Skip to main content

Allow Yourself to be Loved ♥

When I learned that it's going to be a long weekend, my brain suddenly became busy thinking of things to do and places to go to. I came up with a lot but on top of everything that I listed was Baguio! It has been my go-to place. There's the PMA, and now the Assumption Sabbath Place where my new spiritual director resides. 

Kung ako lang talaga ang masusunod, I would have spend the long weekend up north. Thing is, hindi ako ang nasunod - yung wallet at katawan ko. 

Due to health and financial constraints, I had no choice but to stay in Manila. 

Of course at first I was frustrated. And I kept on whining. I envied the people who seemed to enjoy their weekend getaway, who got an overdose of vitamin sea, those who went out of the country. Buti pa sila mahal ng Diyos. 

I never doubted God's love for me, but sometimes, when you're sick and broke and alone, and you see others enjoying the company of family and friends, you can't help but think that probably God loves them more. And you ask questions like, "why can't I be like them?" or "why can't I have what they have?"

Thank heavens God is a God of answers. He knows everything - our frustrations, disappointments, plans, hopes, dreams, fears, and all the questions we have in mind. AND He has all the answers. But He waits for us to come to Him and ask Him and tell Him everything.

And so on Friday, I was writing in my journal about how I feel, how sick and tired I was, how I lost my appetite on life itself. I got an invite from Paolo but honestly, I was too lazy to even get up. There is still discomfort (actually I feel there's a war going on in my tummy) and I wasn't feeling 100% okay. I tried to distract myself from the pain by decluttering, but early in the afternoon, I felt the urge to go out. So I went to meet with them. 

On Saturday, I had no plans but when I told Paolo that there's a fireworks competition in Riverbanks, he said that we'll go. But I did not expect anything so I went on with my cleaning and doing the laundry. Until he arrived to fetch me.

I'm a happy kid. 😍

On Sunday, I knew I'd be going to mass all by myself because Paolo needed to be at home with his family and he has scheduled some personal errands too, and it was a bonus already that I actually got to spend time with him for two straight days (Friday and Saturday). We're on a semi-LDR and we only get to see each other once a week, on Sundays, to hear mass together (or when I need to be in a hospital). But God surprised me with a text message from a college girlfriend, Chai. We met after mass, had dinner at Pho Hoa, and chilled at DQ. 

Monday was still a holiday and as expected, I was still cleaning. Then I got a call from another college girlfriend, Alpha, who lives in the South but has come to the North and wants to meet with us northerners. I actually live in Cainta, which makes me an easterner, but I work in QC and spend most of my time there, so yeah, that makes me a northerner too. :D 

So what's the point of this lengthy account of my activities during the long weekend? 
"Allow yourself to be loved." That was God's personal invitation to me. The only reason why I sometimes think that He loves others more than He loves me is I have failed to allow Him to love me. Or I was too busy looking at how He loves other people that I have already ignored how He loves me. 

It took the long weekend for me to be reminded once again that God does not love me any less. He loves me and you and all of us equally, but differently. We just have to be sensitive and appreciative enough. 

To me, God's love came through the sweet smiles of our dear Mikaela (Paolo's niece) who is such a bundle of joy. She brings the family together and it's such a beautiful sight. :)

Mikay is life. 😍

God's love was through the fireworks that painted the sky with beautiful colors. It was also through the little girl who marveled with me while we're watching the fireworks display from the bridge at SM Marikina. How she sweetly asked, "wala na?" when it was finally over. I did not know her but I felt like we were connected in one way or another. Baka siya ang nawawala kong anak. Char. It was in the little boy's smile at Classic Savory where we had our dinner (oha, di kami nag-foodcourt, for a change. :D).

You light up my world. 😍

Happy New Year! 😁

God's love was through Chai's thoughtfulness. Her "wala lang, baka kailangan mo ng friend today." really made my heart melt.

Thank you, Chai! 😘

God's love was through Tweet2 - a few good friends from college who have become my best friends for life. And through our little chicks - Eliana Chasdi and Raia Mikelle. Oh how I love little girls (and boys too!). ♥

Titas of Manila. 😁
6 months of God's faithfulness. 🙏



Super special Eliana Chasdi. 😊

And of course God's love was through Paolo - the "nobody" boyfriend (because nobody's PERFECT. LOL. nahahawa na talaga ako sa ka-cornyhan niya. haha. :D). Sabi nga ni Ate Chie, kay Paolo lang daw ako walang reklamo. Ang totoo, meron. Dati. :D But as the days and months go by, I have come to appreciate and love all that he is. He may not be the Dingdong Dantes or the Chito Miranda or the Drew Arellano (they're the ideal husbands who I follow on Instagram :D) but he is my Nico Bolzico. Naks. Feeling Solenn. Haha. I swear I could talk about Paolo all day, and how he taught me about practical love (that's what I like to call it).

I will always be grateful for you. 😍
Bottomline is, God loves me. And you too! He just waits for us to allow Him to.

Let God love you. And please be mindful of the many ways He does. :)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place?  Photo Credit:  http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan."   He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3.   So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here . ...
6 comments
Read more

Jesus Week 2015: A Time To HEAL ♥

I had the best, most meaningful HOLY WEEK ever, so far (the best is yet to come!). :) Thanks to Joy who shared the Jesus Week poster on Facebook. It was God's personal invitation, and I couldn't thank Him enough for the grace that He also gave me to respond. Everything is grace. It was not just my personal decision to join. It was God's grace that allowed me to.  So how did it go? Well, as what I have told my friends, it was amazingly beautiful! The experience was priceless! On Holy Monday, I posted Fr. Jerry Orbos' acronym for HOLY WEEK . I experienced all of that and more! :)  I won't be able to share everything as there is just a lot of personal, intimate encounters with the Lord. But if I were to summarize, it was a time for me to HEAL. :)  H alt . Indeed, I was able to stop and just rest in the Lord. Before leaving Manila, I have already told myself that this retreat will be all about Jesus ( Jesus Week nga e :D ). No emails, no texts, no calls. I...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank You, Lord! :)

It has been a long and stressful day (the past three days have been lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng and stressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssful), but You are just so amazing, Lord that I couldn't sleep without telling You how grateful I am. :) Thank You, Lord for the miracle that You did yesterday. Break even and more. :) Thank You, Lord for the laughter and stories shared during the post-mission meeting with Team Thailand. :) Team Thailand - Princesses from SFC Metro Manila :) Thank You, Lord for Lawrence. He is just the (almost) perfect man. He has his flaws, but they are acceptable; he makes mistakes, but they are all forgivable. There are a lot of men but there can never be anyone else. He's really the one. And You know it very well. :) ♥ Nemo. Love. ♥ Thank You, Lord for giving me strength and endurance each day. :) Thank You, Lord for the short but restful sleeps. :) Thank You, Lord for every waking moment and every opportunity that You give ...
2 comments
Read more

The Holy Spirit*

*Cluster 4 Household Topic Reflections from John 15:26-16:4 True friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers His disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend?  Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper). Counselor is a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life. As Jesus approaches the hour that He was to be glorified - through His death on the cross and His resurrection - He revealed more fully to His disciples the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit?  First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who kindles faith in hearts r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Interesting Facts Courtesy of Celebrity Bluff :)

I was writing a different post, but Celebrity Bluff  is just so fun and informative, I had to stop from blogging to list down the fun facts that I learn from each round. :)  Thought it would be nice to share them here as well. For future reference. :D  Q: In 2012, what kind of animal was named after Beyonce? A: Horse Fly Q: What rare job in China will pay you US$50,000 a year?  A: Fart Smeller Q: What alcoholic drink literally means "water of life"? A: Whisky   Q: In which part of the body can you find the tragus? A: Ear Q: According to Merriam-Webster, what is the female equivalent of dude? A: Dudine Q: What is longer in the male turtles than in the females?  A: Nails And the final question is... Q:  According to Box Office Mojo   what are the top four (4) movies of 2013 according to global profit? A: (1) Iron Man 3, (2) Despicable Me 2, (3) Fast and the Furious 6 (4) The Hunger Games: Cat...
2 comments
Read more