Humiliating Glories in Credit Cards!

In our church, we normally post our monthly theme in front of the pulpit with colorful, bold, artistic letterings to remind us of the highlight Bible verse/s where most of Midweek and Sunday preachings should be based to enable us to really understand our Lord's teaching on a particular topic or doctrine. A month came when our theme displays: Let him who glories, glory in these: that he knows and understands Me! ( ). I really wanted to apply each theme to my life so I pray to the Lord to make me humbler as I accomplish more in life. But my desire was immediately tested one time when our family went out for a dinner in a popular mall and entered our favorite pizza house. I did not bring enough cash because I have two credit cards. I have been a cardholder since 1991 and have not experienced paying penalties due to late payment, so I feel proud that I am a veteran, responsible, abiding credit cardholder. With these in mind, when my husband asked me to make sure if I really brought my cards with me, I search for my cards confidently but found only one and still assured him that it's okay coz "international yata 'to 'no?" After our sumptuous dinner, I handed the card to the waiter and after a few minutes in a moderate voice asked me: "Do you have any other cards Ma'am?" My temperature changed instantly and almost whispering asked why, then he said "your card is not yet accredited with us". My husband's facial expression scared me more than the humiliation I feel so trying to retain my composure, I stood up and walked ahead of the waiter and said "I want to talk to your supervisor". And as the lady supervisor motioned me to sit in one corner of the store, I was praying "Lord, come to my rescue, I don't know what to do now, take me out of this pit" while trying to evade the inquiring looks from customers nearby. While still trying to be calm and thinking of the possible solution to our fate, I asked silently "what are you doing in this kind of situation?, trying to elicit advice on how can we graciously exit without much humiliation, the woman said, "some left their watches or jewelries"... and as she was speaking, I was reminded of the twenty dollar bill nicely tucked in a very thin long booklet inside my bag which I'm been keeping for years as a souvernir, so I've got a long deep breath and took it out and as if there are several of them, I flip the pages of the booklet and pull out the only bill I had and presto... asked the lady "Can I pay in dollars?", then after inquiring to the cashier the latest rate, come back to me and inform me that I still have a change quite big enough for a Filipino tipping rate... I said "Oh, keep the change, it's okay!" When I returned to my restless tribe and summarized briefly how I was able to get away with the situation, my husband exclaimed "see, I told you!". With a deep breath I whispered: Glory to God!!!

Blessings from a Cancelled Check

When my two children are still in their preparatory, we had the chance to earn extra income through investing money to a couple who later became our friend. They used to sell rice wholesale and they serve as the labor partner and we act as the capitalist and we agreed on a prorated profits. We're doing well in our small business until our children's needs became bigger and our regular monthly income does not suffice our family expenses so we are forced to withraw our investment little by little. After several installments, the last P5,000.00 took us long to collect to give leeway to the couple. When an emergency needs arise, we were forced to collect not on agreed terms so I prayed hard first that our friend will understand our situation and pay us. The wife was surprised and narrated lots of excuses not to pay because his husband is not around to decide with her, so I gave her an alternative to pay us a postdated check so that I can discount it in our office cooperative. I was relieved when she started to search for his husband's checkbook but to my dismay, she said there are no more signed blank checks available but only one with a surname already written on it which precedes blank spaces for the first name: Pay to the order of __________HIPOLITO. My eyes widened as if I saw a miracle happening before my very eyes because an officemate named ESTELA HIPOLITO is a sister in faith and at the same time the treasurer of our cooperative. So I exclaimed "Praise the Lord! I can use that! " so my friend's supposedly scapegoat cornered her. I requested Estela to deposit the check on her account and after three days it was cleared and presto! I was paid.

Lost and Found

While inside my children's school campus contemplating about where to get the current tuition fee installment due of my son Cyr Jae, a co-parent personally handed me a solicitation letter for her son's college tuition fee subsidy. She earns a very meager salary so I feel I cann't ignore her request since our friendship are just in the nurturing stage. Besides she knows I have a good-paying job and a part-time business and it was the first time she gently approached me regarding finaces. My money that time is only two five hundred peso bills so I gave her the P500.00. Her grateful spirit made me feel that I fell short of what I am supposed to give and wished she had asked some other time when I have extra money. Before going home, I dropped by a mall to purchase items for our office Christmas raffle prizes. At the cashier, while locating my credit card, I discovered that my other P500.00 bills was nowhere to be found, so I supposed it was lost while taking out the one I gave to my friend. At home after relaying to my husband about the incident, he fret over my not being bothered at least a little bit by my lost but instead saw me humming and eating as if nothing really happened. I smiled at him and exclaimed: I want to practice the art of thanking God for everything whether good or bad! The Bible says "in everthing give thanks for this is the will of God... That afternoon I received a phone call from the bookkeeper of my business partner and told me to get the check amounting to P20,000.00 because her boss wants to return part of my investment since they had a surplus cash that time and that was more than enough for my son's tuition fee. Isn't the Lord such a great provider? Praise Him!!!

When Lightning Strikes!

After recovering from one of the most terrible crisis in my life(supposedly), I began to take it as God's wake-up call for me and compelled me to make so many promises to Him to compensate for all my shortcomings. Before, my life was centered only for my family, career, pleasures... all for selfish gain and personal satisfaction and only a little for my Christian obligations. All Sundays I'm inside the church but lying on my comfort zones unmindful of the needy souls around me. One of the ministry God prompted me to do is to gather groups of children in our neighborhood and taught them about the love of God. I held it every Saturday afternoon in a vacant lot in our street and we sing Gospel songs, play games, talk about Jesus in the Holy Book - the Bible, and pray for one another. During one of our session, we talk about the story of the Apostle Paul when he personally encountered the Lord Jesus Christ on his way on the road to Damascus to persecute all the Christians but then a very bright light shone around him and ask him "Saul, Saul why are you hurting Me?" and the rest of the story we can read in the book of Acts. When all the children went home after a simple snack, an old woman with a small sari-sari store nearby who used to always show signs of disgusto to our spiritual undertkings and always sneer to the children who passed by her store, approached me and told me "You know teacher, two days ago a lightning stroke as if it hit me directly and a very bright light seemed to overshadowed this whole place and I was so scared and just pronounced: My God! my God! Help me!" She said that after she recovered from her shock, she went outside and found that the coconut tree beside her store about seven meters tall was the one hit by the lightning at its very peak and it burned. From then on her stance soften and her attitude towards us changed. Truy it is very hard to kick against the goads! We cannot oppose God, His people and His work! Just like Paul, even nature can work against us if we hardened our hearts and not heed His call.

Earthly Fireworks or Heavenly Stars?

While roaming around inside a gargantuan mall, our church Pastor dropped by a small coffee shop while waiting for his wife who is attending her student's graduation ceremony in a nearby hotel. The cozy coffee shop is located at the side of the highest floor of the building with open porch facing the bay. Moments later he was puzzled by a crowd rushing towards his direction but immediately concluded that there's nothing so serious about the commotion since the people who were running show an elated disposition. He realized that the time for weekend fireworks display sponsored by the mall was about to start and everyone especially children wants to be in the frontline to witness the exciting event. After all the spectators left and all the smokes subsided, my Pastor noticed a star from afar and said to himself: the glamours and glitters of the works of human hands takes away our attention from what is more worthy to behold: the unfading beauty of God's creation are truly unfathomable!

Light Mischief, Lasting Lessons

A well-known company sponsors our yearly office bowling competition which enables us, about forty employees, to take a break from our daily work routine and take home bagful of their assorted goodies as part of their promotional campaign. Before the actual day of the event, we draw lots to choose our team leaders. When I happened to draw the name of ??? , I was dismayed because he's an amateur player and I doubt if we can win the game since most of the team leaders are experienced bowlers so I devised a trick so that I can exchange what I had first drawn and got a different name instead. On the day of the games, my supposed team captain had to attend to an emergency so he had to be replaced, and mind you, the lady team captain who substituted him garnered all the major individual awards and the grand champion as well! My team placed fourth but such personal experience relive to my mind the story of Achan from the Bible. I consider my crime as a little mischief but it taught me a great lesson not to take sin lightly.

Gems from Light Moments

When my mother was being treated for a cervical cancer in a government hospital in Manila, I took most of the responsibility of taking care of her, so I tried to find ways not to stressed myself too much. I brought some books, a walkman and scribbling materials to while away my boredom. Since it was several weeks before Christmas, the hospital was adorned with various colorful decors, trimmings and banners, Christmas trees, lanterns, nativity, wreaths which are all made up of materials recycled out of hospital's used, empty dextrose bottles, medicine boxes, used syringes, different containers of medical accessories etc. I learned that there was a departmental competition for the most original and creative design. While roaming around one night taking a few deep breaths after a tiring back and forth errands, examining and adoring those several peculiar artistic charms of the Season, it dawned on me: we humans can be compared to those hospital's trash, toxic, gruesome, hazardous, smells awful in the sight of God due to our fallen state, we are useless and deserve His judgment. But because of His unconditional love, great mercy and bountiful grace, He can transform our lives into a beautiful creation that can shine brighter, inspire many, influence others if we will trust in Jesus who died for our sins and make Him our Lord and Savior.

Serendipities Along the Way

The first time I wear a newly bought closed leather shoes, I experienced a terrible pain as if my feet were swollen. Because of so much pain, it will be difficult for me to go back home, I uttered a prayer like this: "Lord please help me, I know there is nothing impossible with you please loosen this shoes so that I can proceed to my office". As my face grimaced with pain, and after attempting a few more steps, I walked over a pothole with a light muddy water and happened to dipped both my feet just enough to fill my shoes with water. After emptying water from my shoes, I was amazed by what happened... my shoes loosened and I was able to reach my office not feeling the pain anymore! I discovered that when a leather got wet, it expands. Until now I'm still wondering how such a pothole in the middle of a busy street contain water when there is no rain that occur that week. Truly it's a miracle!