I’m either on a roll, or I’m doing all this typing in anticipation for the weather being really bad tomorrow, seeing as we have another typhoon ‘gracing’ our shores – or, really, just hitting the Philippines up here in the North, where even us folks in the boondocks are bracing for strong winds and continuous rains.
See, right after I typed that last article, I found myself wanting – Like, I don’t know, I was tempted to give a little more thought again – not on what, more on who I’ve lost (or who I’m at least on the road to accepting I lost)… But hey, it’s not as if that last article was a waste of time. Like I said, it’s not as if I’ve made that full ‘shift’… However, until then, I have the prerogative, nay, the opportunity and privilege (as we actually all do in the body of Christ):
To rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus.
Pray, I did. And naturally, because I prayed, I gave thanks. And as I’ve written down earlier, I’m reminded now that as we pray, and as we give thanks, we further demonstrate our trust in Him.
I thanked God for the people in my past who I’ve probably dishonored by thinking too much about. And in my prayers, I lifted all my grievances, my frustrations, my desires regarding them; I’ve lifted up, and will continue to lift up all the “what if’s” and the “if only’s” to the One who knows it all, the One who can do it all, and, most importantly, the One who is for me, and never against me; Jesus Christ, Faithful and True.
As I was praying I was reminded of how, in this season, I’ve lost, and I will probably lose some more people… but I was comforted, by way of my eyes opened to the people I’ve gained (new high-caliber, high-energy folks who have become more regular in my church); I’ve also been directed to see and consequently appreciate the people I’ve had and who’ve stayed (people from where I used to work more than a decade ago, not only keeping in touch but genuinely following up with each other)… and finally, I haven’t just been directed to people, but tribes – ministry collectives both here in the North and closer to the Philippine capital.
I’m thankful, because the pain of rejection is being healed by manifestations of acceptance… and, to rephrase what Donn said previously, I’m not reeling from the pain of how I was rejected, but I suppose I should be thankful that, at least for a significant amount of time, I was accepted.
And I want to be honest about this, I AM thankful for the comfort matching the pain, but all the same, I do pray and continue to pray for peace, coming from the fact that these folks who have hurt me will be okay, just as I will be okay.
I remember how, in the recent weeks or months, I’ve also been brought to a vision, of these folks who rejected me, AND the folks I rejected; Of folks who have left me (by their free will or ‘left’ us by dying), and folks I’ve left, looking right into my eyes and saying, “We will be okay”.
I know I wrote about that somewhere else, but all of it is rallying together here and now, if only so I’m legitimately comforted.
Sorry, I thought I’d just share all of this, with the hopes that if any of us are also hurting from rejection, well, here’s another reason to come to Christ – by His faithfulness and His mercies, we find His goodness is superior to all the bad we see, and we have all the reasons to trust in Him.
I’ve been praying a lot recently, and most of the time my prayers, whether for myself or for others, would be in this form: “Father, be glorified in all things”.
Perhaps, in all we’re experiencing, I should also pray – I should also declare, ‘Father, be SEEN in all things.’; or, rather, ‘Father, let Your goodness be seen in all things’.
So, yeah, with all this being said, I want to thank you for your patience with me so far. And though I’d love to pray for you in person, I’d like to pray here instead; rather, I’d like to declare, on top of what we determined to declare earlier:
May our Father be glorified in all you experience in the present.
May you see Him and His goodness whenever the past comes back for you to remember.
May you draw hope from His faithfulness whenever you find yourself worrying about your future.
Speak comfort upon yourself and all involved. Speak forgiveness on who you think needs it…
…and in all that you’re feeling, may you find the prerogative, the pleasure to rejoice in the Lord, the privilege to pray to Him, and the genuine desire to give Him thanks, no matter what is going on.
Let’s stay safe and warm, folks here in the Philippines. There’s a lot of news of how bad this typhoon will be, but I only pray we have electricity and internet through it all. But most of all, yes, Father, be glorified in this weather – no matter how the weather turns out, be glorified, Father.
I thought this would be an all-nighter… But I’m genuinely getting sleepy.
Until the next post, God bless us all.
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