Who's Gonna Clean the Toilet?

Ave Maria:-)

Shalom  God is so wise... if we can't figure out a way to rest our spirit, mind and body..if we don't know how to slow down our pace..give up certain activities that donot add an eensy-weensy bit to our life...instead, the dumbos we are... 

without knowing it.. these very things/habits/concerns/even people or friendships we are so enamoured with actually EGADS...!  Deplete us...nang Sobra.

Talk about not knowing what's good or bad for us. Thank God for the times we are committed to personal or communal prayer..because when we make the tiniest effort to ask God to help us be more focused on Him..He will do it for us..He waits for our prayer . there's this joyful song that goes: He who began a good work in you... will be faithful to complete 2x..He who started the work will be faithful to complete it in you...Do listen to it later     

He who began a good work in you - Steve http://youtu.be/6eurtH6yjDE

So how was your week? or has it been 2 weeks since we connected through the internet? Here in Manila.. time literally stopped.

I know you'll roll your eyes..but I can't help blurting out it's the 3rd death in our bible couple cell group of 22 years, glory to GOD -twas Bro. Rox who pointed out the no. of yrs.... So from Dec to May first Bro. Jing Carreon, then Sis. Mary Abelita and last week Bro. Peping Gonzalez passed away. At our Yahoo e-mail croup of highschool classmates STC.. also recieved sad news of classmate Kate's death.

On the joyful side ..kept praising and thanking God that the 3 deaths in the community  were beautiful in the sense that they were prepared to meet our Lord. Sometimes illness works in our favor..it gives us time to reflect..to give up everything and anything that will hinder our union with Jesus..it allows us the precious time and chance to ask for forgiveness (essential) , perhaps bestow forgiveness (crucial) upon those who have hurt us... reconciliation can happen .and oh how sweet this is for a soul...  both for the one soon departing this world..and the ones who must continue and finish their journey... this spiritual healing benefits all!

 An aunt would love to explain how the Lord afforded my father time to fix his house.. for the two brothers and sisters in our community who died..it is a similar case.

there is time ..a golden opportunity to "fix the house" not so much in the material sense ... but more in leaving God's peace...God's forgiveness and love for the family left behind...this sets the direction for the family left behind... It is always wonderful to hear members of the family share during the necrological service or burial mass of what they learned from the deceased in terms of faith and values.. it is inspiring how even in the midst of their grief, they solemnly make a promise to also try their best to know, love and serve Christ... to imitate the good that a parent or loved one has done in his/her lifetime.

Like it or not we too are reminded "to fix our house".... to share about Jesus , Who He is and what He has done for us.

We can't say that enough can we? But tis'  the truth.Our primary purpose is to give glory to GOD, however and whatever it takes.  And everything else flows from here..whether you sail the seven seas as an OFW .. or be a Divisoria trader... a stock market analyst..a caregiver.. manicurista...   if our Firm Foundation is Christ .. it will naturally affect , be seen and felt in  every aspect of our life.

Society and worldly gurus have succeeded in planting SELF-SUFFICIENCY in our consciousness. Instead of a reliance on God, humbly seeking His Will and asking for the grace to do good... we often strut about town ... " Well ...geez... guess what I did... all by my lonesome self.! Kayang-kaya!" 

(  But sweetie... please reflect muna..... Even if we be able to send our sons and daughters to the best schools,

 make sure they get

"established" ( it has a queer "ring " to it really.... established?? talaga?) ... find the right partner, raise a family - some go as far as to say they plan when to have the babies... susmio!!! ...so we go through the whole gamut of life nurturing this crazy idea that whatever it is we're doing and achieving is solely by our own powers and resources. Kakakilabot di ba? (shivers down the spine)

Many times we get weary... and we complain to the Lord.... it is not fair...here we are trying our best to obey You ... gargantuan efforts and all ... (in Tagalog, we joke around and say...lumalabas na ang matris sa hirap..) but Lord  how is it....The Other Party ... or plural ba? the Other Parties are Blissfully Unaware of the pain and evil they inflict.... some other parties are not as evil...but just the same Lord..they stand in the middle... neither doing good nor bad... ahhhh... nakaka-inis sila God.

We think it is grossly Unfair.. we study our life ... how things are at home...with the family.... how we are treated at work... how we are not paid well... we go to church...thinking aha...it'll be better there... but the same thing can happen too of how it's possible you'll end up doing more, giving more...hurting more...forgiving ....loving more... if we're not careful ...we can throw the white towel and say...what a thankless ministry... in Bisaya , it's the virtual : "Ano ba ini? " 

Patience ...patience dear brother and sister...nothing is ever wasted.

If they are asking you to do it for the nth time....... if you are the only family member who bothers to clean/disinfect the toilets and scrub floors....  if your loved one is driving you crazy ... and you really honestly donot know if you can still muster one more iota of understanding and bearing with their weaknesses , just call out to Jesus -- He will immediately come to your aid, supply the grace , strength and love you need.... before you now it..you did it again , and you did it well because you did it for the LORD.Hallelujah, amen.

In closing...try cleaning toilets, bathrooms.. it is not the jolliest chore of all... never mind if you are the only one using it... but to do this for others.... is an Olympian feat It is the best exercise for our soul..because it reminds us of our vulnerability --- how we are absolutely nothing without Jesus... how our soul is easily stained  by the dirt of sin... how evil really makes us ugly...the same way dirt and feces and stinking urine will make anyone puke inside the toilet.... It is a close analogy to how sin destroys us, robbing us our of inner beauty , purity, holiness ...and then think  how while you are scrubbing this toilet with Lysol..and if needed muriatic acid ..of how Jesus Himself ..so very thoughtful of Him cleanses us from sin with His Own Blood ...Best Disinfectant Ever.

Do we get tired of doing good or of obeying God? I think it is not so much the tiredness as the temptation to think it is futile... that people will remain horrid and unchanged just the same. RESIST THAT THOUGHT BECAUSE GOD RECIEVES EVERY SINGLE GOOD DEED, THOUGHT, WORD  PRAYER AND SACRIFICE WE MAKE.. we must always offer and unite it with Jesus and then the Father in His Wisdom  determines how this humble offering obtains our conversion and the conversion of sinners.      

As you are preparing for another day's work..or to help out with the children's homework, while cooking at the same time...listen to this song.... let us thank the Lord that each day we are being molded more and more unto His image and likeness............................................................have a good week..............te mye

 He who began a good work in you - Steve http://youtu.be/6eurtH6yjDE

He who began a good work in you

He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He'll be faithful to complete it
He who started the work
Will be faithful to complete it in you

If the struggle you're facing
Is slowly replacing
Your hope with despair
Or the process is long
And you're losing your song
In the night you can be sure
That the Lord has His hand on you
Safe and secure
He will never abandon you
You are His treasure
And He finds His pleasure in you