The Hardest Time… What Lies Ahead?
As I was growing tired and weary with the many pressures, obstacles, and difficulties in life, I learned the passing away of many rich and famous persons in just a few weeks. Perhaps, we know that Michael Jackson, Farrah Faucet, Sen. Edward Kennedy, actor Patrick Swayze, former Philippine President Cory Aquino, Iglesia ni Kristo founder Erano Manalo, famous american TV host, and many others around the world had already passed away. I have a nephew in his early 30s from my wife side who met a sudden tragic death 3 weeks ago leaving behind her wife and 2 young children and an unfinished house construction. Just a week ago, I learned the unexpected death of the wife of an acquaintance here in Canada who just migrated last year after being diagnosed with cancer in the kidney. Her death was so quick because the cancer cells spread quickly to her lungs and pancreas. She was given dosages of anti-biotic to ease the pains. They just mortgaged a house recently and the husband was laid off from his job. Yesterday, I met another filipino new immigrant whose husband will rush back to the Philippines today because his father died. Also, a former officemate in SMC who is still in his early 50s and with a promising career, died of heart attack. He had met frequent pain and sufferings in his life. There are others whom I know who died from mid of this year and I am sure you also know someone who also passed away since the beginning of 2009. I began to reflect and think what seems to be happening in this year 2009? Many have lost their jobs, many cannot find a job, many lost their house and car mortgage, their savings, and even suffered depression, broken relationship, loss of self-confidence, and many other pain and sufferings brought by the devastating global economic crisis. Some of whom I met here in Canada say that our coming last year and those who just arrived in 2009 was a wrong timing. We have read, seen or heard from various media and people of the endless wars, tragedies, violence and conflict around the world. Here in the city of Mississauga, Ontario, I am overwhelmed to see so many people lining up to the Food Bank compared to last year. Many of them claim they have lost their job or cannot find a job. From Lotto outlets, I was told that many are now betting in games of luck as if it is their only hope in life. Some even say they are wishing that the second coming of Christ come soonest so that the pain and sufferings in this world would finally end. Many times, I wondered…what lies ahead? Perhaps, you have also thought the same. Perhaps, many of us are hoping that in 2010, our economic life will be better as what we read or heard. Perhaps, even some of us are not bothered of what is going on around us and what lies ahead. But, certainly, we will all pass away and we do know know when. After going through persistent prayer and reflection, what God has told us in the past remain the same today and tomorrow. In Jeremiah 29:11-14, God says: “For I know what my plans for you are, plans to save you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and to give you hope.” And God says, “When you call on me I will listen. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will let myself be found by you and I will gather your from among all the nations and from all the places here I have driven you and bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Indeed, life here on earth is a struggle, a mystery, full of violence and conflict, and often a race to have the most of what the worldly riches can offer. But, if we truly abide in God’s word…”Life is a pilgrimage to God…and not dreams to enjoy!” “We make plans. But at the flick of an eye our plans can change. God has better plans for our welfare. Allow, accept, be alert, Listen!”. “Feeling at your lowest depth? Sometimes, our God uses loss of job, money, relationship and meaning, to give us time to reflect. Be comforted!” – Reginarosa Power Message Reflection: “Then I considered all I had achieved by my work and all the toil it had entailed and found Attached is an article written by Rick Warren (Author of Purpose Driven Life) today, Sept. 18, 2009, to remind us all what is our purpose and future. I believe it is not an accident and timely, perhaps in this hardest time, for us to reflect…who have gone astray and are being called by God to come back and live according to his plan.
that it wall all meaningless and chasing wind. There is no profit under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:11
You Can Be Confident About the Future
by Rick Warren“And I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalms 23:1-6 NLT).
How long is forever going to last? Forever! Some day your body is going to die, but you aren’t! Your body is going to end, but that’s not going to be the end of you. You’re going to live forever in one of two places—heaven or hell. They’re both real places. You will spend eternity in heaven or hell. Your body is going to die, but you’re not going to die. We were made to last forever.
Why should Christians be the most confident people about the future?
“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. . . . We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6,8 NIV).
Death, for Christians, is a transfer, a promotion. It’s on to better things; no more problems. You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die. You don’t know how to live until you’re ready to die. Only a fool would go all through life, totally unprepared for something that everybody knows is inevitable.
You’re going to die—someday. If you’ve accepted Christ, then you’re going to go to heaven. You’ll be released from pain, from sorrow, from suffering, from depression, from fear: “He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone” (Revelation 21:4, MSG).
May God bless you and your loved ones.
By: Charlie
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada
Viewed 12734 times by 3076 viewers
Base!
Amen to this Reynz! If we are in Christ we know that we shouldn’t be afraid. Even of dying. I am afraid too, but knowing that “All things work together for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:28)”, then why be afraid. Being in Christ makes everything different eh.
kaya dapat pag-igihin ang kung ano mang personal project mo on earth para pagdating nang araw perfect ang powerpoint presentation mo hehe
amen.
well said kamahalan.
isa ito sa mga pinaka seryosong posts sa barrio at gusto ko.
nung binasa ko, isa lang ang conclusion ko sa sarili, habang nabubuhay matuto nang maghanda at magpasalamat.
hindi po ako ang nagsulat niya Dioniz hahaha, that’s one contribution by Charlie from Canada, isang overseas Filipino.
i mean pinahintulutan. eto naman o,
pa kiss nga, walang malisya, muuuah! nyahahaha
NGAK! pag nagkita tayo, kelangan TOTOHANIN mo yan! hehehe hindi ko yan pinapalibre hehe
[...] was reading this article in Barrio Siete that I remember one email from a good friend regarding how fast life is and why we [...]
Faith always rocks…One deep and powerful post to me…
one great entry indeed dFish. masyadong deep. first time ata to sa Barrio.
Sobrang serious ng post na ito Reynz. Very deep ang meaning.
Indeed, everyone of us should have faith in God. We should also face Him without fear so that we can have an eternal life in heaven.
oo Snow and thanks to Charlie from Canada for sharing this to us. Time to reflect…
Thanks for this post. We should have confidence that no matter what we are facing right now, God holds everything in His hands.
AMEN Mahalia.
dapat talagang bumalik ang pananampalataya ng mga tao sa dyos. marami na kasing nakakalimot o nakalimot ng tuluyan dahil sa mga tinatamasang makikislap na matiryal na bagay.
Reynz, si bebot nga hindi na tumatanggap ng trabaho ng sunday…sabi nya iyun lang daw ang araw naming mag anak para mag simba. thanks for this post
Annie,
Kilala mo kung sino ang sumulat nito right? Andyan lang sya senyo.
we never know what will happen next, so now is the time to reflect and we should be spiritually ready, dapat talaga tayong maglaan ng panahon sa para sa Panginoon
me kasabihan na ang mga relihyosong tao eh mga pobrecitas lang. kaya tong mga kurakot na opisyales dyan walant takot sa dyos dahil ang relihyon nila ang perang maka-kamkam nila
but you know, para saten mga nagdurusa dahil instead na mapunta saten ang mga perang yon for us to have a better life, we can only hope and believe that there will be a leader that will come out to truly serve us.
eto
Spirituality – My personal prayer…since I could not find perfection on earth where else to go – of course,i am not going to worry…because
The resources on earth is so abundant for everyone but this is earth where profit and greed is more important than anything else…
Ah, I will not worry… because someday
Ah, religion is the opium of the people… i will take it…
AMEN.
death is the only rest a person can have…sometimes, to some, it can be the only hope of peace they are looking for.
nothing is worrying about death…God is there afterlife. HAPPINESS IS THERE AFTERLIFE.
For some, which I could not mention who – - besides heaven- – there is an addition of 23 virgins waiting.. .
DEEP! DEEP! hahaha!
ang buhay ay isang gulong ng palad. i want to see these trying times optimistically. nasa ilalim tayo ngayon and eventually babalik din tayo sa taas. go lang ng go with life, maghanda lang tayo.
[...] was inspired to write this email after writing about “The Hardest Time…What Lies Ahead?” and which was published in the http://www.barriosiete.com. I thought…maybe I should write [...]
[...] was inspired to write this email after writing about “The Hardest Time…What Lies Ahead?” and which was published in the http://www.barriosiete.com. I thought…maybe I should write [...]