Everything in life happens for a reason especially if you are brought in a situation where everything is connected and suddenly you realized that you become a piece to the puzzle, joined together to form a picture of a big journey in life we called—reaching out for others.
It all started when I read an email from Joanne (a co-parent from Don Bosco), encouraging good souls to join their group’s relief operations to help the community living in Sulyap Housing Project in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City. At first, I was reluctant to make a reply for I thought that I could not be of much help as a volunteer being out of the country nor could dole out something as charity to the victims of calamity. But I found myself typing some words of encouragement offered by way of prayers and after hitting the send button, there goes my message sent back to letter sender.
Few days later, I was chatting with my wife in the internet and I was surprised when she told me that she was coordinating with Joanne and another co-parent of ours, Bess, regarding how she could be of help to Joanne’s group. She must have had read Joanne’s email and responded by offering some used clothing. Although her initial plan was just to meet with Joanne and her husband at our house to donate the items but later, she decided to join the couple in distributing relief goods in that community greatly affected by the typhoon Ondoy. It came to me as a surprise because my initial doubts that I could not be of much help was answered as if God was telling me, “Son, doubt not my power to make things happen. When I’m calling you, just say, Yes or No.†Just the same, I didn’t tell my wife that I emailed Joanne nor that message posted by her and there was no communication, ever of any sort with regards to that thing. Everything just happened instantaneously as if somebody is telling us individually what to do.
The place (as I’ve seen in the pictures) looks like a God-forsaken place and by comparison, we must have been fortunate that we still have a place to sleep at night even our roof is leaking. We are still blessed that we don’t lose any of our children even at times we dread the nuisance they brought on us of their constant whining. Lastly, we are still fortunate that despite having our own difficulties in life, we are the one extending help rather than being the ones being helped and I could say nothing but to thank the Lord that my family is still alive.
When God calls us, He is giving us the free-will to say ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ but when we call to Him, His has only two answers; ‘YES’ and ‘NOT NOW’.
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