Choose To Love ♥

"To love God is to be determined to do what God wishes at each moment of our lives. What God wishes of us regarding our neighbor is that we render loving service and forgiveness." :)

I received an email from a sister who is on an emotional high - in a negative way. She was asking for my advice as to how she would deal with the people who keep on bothering her despite her efforts to avoid them. She said she's already tired of being mad at them, tired of seeing them, tired of all the issues related to them. She said she wanted to heal and that she never want to have to deal with any of them ever again.

I pondered on her sharing and tried my best to put myself in her shoes. I asked God for the best possible advice I could give. Then instantaneously, I found myself typing the following:

Just let things be, Sis. You cannot force healing. At kahit anong iwas mo, since we're still in the same community, makikita at makikita mo rin sila once in a while. We all live in a very small world, lalo na at member tayo ng community. Pero time heals all wounds naman. Sabi mo nga pagod ka ng magalit, then tama na. :) You cannot control the emotions and reactions of other people, but you can control yours. You just need to choose to be happy in the midst of all the circumstances bothering you. Focus on the positive things rather than wasting your time and energy thinking about the people you no longer want to have relations with. :)

At gaya ng nakasulat sa email signature mo na verse from Galatians, "do not grow tired of doing good", try mo lang i-repay with goodness lahat ng negative actions na ginagawa sayo ng iba. Again, you cannot change nor control them, but you can choose to be a better, kinder, more loving and compassionate individual. Hindi madali, pero with God's grace, nothing is impossible. :)

Pray more, love more, smile more. Choose Christ everyday. And choosing Christ means choosing love, peace, and joy. :)

She replied with a "thank you for these kind words" message. Surely, those words didn't come from me. And I was affirmed of God's message of love when I received the three-minute retreat from Loyola Press. It was entitled "Doing The Good Thing" and the verse was taken from Luke 10:36-37: "Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." Allow me to share the reflection:

Help comes from unexpected places. For the injured man in the parable of the Good Samaritan, help came from someone who was outside the community of believers.

As we live as children of God, our choice to do what is right comes from a decision to do what is good, just, and merciful out of love for God. With God's grace we can be an unexpected source of mercy for those who suffer.

Reflection Questions: How can I be an instrument of healing and mercy in my relationships? Who has shown mercy to me?

Prayer: My Lord and my God, I want to love You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. Help me to love my neighbor as I love myself.

It's Monday, and it's the first day of a new month. And today, I choose to love. ♥

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