Snippet of a Lil Girl's Journey

This morning I was thinking of a girl, a 16 year old girl.

She was raised in a farm her whole life. She did not mind doing things routinely. 

Home…

Field…

Sheeps…

Home.

The sun always kissed her caramel brown skin for she loved walking without a hat on.

Her hair tangled by the wind and her face always looking up towards the sky.

She grew well in their area where everyone always seemed to be satisfied.

She lived with her parents and the friends she has known are her neighbors, some way older than her.

One morning, her mother who seemed to be a bit worried about her little girl sent her to the field wearing a grass hat. On her way to the field the girl paused.

She looked up the skies, closed her eyes and felt the wind blow as if it was stroking her hair.

The wind blew harder causing her hat to fall off, she chased it. The hat went rolling as she went after it.

It came to a halt as it landed in an old man’s foot.

“Well hello there child” the old man said smiling, he picked up the hat slowly bending his knees to reach it.

“It’s a new day again is it?” he asked.

“Yes it is!” the girl said enthusiastically

The girl reached for her hat as the old man stretched his left arm to give it.

“Thank you sir…”

The old man slightly smiled and asked, “where are you heading?”

“In the field sir” She answered “My sheep are waiting for me”

“Sheep?” the man inquired a little surprisingly.

“Yes sheep! I take care of them. I took care of them my whole life” She answered.

“Is that what you always wanted to do?” He asked

“Weeell…” She paused, her eyes quickly gazed to her right and then she answered

“that’s what I need to do, I need to take care of them until they are ready to be sheared for harvest."

“I asked if that’s what you want to do not what you need to do. Is there one answer for that?”

“If that’s the case how do I know what I want to do?”

“You see…” Said the old man while his right hand pinched his chin.

"There is always a bridge that connects the things that you need to do with the things that you want to do.

A little exploring, tweaking, and adjusting can create a necessary change. Change is inevitable yet it is necessary. The thing is to find it… Find the bridge.”

“Find the bridge?! Hmmm…” She paused. “Would the one beside the field work?”

The old man chuckled, “Well! Maybe it will, maybe it won’t.

Child, I should get going now, you should too.” Said the old man.

“Okay!” Said the little girl. 

-REN @2AM

In Your Silence

While You’re silent

I wait

I wait for Your voice

I wait for Your instruction

I wait for Your ways

I wait

While You’re silent

I became impatient

I strived

I complained

I struggled

I continued to ask

Why

When

How

But In silence, You remained

You loved

You provided

You cared

While I continue

to persevere

to hope

to ask again

How long?

Am I doing this right?

Does this please You?

Are You still there?

And in silence

You calmed

You secured

You brought out the things hidden in the innermost being of my heart

And there, amidst Your silence

I saw Your eyes staring right into me

I am tested

I am renewed

I am secured

I trust

Beyond mere words

Signs

Affirmations

Beyond what I see

Feel

and understand

What is important

Now unraveled

And found

In Your silence

February 25, 2011 - REN 

Sa Tren (In the Train)

Miss na nakaupo sa aking harapan

Di mo na ba maikubli ang iyong nararamdaman?

Patak ng luha mo'y tilay di na mapigilan

Kusa nang dumaloy nang di mo namamalayan

sino ba syang di ka pinahalagahan?

Batang nakaupo sa aking tabi

Di na makalad

At ang diwa'y di mapakali

Masayang nanunuod sa

Binahagi sa kanyang game ng psp

Sa isang saglit nawala ang Kapansanang matagal nang pasan

Dahil may isang nilalang

na dumamay at nagpakita na may pakialam

parisukat na madaming

nakakulong

Salamat sa pagkakataong

Maranasang makita

Ang mga ganitong emosyon

Ngunit Kelangan nang bumaba sa aking estasyon

Nasangga si kuya

at ang psp ay nahulog

October 17, 2010 - REN 

One is Not Enough

I Remember that Night

when I entered a new place in Malate. I was in college then when I found that noisy spot. It was dark yet there were lights hovering in the place, people were jumping and singing, and there was a loud music playing. Out of curiosity, I went in and discovered something new. 

No, its was not a bar...  it was a church, it was Victory. 

I remember Her 

I was standing alone in one corner, hoping that people will  not notice me, but apparently, someone did. That night, I met Ate Ruth also known as honey Ruth by everyone since she calls everyone honey. She looked like she was in her mid 20s, when we met... she had this energy and bubbliness oozing through her. She introduced herself, we exchanged numbers, and she did not leave me that night, I was supposed to go home but she insisted that I stay and eat with her before going home. 

My hand was held by her throughout that night, and oh should she choose to take me to a 5 Star Hotel or a fine dining restaurant, I could have ended up spending and eating there. Thankfully, we ended up eating at Mcdonalds. She offered to treat me and insisted that she pay for me even if its just the first time we met. I stayed for a couple of hours and went home, the church was in  Malate... I go home in Laguna. 

On my way home, I was reflecting on how my night went and how my eyes was opened to another world. I have known God since I was 7 and was raised in a christian family, but she had something that I wanted. I wanted that... A discipled heart and a heart to disciple. 

You see, Ate Ruth is just a simple girl from the province yet she had lots of girls that she discipled and mentored. She did it not by preaching or by being on stage, she did not need that, she did it by sharing her life. 

She treated the other girls she just met. 

She supported my school activities and my campaigns. 

She prayed for me and would call me if needed. 

She gave... she gave her time and her resources as well, it did not matter if it was small or big, she just gave. 

At present, I am now leading my own group (Victory Group: an avenue where we can learn and apply God's Word in our lives). It started with just one girl, we could have been called a Victory Couple but no, she encouraged me that it was a Victory Group and that I should persevere. I remember her words telling me "Ryzl, sooner or later, you will do greater things than what I am doing now". I look at my "victory group" and sighed, "Okay...". But yeah, it took months before our group multiplied, God is faithful! God showed that He can use me. That there is no big or small work in His Kingdom, everything is important, everything matters, my small effort matters. 

God used Ate Ruth to encourage me that I can make disciples, that my life can make a difference in another person's life. It does not need to be a lot, it can be just one. After Ate Ruth, I met a lot of women who influenced different aspects of my life. Indeed, one person who is making a difference is not enough, we need to be the difference in someone else's life too. 

Ate Ruth and the Gals

Me, Leah, and Ate Ruth's classic "Wednesday" smile 

Invites for Rustic Themes

He Takes Time

It has been quite a while since I wrote something that comes from the heart. You let passivity grow on you and the next thing you know, you end up browsing and slacking instead of creating. It's 12:50am and I cannot sleep, I was prompted to blog about this maybe because someone needs to hear it. 

God takes time to work in and through you. 

He is patient to wait and help you until you get it right... 
  until His promise happens... 
    until you become who He created you to be. 

We are living in this generation where 
    
    looking at your watch when you're spending time with a friend    
      is normal (uhuh... impatient?) 
      
    you're eating your main course and your mind is thinking   
      about dessert 
    
    you are celebrating your child's first birthday and you're  
      thinking on how his/her second birthday will look like
      

These and a lot of other "common" what-will-happen-next thinking rob us of our Now moments. God is concerned with your now, yes He is also concerned about your future but He takes time to be with you in your "now". 

The next best thing can be very exciting but let it not rob you from the joy of embracing your happiness... your pain... your sadness... your present moment that may or may not happen again. 

Take a moment and allow your heart to see God in your current situation. In your pain, endure. In your impatience, persevere. In your suffering, hope. Be thankful even in the little. 

Time flies so fast but in order to catch it, you have to be slow.

Seize it. Feel it. 

REN

Stand Out! Be You!

Lovin this classic video from Merry Melodies! Enjoy watching! 

Maybe not the purpose but the essence...