Beyond Boundaries

Packing my bags again at 5:30 o'clock, Monday morning, for another trip to Manila!



Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

- Isaiah 43:19




Therefore we do not lose heart.
Even though our outward man is perishing,
yet the inward man is being renewed
day by day.

For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment,
is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.

- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I'm back in Manila again after being in my hometown Bacolod City for just twelve days.

I'm here for a very important reason. Worshiper, my second son, and his fiancee Chosen, have made plans to get married by the end of December this year.

Their original wedding plans were set for April 2009, but because of Ernie's unexpected passing away nine months ago, Worshiper decided to reset the date one year after his father's death. This is his way of giving time to the family to go through a period of mourning.

It is a wise decision on his part, and I appreciate the way that he showed honor and respect to me in doing that.

This weekend Worshiper, First Born, Obedient One and I will meet with Chosen's mother Madorra and brother Daniel to officially ask for Chosen to become my son's wife.

This is a Filipino tradition called pamanhikan - a Pilipino term that literally means "to go up someone's house to make a request."

The pamanhikan is often hosted by the bride's family where the groom and his parents set to visit the bride's family to formally ask her hand in marriage and discuss plans for the upcoming wedding over lunch or dinner....

It is customary that the visiting family bring a gift (often, the mother's best home-cooked specialty) for the hosts. Others may opt to hold the meeting on a 'neutral ground' (a restaurant is a likely choice) or invite a mutual acquaintance to the gathering and help ease the first meeting.

Why bother with all the trouble? Filipinos seek their folks' blessings for a happy and hassle-free marriage. After all, pamanhikan is a treasured Filipino heritage which, first and foremost, avoids an awkward situation having the parents see each other as strangers come wedding day.

Source: Philippine Wedding Traditions

The fact that both Madorra and I are widows will surely simplify the process and make things much easier for all of us.

This event is the final stamp of approval given by the parents, and a signal that wedding preparations can officially begin.

I believe that the wedding covenant actually starts here, when both families agree to bless and support their children in their forthcoming union.

--0--

But now let me share what's on my heart.

Close friends know I'm not a multi-tasker. Although I can be good at it, and in fact, have managed to work on many things simultaneously, still in my heart of hearts, I am a one-thing-at a-time kind of person.

Certainly God understands how I have been feeling these past months and years.

Upon reaching Bacolod after a three-month stay in Manila, pending repairs on our home were resumed. These past two weeks, work on Worshiper's bedroom was completed. All the ceiling portions that have been destroyed by termites were replaced. This week, the whole room will be repainted.

At the same time, the special granite tombstone for Ernie's grave has begun, and a tinsmith has been hired to do the stainless steel letters for it. Hopefully it will be finished in time for the "Unveiling of the Tombstone" ceremony that I've planned for the eve of Ernie's ninth month death anniversary.

Clutter, clutter everywhere. Those of you who have been following my blog the past year know that when Ernie and I went to Thailand and stayed there from 2007-2008, we were in the middle of a clutter sorting out process which had to be put on hold. When we returned in September 2008, we were hoping to pick up from where we left off.

Then came Ernie's unexpected homegoing just six weeks after we got back.

First Born got married while we were in Thailand.

My first grandson was born shortly after we arrived.

There are relational changes and adjustments that are in process.

While getting used to life without a husband, I still have to wade through Ernie's books, files, clothes.

In the meantime, I have resumed my Masteral studies but have somehow not had time to really focus on it... and for obvious reasons, I am also hoping for an income-generating job for myself.

Recently, my daughter Obedient One found herself caught in the middle of an emotional storm, and as a mother, I have been keeping her very close to my heart. I was back in Manila two weekends ago to be with her, and the next weekend Obedient One flew home to Bacolod City and stayed with us for three days.

How precious is the love of a family at times like these.

When my own dear husband died in November, there were very many well intentioned friends and acquaintances who did their best to offer me comfort during my grieving season. Their kind acts and words were surely appreciated, but the truth is, the comfort that truly ministered to my heart was the love coming from my only sister and Ernie's sisters, brother, and their families.

And now, here I am to offer a much-needed support to my dear son Worshiper as he prepares for his wedding day.

It is a season of joy for all of us, although the concerns just mentioned may be lurking at the back of my mind. There are many more that cannot be openly shared.

God knows multi-tasking isn't my cup of tea; He just did not wire me this way. Doing things one at a time is much easier.

I can't even have too many friends, or begin reading many books (or blogs!) at the same time.

Maybe someone reading this post can identify with me.

--0--

Upon awaking yesterday morning, I began packing my bags for my Manila trip. With the bed still unmade, and my two dogs still half asleep, I began piling some of my stuff on top of the bed.

My Bible was beside my pillow. It was still early, and I was not really in a hurry. I picked up my Bible as I sensed a favorite passage calling out to me; I just had to heed the call.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us

an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

- 2 Corinthians 4:17

How I needed to hear those words!

My heart was not heavy that morning, in fact I was feeling joy and a sense of excitement.

But I do know that these past months and years, things have been happening one after the other, if not simultaneously, and God knows my heart, I want to do things only one at a time!

So, I sat down on my bed, right in the middle of everything, and just allowed God my heavenly Father to hug me, right then and there.

This is your life, My dear child, it is a "light and momentary" life.

In My grand scheme of things, there is an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs all your earthly concerns. How heavy is a feather compared to a huge gold bar?

Your present concerns are as light as a feather compared to what I am going to reveal to you. Look at your life from My perspective...

That was a brief encounter with my heavenly Father. But He spoke the words I needed to hear. Although it has always been one of my favorites, I hadn't read that verse in a long, long time!

Many of us tend to put walls around our lives, we train ourselves to live within the safe confines of our experiences. But God is constantly teaching me to push down the sides of my box. He is continually teaching me new things about Him, about me, about the people I already know, about the people I have just met.

God wants to bring me to new experiences, to the new uncharted territories of seeing my life from the eternal perspective of heaven.

The death of a loved one... the birth of my first grandson... an opportunity for my dear daughter to meet God at a higher level in her life... wedding bells.

And yet, I know that my life is not just about my domestic concerns. There is an ongoing Kingdom assignment for me in the midst of all this. My Father knows I don't want to be consumed with my personal agenda, allowing it to take precedence over the work of His kingdom. I long and desire to be about my Father's business!

Although multi-tasking goes against the call upon me for a simple, uncluttered lifestyle, I believe God can help me to be a multi-tasker for His kingdom.

He can re-wire me, and in fact, has done it time and again, to help me go beyond the boundaries I tend to impose upon myself. He has continually revealed Himself to me to be the Lord of the Breakthrough.

There is a dying world out there, and Psalm 2:8 is a frequent reminder of what's on My father's heart:

Ask of Me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your inheritance.

And yet God says He understands. It is out of the overflow of my own ministry to my family that I am able to minister to others.

And so, with a fresh understanding, here I stand ready to face the forthcoming events of my life.

For me life is best lived one day at a time, one week at a time. One season at a time. Nevertheless, He can put me on fast track mode, and cause the fruit to ripen way ahead of schedule, if He so desires.

I'm looking forward to that eternal weight of glory! When life is viewed from that perspective, everything falls into place!

Dear Father, teach me yet one more time what it means to live in light of eternity

...to live my earthly life in a way that brings honor to You

...and to live for what truly matters!