MOMENTS

 Having an accident is like having that “wake-upper” when you are slacking off in life. It placed me in a reflective frame of mind; made me ask these questions and prompted me to give my opinions.

Why is it that there are moments when you are being careful and nice all over…yet still something bad happens to you? Why are there moments when all things seem too good to be true then moments that seem to make your world crumble? Why are there days that the movie ‘Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events’ seem to come to life? It is easy to remember what’s good, yes; but it is so hard to deal with what’s bad!

Perhaps things happen to us like when we encounter accidents because we are sinning and yet not repenting as soon as we know of it. Or maybe we are ordered to finish a mission yet we do not get around to doing it. It could be a whole host of reasons:

Ø  We declare faith in God but still we doubt

Ø  We’re too proud of ourselves

Ø  We’ve been negligent that we made others suffer

Ø  Selfishness ate us

Ø  Greed and envy gobbled us

 What’s the result? When problems and issues engulf us, we become overwhelmed. We have life situations when we are provoked to get back at, avenge, make someone suffer because they did us, or simply badmouth others because our hearts are filled with envy. These are times we are mired in darkness, when our boat is sinking.

David Peach of 5 Great Bible stories about Jesus for kids in www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/ sums up about ‘Jesus Calms the Storm’ – Mark 4:35-40.

He wrote, “Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat one evening when a violent storm appeared. The ship was filled with water and the disciples were afraid of sinking. They found Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. They woke Him up. But they thought He was sleeping because He did not care whether they lived or died.

When Jesus woke up He stood and told the sea to be calm. Immediately the wind and waves calmed down. The disciples were now scared for a different reason. They did not really know who Jesus was at this time. This was shortly after many of them joined Jesus as His followers. They did not understand that Jesus was God’s Son and could control everything in the world if He chooses.”

Last song syndrome…you know that when you hear people around you sing a tune out of the blue.

I’ll tell you frankly that I find this song corny at first. It was like saying ‘kabaduy naman ng kantang ito’ when radio stations blast it off. But then, I was being shallow. I was only looking at the surface. The real gem here is the message of the song, the meaningful lyrics. You may not like the tune at all but I highly encourage you to reflect on the lines.

It is us people that represent that very song. No one is spared. All that’s written is true.

Lyrics of Lord Patawad – performed by Bassilyo {Lord Pardon}

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag ako’y nangangailangan
Baka may kakilala Ka na pwede kong utangan
Kasi alam Mo na sa tong-its talo ako
Pwede bang bigyan ako kahit anim na numero?

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag ako’y nangangailangan
Sana’y may artista na maka-date man lamang
Okay lang sa akin kahit na si Joyce Jimenez
Sana ako’y pumogi, pumuti at maging flawless

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag nangangailangan
Noong ako’y binasted ng aking nililigawan
Problemado po ako at wala ‘kong pang-inom
ang hina ko Sa’yo, yun ang hinala ko noon

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag ako’y nangangailangan
Ang aking iniisip ay puro pang-sarili lamang
kapag may mabigat na problema at seryoso
Doon ko lamang naaalala ang pangalan Mo

CHORUS
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

Ako’y nagsisimba kapag gusto ko lang
‘Pag may bagong damit na ipagyayabang
‘Pag may bagong biling mahal na pabango
Kapag bago ang shoes o kaya ang relo

Ako’y nagsisimba kapag gusto ko lang
Pag may jowa akong makakalampungan
Kapag may mga bebot na ang gaganda
Kapag merong baklitang nakakatawa

Ako’y nagsisimba kapag gusto ko lang
‘Pag andyan ang tropa’t nagkayayaan
hahanap ako ng mapagtitripan
Pagkatapos ng misa ay aabangan

CHORUS
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

Akala ko dati ay kaya ko na
Kaya ko nang mabuhay mag-isa
Ang daming trabaho, babae’t pera
‘Pag ako’y sagana ‘di Kita kilala

Naalala Kita noong ako’y nakulong
Parang bubuyog, bulong ng bulong
‘Pag may kamalasan sa ‘king na nangyari
Ikaw lang nang Ikaw aking sinisisi

Kapag merong debate, sinong magaling?
Sinong matuwid sino ang nagsinungaling?
Ako’y naiiling at mistulang santol
‘Di man lamang Kita kaya na ipagtanggol

SINOSOLO KO LANG ANG BIGAY MONG BLESSING!
‘Pag kumanta ako dapat ay bayad din
Bakit nga ba Sa’yo ay wala akong time
Pa’no kung Ikaw na ang mawalan sa akin ng time?

Lord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…

Lord, Lord, Lord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…

Sa puso ko’y lagi Siyang kumakatok
‘Di ko binuksan, ‘di ko pinapasok
Tuktok ng bundok na Kanyang inakyat
Tignan ko pa lang ako ay nilagnat

Dapat ako ang ipako sa cross
Dapat ako ay siyang nanlilimos
Nag-awad ng tawad sa ating Ama
Ngunit masama pa ang pinadama

Dadadadadadadadadada
Puro ako salita at dada
Sa biyaya ako’y naaatat
Pero kahit kailan ‘di nagpasalamat

Nagduda ako sa kakayahan Mo
‘Di ako nararapat Sa’yo
Masyado akong mapagmalaki
Pero kahit kailan, hindi Ka nag-higanti

Lo-ord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

Lord, Lord, Lord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

After forgiveness, no one can assure that a human could change for the good permanently because he is bound to fluctuate from good to bad. It all depends on our circumstances: our moods, our hormones, the people, places and events around us. There is one statute that can never be bent, though: like begets like; kindness breeds kindness. If joy and goodness is your primary aim, do lots of it and it will come back to you in multitudes.

Don’t equate. Don’t count. Don’t expect more than you deserve and don’t make it as an objective when you help someone. For no reason at all, just do GOODNESS. Yes, not all that we do good to will return the favor to us; just do well anyway. Also, not all of our good intentions would yield good results to others: sometimes we are even put in a bad light. As long as your objective is for goodness’ sake, you are not in the wrong foot.

Blessings will be placed in your glory. Have the patience to wait. If you get impatient, pray and ask God to clear your mind. Ask for strength when you weaken. Acknowledge the fact that you’re losing faith in yourself and maybe even Him, and immediately ask Him to fill that caving devotion.

I have a multitude of ongoing issues. The morning fender accident on August 15, 2013 was just so minor it is a minute concern compared to what shocked me in the afternoon. More when I’m ready to open up…and when I can distill the lessons from it all.

Father Jerry Orbos’ book “Just a Moment” washed my soiled faith. In the bottom portion of his August 19 entry, he wrote: “Lord, when I tend to magnify and amplify my pains, remind me that there are people around me who have bigger and more real pains. Amen”