Month: July 2016

Wisdom Quote #7  7/28/16

Marriage counseling is part of my pastoral duty. Whenever a married couple comes to me for counseling, I require them to bring some wedding pictures and other photos of them when they were dating. I would then ask each one to tell the story behind each picture. It’s fascinating to watch their reactions as stories of good old days were reminisced.

It’s amazing how this exercise can relieve tension between the skirmishing couple. Often, I observed emotions shifting from hostility to rapport, from being standoffish to being warm. This is then followed by tears as some hardened hearts were melted again by love. The wall between the two collapsed as beautiful memories were shared and brought back to life. 

One of the things my wife and I love doing together is to look at our family photo albums. Those precious pictures remind us of life events that transpired through the years. Pictures refresh our memories on how we have shared together all the dramas of life, how we survived them all, and how every circumstance, good or bad  made our union sweeter and stronger.

Pictures are precious, they record memories of our lives. That’s why photo albums are in everyone’s top list to save in the event of house fire. Yes, pictures are treasures and they can do wonders to a relationship. They can even save a marriage! 

Hey married couples, why don’t you schedule a special date called “Photo Album Night”. Then, you might want to choose a picture that you would hang on the wall-to look at, on days when your spouse seemed unlovable. God bless you all!

P.S. We all had been using our camera phones for taking pictures nowadays and we store them as digital photos. Do you know that you could lose these photos easily? That happened to me when my phone broke and I didn’t have a back up. Have you considered ordering prints of those precious pictures and add them to your old fashioned photo album? As for me, this is one of the items in my to-do list ASAP.

There were a number of instances in my life when I experienced God’s hand of protection from injuries, sickness and even death. I believe that God rescued me from eminent dangers, thereby preserving and extending my life that I may accomplish His purposes. The following are my encounters with some perilous incidences and how the Lord delivered me. 

I nearly drowned twice when I was a young boy. I had bouts with poisonous snakes. I had vehicular accidents. I fought with cancer. In all of these maladies God’s protection was present.

 This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all my life long

Rescued!

Circa 1966- Cabanatuan, Philippines

Mother warned me not to go with my friends to the irrigation canal. She knew I didn’t know how to swim.  She reminded me of the boy who drowned. His bloated body was found after many days, several miles downstream the irrigation canal from where he was last seen. That was not the only death incident in the irrigation canal. There had been yearly drownings, claiming lives of  mostly children. 

Before going to work one day, mother assigned me and my sisters some house and yard chores and gave me a stern warning. “Gil, anak, I don’t want you to leave the house. You are not going with your friends especially if they are to swim in  the irrigation canal.” She would be gone the whole day to wash clothes for some rich family in town.

 But I outrightly  disobeyed her. After doing my share of chores, I took the liberty to leave even after so much chidings from my siblings Dimi and Susana.  My friends were able to persuade me to go with them. 

I didn’t know how to swim so I just sat by the bank and watched them jumped in the murky irrigation water and I felt so envious that they’re having fun and I wasn’t. Then I saw a boy much younger and shorter than me who was able to keep his head above the water. “It’s very shallow. Look, I’m not even sinking.” He assured me. I didn’t know that he was actually treading the six feet deep water. I believed him, so I jumped into the water just like what everyone did. But to my surprise, my feet did not reach the bottom, instead, the current quickly took me away. I screamed in fright and then I started ingesting water. 

I remember praying in my mind. “Jesus please help me. I don’t want to die!” The next thing I knew, a man was holding me by the neck and took me to the canal bank. He saw me coughed profusely as I tried to clear my air passage from the water I ingested. He patted my back several times which helped me breath better.  Then he turned to all of us and said, “You guys are not suppose to be here you all go home now.” We quickly put on our clothes and went on our way. When we reached the bottom of the ridge, I looked back and saw him sitting on top of  the ridge looking our way. I waved my hand to say goodbye and he acknowledged it by moving his hand as if shooing us away. I learned later that the same boy who tricked me into the water called on that lone passersby and told him I was drowning. We inquired from each other whether anybody knew the guy. He was a stranger- none of us had ever seen him before. 

 Somehow, my young mind thought there was some mystery about the person who rescued me.  The stern in his voice was more of a concern rather than a scorn. I felt his kindness and compassion.  His show of concern was very reassuring and comforting. I hadn’t seen him before and had not see him again.

 In retrospect, I want to believe that God had sent me His ministering angel to rescue me.  During the 90s, I was drawn to the TV show “Touched by an Angel” because somehow it reminded me of my own encounter with a special being. I felt very special and grateful!

That night when mother came home, she heard from the neighbors what happened while she was away. Consequently, I got the biggest spanking of my life. Mother made sure, I learned my lesson from my disobedience.  

Another incident of near-drowning happened when my sisters and I went to the fields to glean from the left-overs of a sweet potato farm. After gathering a sack of sweet potatoes, we decided to gather some edible clams (tulya) from a nearby man-made pond. The water was only ankle to knee deep on the periphery but it got deeper toward the center.

So I ventured further into the pond. The next thing I knew I sank into the water and my feet could not reach the bottom. I struggled up and down until my hand got hold of a stick. My sister who saw me drowning quickly found a tree limb and extended it to me and pulled me to safety. I learned later the pond had an uneven floor, and there were sudden drops at random areas. 

(From that time on I realized that I must learn how to swim.  With adult supervision, I persuaded mother to allow me to go to the irrigation canal to learn the life skill of swimming. When I was in college, I concentrated on swimming. It actually became my choice of sports and I became very good at it with back stroke and freestyle as my forte.)

Saved from harm

When I was in third grade, I had a classmate and friend named Antonio. We were best buddies playing marbles and kites together. We caught fish and frogs and played with spiders. We raced with our carabaoes (water buffalo). One day Antonio, with our other friends dropped by our house and invited me to go to the rice paddies to catch mudfish (dalag).  I told them I couldn’t go because I had some chores to do and mother told me not to leave the house. I already learned my lesson and so I did not mind the teasing that I got from my friends.
Late in the afternoon, there was a commotion in Antonio’s house. I learned from the neighbor that my friend was bitten by a poisonous snake and was rushed into the hospital. I looked for the other guys who were with him to inquire what had happened. “We saw a mudfish in the rice paddies and we followed it until it hid in the hole.” I know exactly what Alex was explaining to me. It’s much easier to catch the mud fish with bare hands when they are in their holes which was usually by the ridge (pilapil) separating the paddies. They literally trap themselves in the holes which made it easier to grab them. “Antonio volunteered to go for the fish but he was bitten by a snake as he stuck his hand in the hole. We have to carry him home because he said he was becoming dizzy.”

I wept when  they brought Antonio home in a casket the following day. He died before reaching the hospital. His face was purplish blue from the snake’s deadly venom. 

That could had been me! If I was with them, I would have chased that fish and be the one to catch it. After all, I was the leader of our little group. I was the more adventurous and daring one than any of them. But that wasn’t the case. I was out of harms way because I chose to be home. I believe in my heart that that was providential. 

Fast forward to 1990. 

Scene: Sultan Qaboos University farm. I was one of the farm technicians assigned in the irrigation section of the university farm. Part of my duty was to operate the irrigation system. One day I was opening and closing irrigation valves. After manually opening one valve and as I was moving to the next, I saw a snake uncurled itself from the bottom of the leaky valve and aggressively aimed at me. My instant reflex saved me from being bitten. Again, I believe that God had protected me from a potential harm.

Driving to a Wednesday prayer meeting, my wife and I were trying to get to the place on time. I resisted the urge of driving over the speed limit of 120 km/hr remembering the recent fatal accident of my friend Lito, my co-worker at the Sultan Qaboos University farm project, and his wife. They both perished in that accident. Tires are very susceptible to bursting when driving in the extremely hot weather of Muscat, Sultanate of Oman where temperature can register as high as 120F. 

While driving, I was pondering on the progress of the Filipino congregation we were involved with.  My heart was joyful that the home prayer meeting which started small gave the impetus for the formation of  a thriving  church. Brother Frisco and Sister Vangie Consolacion who offered their home as a venue for group meetings had encouraged our small group to pray that a church might be established. Our prayers were answered. The house meetings had grown to become a church which we named Oman Evangelical Christian Congregation (OECC). The ministry got more exciting when OECC was taken under the umbrella of the Oman Protestant Church which allowed us to use the church building in Al Ghubrah. 

My wife and I were part of that exciting work. It was through our involvement with OECC that we responded to the call of full-time ministry. We’ve requested the church to pray for us as we contemplate leaving our jobs in Oman to attend seminary in the US. 

I was on these thoughts when I heard a big bang! One of our tires burst. I braced myself for whatever effect that may take place after the tire busted. My startled wife reacted by loud cry of help. “Jesus please help us!” But after a long screeching, the car came to a halt on the highway shoulder away from other speeding cars. God spared me and my wife from potential deadly crash. 

Healed

In an earlier blog post, I shared regarding my bout with cancer. Please refer to the following articles: 1) Checking an Item on My Bucket List, and 2) Listening to Your Wife Can Save Your Life.

What do I make out of these experiences?

I believe that God had spared my life that I may accomplish his purposes. I pray that He will lead and help me as I try to diligently do His will in my life.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. Psalm 23: 4&6
  

 
The warm and vibrant display of the season colors welcomed us when we first arrived in America in the beginning of fall 1994. I’ve always admired the autumn colors even as seeing them only in the movies, magazines, post cards and greeting cards. But to actually see and be immersed in it was simply a breathtaking experience. With fascination and wonder I watched the changing of colors everyday on that fall season as I walked to school. The scenery was made even more dramatic as the afternoon sun intensifies the brightness of the fall colors, which makes for the condition “crispy autumn.” I witnessed the progression of colors from different hues of green to various shades of red, yellow, orange, pink and purple and the whole color spectrum- a phenomenon that does not occur in the Philippines where I came from. 

God had brought us to this colorful new world. God’s work of art is far more superior than any other masterpiece of the greatest human artist. God’s hands never stop working!

Would our lives be as colorful and vibrant as our new environment? How will God’s hands move in our lives in the next four years? These were my questions as we started our new lives in the United States.

Without any shade of doubt, the Lord painted new colors to many aspects of our lives and His mighty hands moved in mysterious ways to bless, protect, comfort and provide for us during  our four years of residence in the small town of Wilmore, Kentucky.  The following attest to God’s great work.

God Put Us in a Cocoon

Wilmore is a quaint little town north of Lexington, Kentucky. It is home to Asbury College where a great revival happened in 1970. Revival took place as a 50-minute student chapel service lasted for 185 hours-24 hours a day. The spirit of revival was felt far and wide and for a long time. The peace, quiet and comfort that we experienced in Wilmore, I believe, were remnants of that revival. No wonder, people refer to Wilmore as “a place ten miles away from any known sin.! This is one of the few places in America where there is a cross on its water tower visible for everyone to see and a welcome sign that says “Jesus Loves.” Wilmore is also home to Asbury Theological Seminary where the Lord brought us for education and training for ministry. Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky is a place I called a cocoon where God sheltered and provided for us while shaping and preparing us for His work. Asbury Seminary provided a very conducive environment for academic pursuit and spiritual formation.

God Prepared Us for Ministry

Foundation to our seminary education was the study of the Biblical languages, Greek and Hebrew. Our professor told us that learning the Bible in its original language is like watching television-black and white is transformed to colored when the Bible is understood in the context and meaning of the language it was originally written. And that’s actually our experience. One becomes a better preacher and teacher of the Word for understanding Greek and Hebrew. The education we received at Asbury equipped  and prepared us for ministry.  It was a great privilege to learn from Wesleyan Holiness thinkers such as Dr. David Thompson, Dr. Joe Dongell, Dr. Allan Coppedge, Dr. Robert Coleman and many others. 

The apostle Paul advised the young pastor Timothy to be diligent and “study  to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.” God had positioned us strategically in a place so quiet and peaceful whose people were so loving and caring so that diligence in our study could be achieved.

 
God Transformed Us

 Being immersed in the word of God was life transforming. One cannot read and study the Bible without being changed by it. While studying the book of Mark, my wife was convicted of her lack of faith and for doubting God’s faithfulness. As a result she was freed from worries and learned to fully trust God. The knowledge we acquired in studying had impacted and transformed our lives in many ways.

God Gave Us a Big Family

Being away from home, we were separated from our blood relatives. But God had expanded and extended our family. The day we arrived in Wilmore, I was very surprised to see a white man wearing a barong (Philippine native shirt) crossing the street. He turned out to be Bro Bob Bickert, missionary to the Philippines when I was a teenager. Bob and and his wife Kay Bickert became our close family in Kentucky. They introduced us to many churches in the southern states. We were adopted by some of these Wesleyan congregations who gave us financial support while studying at the seminary. We also found a local congregation, the Stonewall Wesleyan Church where we worshipped and served. The academic community also embraced and cared for us. The Wesleyan Seminary Foundation managed by Steve Willingham supported us from the day we arrived until the day we left Wilmore. All of the above groups of people and individuals became our big supportive, loving family away from home.

 When our youngest child Gilary was born in 1996, the church and the academic community supplied us with food everyday for a good one month. We did not run out of diapers and baby clothes for the supplies given to us by our big family filled up a whole closet.

When my mother (Inang) died in 1997, I could not afford to go home for her funeral. I remember staring at a large world map hanging on the wall of the seminary hallway realizing how far away I was from my dead mother. I wished I could go home but I had no money for the trip. With tears streaming from my eyes, I ran my fingers on the map of the Philippines to the continent of America, telling myself, “I’m sorry Inang I cannot come home to burry you.” And then, I felt a hand gripped my shoulder. When I turned to look, I saw my classmate Valerie crying with me. She gave me a hug and said. “Gil, get ready because we are sending you home.” That night she came to our apartment and handed me an envelope filled with money. The seminary  students passed the hat and came up with money more than I needed to buy a two way ticket. I used the rest of the money to purchase Tagalog hymn books which we donated to Cabanatuan Wesleyan Church during my mother’s funeral service. My big American family embraced,comforted and supported us again.

God Was There Even as We Play

 One summer, our family was very excited to see some places north of Kentucky. We set out to drive the 1100 miles shoreline of Lake Michigan. Our plan was to camp out at night wherever our drive would take us. First stop was Door County in Wisconsin. What a treat watching the 4th of July fireworks done at a Marina. The glow of the fireworks was intensified as the lake waters reflected the bright and colorful glare of the fireworks. At night we pitched our tent at a nearby campground. Before we retired for the night, our children thanked the Lord for the good day and prayed for the rest of our trip around the Great Lakes. The last leg of our trip took us to Traverse City Michigan, the home of the National Cherry Festival. The day was filled with excitement, fun and play that exhausted our energy. We were too tired to pitch our tent, so we decided to look for a cheap hotel accommodation. It turned out that all hotels within 25-mile radius were all booked due to the Cherry Festival. While driving around Traverse City, I made an announcement to my family. “Guys you pray that we might find a place to rest for the night.” My wife Edith, my daughter Gilda and my son Gilson prayed one after the other. As soon as they said amen, we found ourselves driving by the Bayview Wesleyan Church. It was almost 10 pm but the lights were still on in the sanctuary. I parked and went inside the church where I found a family doing some work. I introduced myself and upon hearing that we were Wesleyans and attending Asbury Seminary they quickly responded. They were the Fox family, mom and dad and two children. Mrs. Fox took the phone book and made a call. After hanging up she told us to hurry before the last room in a local hotel is filled up. She gave us the directions how to get there. “I might as well take you to the place. Follow me.” Offered Bro. Fox. We drove behind him. When we got to the hotel to register and check in, Bro Fox came with us. “I just want to make sure you’re all settled for the night.” He said. When we secured our place, Bro Fox wrote a check and paid for our room. Before he left, we all thanked him and gave him hugs, then he came closer to me and slipped something in my shirt pocket then quickly left. When we got to our room, the first thing we did was to pray and thank God for His great provisions. He did not only give us a place to stay, He also gave us $100.00 through Bro Fox, a complete stranger but our brother in the Lord nonetheless. We prayed for the Fox family and the whole Bayview Wesleyan Church! 

God Moved People’s Hearts and Hands

When we arrived home from our vacation trip. My wife checked the mail box. Again, my family was driven to our knees to thank God for providing us through His mysterious work. There were letters and checks in the mail from Central Wesleyan Church, in Holland, Michigan and Daniels Wesleyan Church in West Virginia, both pledging their prayers and financial support until we finished our seminary studies.

 God touched not only churches to help us, even families and individuals.  Nancy Ellwood, our sister in the Lord, took and introduced us to her elderly parents, the Jarboe’s. The sweet, loving Jarboes insisted that we accept their love gift. It was hard for us to accept gifts from the elderlies, but the Lord gave us humility and grace to accept and be grateful. My wife cried being touched by their genuine generosity. There were many others who God touched to bless our family and we’re very grateful.

Indeed, our lives were painted with vivid colors, done by no other than the hands of of our Heavenly Father. Praise be to God! (Next Issue: God’s Mysterious Ways: Protection)