greeted me like any Adventist would. Because of her, I was reminded of the thrill I feel every sabbath – the joy of recounting victories with my God.

I hurried back to my boarding house and went to the place where I spend time with God. While at the rooftop, I recollected the week’s exams, tests, and classes. Through the eyes of faith I could see that God walked with me. I was certain He did for I knew I would not have successfully finished all my tasks without His help. The short evenings’ rests, long hours of study, short naps and talks, long hours of listening and writing did not overwhelm me for He was with me. He carried me through the bends, the lows, and the highs. The load I carried seemed so light, the thunderstorms which gathered above seemed like shades of clouds over me.

A favorite song goes, “Even though I’m walking through the valley of the shadow, I will hold tight to the hand of Him. His love will comfort me. And when my hope is gone and I’ve been wounded in the battle, He is all the strength that I will ever need. He will carry me.”

Wherever you are in your life’s journey, do not forget that God has promised that He will be with you in times of trouble. The rivers of problems will not overflow you. And when you walk through fires of affliction, you will not be burned. Believe, I pray, and experience Him.

He is the same

Malachi 3:6 KJV
For I am the Lord , I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

The pavement on my way to school was flooded with rainwater. This was because early that morning, the storm waded its wings over my humble neighborhood. The street was mudded, so I tried to walk as careful as I could, avoiding the splash of mud-water from the passing vehicles.

This is not the case everyday. There are days when the sun greets me a morning ray of sunshine. There are days when the birds joyfully sing their chorus. There are days when everything is hushed except for the leaves tossed by the winds gliding above the trees.

As with the changing weather, life is composed of ever changing “todays”. There is no single day that is the same as the other day. Life’s weather constantly changes. As others have said, “Life is like a wheel. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down.” But above all these uncertainties, one truth remains unchanged. This we must know and take with us wherever we go.

This truth encompasses all that there is to learn and to study. Its breadth and depth is infinite. This truth is the truth that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The fact that we breathe, enjoy the sun, savor the rain, and endure the pain despite our failing human nature is a testimony of His unchanging grace.

Life may throw it’s hardest blow; but it can never overwhelm the one whose life is hidden in Christ. Beyond your failures and defeats is a God who sees and hears. In His time, He will give you wings of eagles. He will cause you to rise above the hills and valleys of fear and despair. He will give you strength. And through you, He will raise His name above every name ever known.

An Open Letter: Christian Courtship

A friend once asked me to write her something. She asked me to write her a list of principles one has to put in mind when in courtship. This request blowed me away for the reason that it was way beyond what I am capable of. Nevertheless, I did what she asked me to.

Since its February, I will share to you the things I wrote for her.

“Know Thyself”

This is an old adage; but as important today as it was many years ago. Consider these lines:

You cannot get anywhere you want to be if you don’t know where you want to be. You cannot be the person you want to be if you don’t know what kind of person you want to be.

Knowing yourself is essentially the first step in doing anything. How does this apply to courtship? Simple. If you know who you are, you know exactly what you want and what you are looking for.

I was reminded of a story of a young man who was searching for love. He went to a social gathering hoping to find “the one.” He stood on a corner scanning the room. An hour had passed. Two hours had past and he was still standing alone in a corner. It wasn’t that there were no beautiful and available ladies in the room. It was just he was confused. He couldn’t make up his mind which one to ask for a dance.  Like that young man, we may stand in front of a crowd filled with fine young men, but still not find “the one” because we are undecided about what we really want.

On the other hand, we may think that we have found “the one”; but later find out that we had been a fool. We may dump someone thinking that he’s not “the one”; but sooner realize that we had let a diamond slip from our grasp. All because we do not know the inner person. Therefore, it is imperative to look at ourselves and know the person inside.

Befriend yourself. Know your personality, your character, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Know what you want to see in a person whom you want to spend the rest of your life with. When everything is taken away (money and fame, for example) what is it that you want to see in your lover?

Friend, life is short. Spend it with people who complement your strengths and supplement your weaknesses.

Is this all?

No! God forbids.

We shall fail in this quest, if we wont seek to know the One who holds our real identity – Our Almighty God. We are His children by creation and redemption. It is only through Him and with Him can we truly see who we are. It is by knowing Him that we are led to see what our broken hearts really need.

Pursue genuine friendship

The prospect of a romantic relationship always gives us an ineffable excitement. It is normal for us to feel that way because we are emotional beings. We were created to connect with someone or something. Buried in our limbic system is a desire for intimacy and love. Mrs. Ellen G. White wrote, “There was none of the same nature to love and to be loved.” However, as children of God, we need to be careful with the matters of the heart.

So, why genuine friendship? A friendship that is unstained with selfish motives and deceitful appearances guards our hearts from falling into a blackhole of misguided impressions and feelings. It keeps us focused and Christ-minded. It gives us the lenses of objectivity. It helps us see the other person as he truly is.

Another reason for pursuing genuine friendship is the epidemic or should I accurately say PANDEMIC of unauthentic, pretentious men and women who are slaves to want (it may be you and me). A person with romantic intentions may come with a facade (as usually is the case) just to get the finest and the best. They may array themselves with good looks, good works, kind words, gentle acts, promising job, or good fortune. Genuine friendship helps us unearth the hidden man and woman beneath his/her glamouring exterior.

Lastly, genuine friendship is a solid foundation to a relationship that is meant to last a lifetime. (I prefer not to use the word “forever” because of the popular phrase: “ate, walang forever!”) I always hear old people say, “It is best to marry your best friend.” Oftentimes, I find my self stuck in thinking “why?”. The credible reason I found is this: best friends have best friendship, that is, genuine friendship. The pen of inspiration wrote,

The world is full of misery and sin today in consequence of ill-assorted marriages. In many cases it takes only a few months for husband and wife to realize that their dispositions can never blend; and the result is that discord prevails in the home, where only the love and harmony of heaven should exist.– {AH 83.3}

Christian courtship is a family affair

We grow up, leave our homes, and have our own.

This is a one-sentence summary of our family life. When we thought we are already strong, able, and whole; we leave our parents, search for love, and build our own homes.

Sadly, most of the young disregard the wisdom of their parents especially when it comes to courtship. They hold their opinions higher than the wisdom of their aged parents. They claim that their parents’ wit and expertise wont work in this day and age.

This must not be the case for christians. We must honor the gray-haired man and woman for from their tiny, atrophic lips are words of wisdom purified by time and refined by experience. So, courtship must be a family affair.

The question now is, How?

A way to start is to let your parents know the guy or lady intentionally. They are the most likely objective ones. They are adept in knowing a person’s character and personality. They will become your strength, support, prayer warriors, and mentors.

Here are some familiar words from the pen of inspiration.

Take God and your God-fearing parents into your counsel, young friends.– {AH 73.1}

If you are blessed with God-fearing parents, seek counsel of them. Open to them your hopes and plans; learn the lessons which their life experiences have taught.– {AH 73.2}

As marriage is the union of two families, courtship is essentially a process played by both families.

Christian Courtship is Our Father’s affair

God is love. (1 Jn 4:8)

God intends to give love, share love, and beget love. It is a part of His plan that man and woman shall enjoy the company of each other in perfect harmony. Thus, He does not leave His children crawl into love and end up falling hard into it. (I don’t think you would want to fall, and fall hard.) He gave us the Holy Scriptures to guide us in everything. The psalmist says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psa 119:105)

Furthermore, God authored marriage – the most glorious sequel of courtship. It is His design that we find our other half and taste the intimacy that He longs for us to experience. Through a God-led marriage, we will better understand His love and His intention towards our relationship with Him. Mrs. White wrote, “Christ honored the marriage relation by making it also a symbol of the union between Him and His redeemed ones.”

Our Father takes joy in picking up the pieces and making them whole. As you move and live with a heart half-filled, He will find you a heart that perfectly fits yours. So, seek to know God’s will, follow it, and submit to it. Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Jeremiah 32:27).

Pray. Listen. Do His will.

An Introvert’s Introspection

Medicine is not just a profession of good-hearted and compassionate people whose desire is to help and save lives. It is also an arena where intelligent people and the like thrive and compete for survival. As technology rises and a number of untreated diseases and illnesses rise exponentially, medicine becomes more than just a world of competition; but a jungle of enthusiasts whose prime desire is to be on top and harness the best of their abilities.

Although students and some professionals debunk this idea, it is a fact we all face. To rest means a life on a thread with a small probability of being saved. To shy away from the responsibility even for a time would mean death and loss. To give less than what is best would mean failure and defeat.

Having been caught in the middle of this craze, I had accumulated scars of overwhelming defeats. Scars so deeply rooted, constantly reminding me of my deficiencies. I am a person who hates the idea of competition. I hate the sound of pressure. I cringe at the thought of perfection. Will I survive in this battle? Will my strength last until the end?

It seems to me that I need something bigger, grander, wiser, and stronger to finish the race. Something extraordinary has to possess me. Something supernatural has to take control of me. The men of old says, “Wisdom, it is.” Oh, Yes! Wisdom! My heart longs for it. I desire to behold its face and be held in its mighty bosom; but where is wisdom? Where is wisdom to lead the way? Where is wisdom which brings victory?

I do not know. I don’t have the answer. If I go to the ends of the earth, conquer the highest peak, dive the deepest trench, will I find the answer? No. Strength will weaken, vision will darken, reason will fail and the answer is still kept in the casket of human frailty. Job declares that wisdom,

“… is not found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. -Job 28:13-21 KJV

The reality of ever finding wisdom became so elusive. How can I, a hundred times more debased than the righteous Job, ever find it. Like I babe I cry for it. Like an old man I mourn for it.

But wait! Before the bird sings her last, the fish swims his last, the man hopes his last, there is one thing. One thing. The ‘one thing’ to consider. The ‘one thing’ to grasp. The ‘one thing’ to understand. That ‘one thing’ is God. Job went on saying,

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. -Job 28:23-28 KJV

Out of the darkness, I see gleaming light. In the tunnel of fear and uncertainty, I see hope. There is a way to victory. Even I, a full-blown introvert, can thrive in a fast-paced, highly competitive, extremely extroverted world of medicine. With God in me, victory is a step away, a prayer away, a sigh away.

Oh how marvelous is the God of heaven and earth. How deep is His understanding. How wide is His gaze. He searches the right way, and leads those who go after it. Wisdom is found in the fear of Him for in Him is wisdom. No wonder the wisest man ever lived exhorted that we fear Him.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. -Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV

Now, going back to the question. Will I survive in this battle? Yes! In the fear of the Lord.

As we face life’s maze, may we not forget that there is an answer to every question. It may not come in the form we expect, still it will come. It may not be readily available as when we thought we need it, nevertheless it will come at the right time. All we need to do is lie in patient waiting for the answer in the One who searched it out, who determined it long ago, who measured its depth and weight, who declared it from the rising and the setting of the sun.

The answer lies not on the strength of a man but in the might of the Holy One. Amen.

Of Losing My Best Friend

What is more painful than losing a loved one to death? A loved one forever hidden from sight, forever kept in the darkness and coldness of the earth, where the only hope is in the resurrection morn, when the righteous shall be awaken from the grave? But the question is: Will I make it to the resurrection morn? And if I’ll make it, will I see her in the first resurrection?

Six years had passed when I lost a best friend. Her death left me broken and afraid to explore new friendships. My heart was filled with  pain and regrets. Many things were left unsaid, undone and the thought of that crushed my heart.

This tragedy brought a change in me. I distanced my self from friendship. I was too afraid to be too attached thinking that I may lose them and be left in pain again. I thought of it now as a selfish act; but I was consumed by grief and sorrow. I lost a friend, and the pain was all I could hear and feel.

However, hiding in a mask of assumed strength, I managed to go along with old friends and meet new friends. I realized that I did not have difficulty making new friends. The problem was in trusting them and opening up to them. For a time, I gathered for my self superficial friendships; and mastered the art of being a superfical, passive friend.

Thankfully, the story of my recovery did not continue as miserable as that. Like a shepherd, God pulled me back on track. He let the sun shine again on me. Gently, He taught me how to trust again and opened my eyes to see beauty in each person I would meet.

Oftentimes, we cuddle in pain, as if having it is the only way to get through. Ironically, we soak our selves in bitter tears to feel relief. It’s as if dwelling in the past and the hurt it has takes away the guilt of not being the friend, the husband, the wife, the daughter, the son, the brother, or the sister that we should be.

Back in the antiquity of time, someone, a big One – the Holy One, lost an object of love. After lavishing the one He loves with so much comfort and ease, that object of love – His wonderful creation, a creature created in His image, doubted and disobeyed Him. What a loss. Man disobeyed. Sin ruled. Satan reigned like a prowling lion “seeking whom he may devour.” (1Peter 5:8)

Nevertheless, did God distanced Himself cuddling in pain and misery for man chose to disobey His command? No! He didn’t. Ellen G. White penned,

God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. -{The Desire of Ages, p. 23}

Instead of drawing Himself away from us, He drew us to Himself that we might not perish.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -{John 3:16}

He gave! He bled! He died! For what? That He might have us back. Was there ever a tint of selfishness in this act of God or even in the heart of God? There was none. None but love; for He is love. (1John 4:8)

I am owed at the magnificence of His love. There is no pit so deep that His love cannot reach. As He promised Israel, He promises us today:

But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.-{Nehemiah 1:9}

Learning this, I understood the principle of real friendship or any relationships for that matter. Friendship is a form ministry. It is not so much about taking or receiving. It is more about giving and blessing. If all we have in mind is taking something from the other, we will never have enough. We will never be satisfied for we are broken pieces that only God can mend and fill. Instead, like cups and vessels, we receive from God and give to others without asking for return; for we have been filled in His love.

When we do this, no tragedy too grievous can break us; for we do not take from the world, we receive from Christ and are filled in Christ.

Friends, let us love as Jesus did. Let us serve as He did. Let us renounce selfishness and embrace selflessness.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: -{Philippians 2:5}