"Praying Hands"
by Richard Seah
Take your everyday, ordinary life...
and place it before God as an offering.
- Romans 12:1 (The Message)
For what will it profit a man
if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul?
- Mark 8:36
But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit
and follows Me wholeheartedly,
I will bring him into the land he went to,
and his descendants will inherit it.
- Numbers 14:24
On February 7, one week ago, this blog celebrated its fifth blog anniversary. The story of how this blog was born has been told in my earlier posts. It never ceases to amaze me how in just 400 entries, God has allowed me to put into words the story of my faith journey. There is something about writing that helps bring clarity and focus to the issues confronting us.
Henri Nouwen has put it so beautifully:
One of the most satisfying aspects of writing is that it can open in us deep wells of hidden treasures that are beautiful for us as well as for others to see.
More than anything else, this blog has been for me, in the words of a dear blog friend, Denise (A Sacred Longing), "a place where the cry of my heart is given a voice."
In its initial stages, there was no clear cut agenda for this blog. My husband and I were living in Chiang Mai, Thailand when I began writing my earliest posts in 2008. How was I to know that several months later, my dear husband would go home to heaven, and that this blog would be the venue for me to process the gut-wrenching pain of losing a loved one? By putting my grief into words, this blog indeed became "a place where the cry of my heart was given a voice."
And yet my husband's death was never the main point. The main point has always been how God the heavenly Father is the Restorer, the Redeemer, the Sustainer, the Comforter, the Defender. He is the main topic of this blog.
The pain of death was just one of the many crossroads along the way. There was the more important business of picking up the pieces, and moving on.
Every moment life hands me several choices. As I have said many times before, choices are like seeds that we plant in the seedbed of opportunity. Will I remain in the wreckage, focusing on the loss, or will I get up, and walk down the road to recovery and restoration?
The answer was obvious. I didn't want to keep talking about the grief and the pain, but about how my heavenly Father sustained me, giving me hope and strength when the going was difficult.
I tell the story of my life as it unfolds, but the truth remains - God is the One writing my story.
On February 2, my daughter's maid Aiza slipped and fell from the ladder as she was cleaning the kitchen window. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and I was in the porch, doing some mending. She came to me in tears and said, "I think I broke my wrist bone." It was a first time experience for both of us. Immediately I began thinking of what to do next... what hospital, what doctor, how much. But I also realized she needed comfort that very moment, and assurance that she was going to be taken care of. I held her hand, looked at her eyes, and assured her that I would take care of her. I also prayed a healing prayer for her, and thanked God for His loving protection over her.
In my heart I was asking God to guide me every step of the way - where to go, what to do. We took a taxi to go to the nearest hospital in the area. When the cab driver saw Aiza's arm, he asked what was wrong with it.
"I think the wrist bone might be broken after a fall."
Then he said, "Madam, maybe the medical center you are planning to go is not the place to get treatment for broken bones. When I broke my leg a few years ago, I got excellent treatment at the Orthopedic Hospital."
I never even knew there was such a place. So, I asked him to bring us there. It was right in the middle of Metro Manila, but it being a Saturday, traffic was light. We reached the place in less than thirty minutes.
How thankful I was that of all the cabs we could have taken, that particular taxi was sent by God just at the precise moment. After the initial interview with one of the many orthopedic doctors on duty at the emergency room, several x-rays taken, a gram stain analysis of a small wound, her left arm was put on a traction, then after about twenty minutes that seemed like forever, in a plaster cast... a repeat x-ray to make sure everything was right... an appointment card given for scheduled follow up. Four hours after we got there, we were on our way back home... my heart brimming over with thanksgiving that God had indeed heard my prayer.
But her fall required a readjustment for us... one that could take as long as six weeks to three months. We've been so used to having Aiza's efficient domestic help. With her left arm in a cast, her movement is very limited.
So during the last week of my stay in Manila, roles in our home were somewhat reversed. I became the servant to Aiza, where she used to be our servant girl. At the start, not being used to it, she refused to be served. But I had to keep assuring her that she is part of our household, and it was my responsibility to make sure that she got the proper medical attention for her arm. It was a lesson in humility for both of us.
There were many realizations during the days that followed. I discovered a well of joy bubbling up inside my heart. This was not an accident, it was a divine opportunity sent by the Lord. All my life as a wife and a mother, I had lived a life of service to my family. We live in a culture that relies heavily on hired domestic help, but my parents had trained my sister and me to be DIY, hands on persons, experts at home maintenance and running a household efficiently.
But in my earlier years of doing it, I was a perfectionist. Without my knowing it, in the name of efficiency and cleanliness, I was not much fun to live with. There were too many rules and demands.
One does not become a true servant overnight. It took years of shaping, and molding, and chiseling off the rough edges of my person. To be kind, compassionate, patient, and understanding when others don't do it my way. To have love as my motive... only love and nothing else.
Two songs kept repeating in my mind the whole week. One was "Brother Let Me Be Your Servant" written by Richard Gillard:
Brother let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too
We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christlight for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear...
The other song was "Make Me A Servant" by Maranatha Singers:
Make me a servant
Humble and meek
Lord let me lift up
Those who are weak
And may the prayer of my life always be
"Make me a servant...today."
We used to sing these songs in church many years ago, so I knew them by heart. But it's one thing to sing the words from my mind, and another thing to let its spiritual melody flow from my heart.
If this had happened years ago, I know I would have gone through it with a different attitude. But brokenness and disappointment and unmet expectation have proven to be good teachers. With gladness and joy I did the best I could under the circumstances... singing in my heart... praying... believing that this servant girl's broken bone is healing faster than it normally would. I spoke life to her everyday, building faith in her heart to believe in the miraculous intervention and provision of Almighty God, Jehovah Rophe and Jehovah Jireh.
I wish I could have stayed longer in Manila, but other appointments were waiting for me back home. With a heavy heart I left for the airport Monday noon for my return flight back to my home city of Bacolod. I was just so thankful that the timing of the events was more than perfect. On the day of Aiza's fall, my sister had also just arrived. So, even with me being gone, there is another willing person in our home who will help look after the needs of our domestic helper, and also do the other chores needing to be attended to, while waiting for the bone to set and be fully restored.
It's been nearly a month since Obedient One and I reached Manila after spending the holidays together with our whole family.
How quickly the days have flown by! Yet each of these days left a mark on my heart. The events of the recent weeks have served to remind me of an important lesson God taught me years ago: walking in the opposite spirit.
It was Youth With a Mission founding father, Loren Cunningham, who wrote of this beautiful lesson in his excellent book entitled, Winning God's Way.
Applying this lesson in my life has been a tremendous boost to my spiritual growth. Whenever I was facing a difficult situation, God would remind me to simply discern the kind of spirit that I was battling, and then begin to move in the opposite direction:
walking in faith, instead of fear
in peace, not in anxiety
in kindness, instead of criticism
choosing forgiveness over anger
walking in integrity, not in dishonesty
in victory, instead of defeat
choosing compassion over judgment
generosity, not greed
extending grace and appreciation instead of finding fault
walking in righteousness to combat corruption.
With joy I heard the Master speak a word of praise to my heart. You have done well, My child. You have begun to learn the lesson of being a true servant in my kingdom. You have reflected My heart, You have been a messenger of hope.
At the Passover Seder, the Jews sing a popular song of Da'yenu.
Da'yenu is a Hebrew phrase that means, "It would have been enough to praise God."
Da'yenu is a simple, yet beautiful poem of fifteen stanzas describing acts of God's kindness - each stanza stating that it would have been 'enough' had God only helped us in one way. It tells the story of how the Israelites were saved from their slavery in Egypt to the time they reached Canaan, a total of fifteen acts of divine kindness, each act alone worthy of praise.
"Even more so must we praise God, for He had performed all of them!" (The Tanach Study Center)
How easy it is to begin each day with a sense of lack... not having enough... circumstances not being to our satisfaction... a demanding spirit that all go in accordance with our wishes and desires... that there be no delays... or interruptions.
Father Richard Rohr suggests we pray the Da'yenu at the start of each day. If we begin our day with any notion of scarcity, not enoughness, victimhood, or "I desrve", I promise you the day will not be good -- for you or for those around you. Nor will God be glorified. (Unpacking Paradoxes, January 30, 2012)
On this my fifth blog anniversary post, I thank God for the many valuable lessons He has taught me these past five years. The journey is not over, but my Father in heaven can be counted on to keep His promise to never leave or forsake.
Continue to teach me how to be a servant, doing all things well to reflect Your heart, to bring glory and honor to your name, dear Father.
Below is a beautiful song adapted from the prayer of St. Francis. I have sung it often these past days, and my prayer is that its message will ring true in my own life.
Henri Nouwen has put it so beautifully:
One of the most satisfying aspects of writing is that it can open in us deep wells of hidden treasures that are beautiful for us as well as for others to see.
More than anything else, this blog has been for me, in the words of a dear blog friend, Denise (A Sacred Longing), "a place where the cry of my heart is given a voice."
In its initial stages, there was no clear cut agenda for this blog. My husband and I were living in Chiang Mai, Thailand when I began writing my earliest posts in 2008. How was I to know that several months later, my dear husband would go home to heaven, and that this blog would be the venue for me to process the gut-wrenching pain of losing a loved one? By putting my grief into words, this blog indeed became "a place where the cry of my heart was given a voice."
And yet my husband's death was never the main point. The main point has always been how God the heavenly Father is the Restorer, the Redeemer, the Sustainer, the Comforter, the Defender. He is the main topic of this blog.
The pain of death was just one of the many crossroads along the way. There was the more important business of picking up the pieces, and moving on.
Every moment life hands me several choices. As I have said many times before, choices are like seeds that we plant in the seedbed of opportunity. Will I remain in the wreckage, focusing on the loss, or will I get up, and walk down the road to recovery and restoration?
The answer was obvious. I didn't want to keep talking about the grief and the pain, but about how my heavenly Father sustained me, giving me hope and strength when the going was difficult.
I tell the story of my life as it unfolds, but the truth remains - God is the One writing my story.
On February 2, my daughter's maid Aiza slipped and fell from the ladder as she was cleaning the kitchen window. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and I was in the porch, doing some mending. She came to me in tears and said, "I think I broke my wrist bone." It was a first time experience for both of us. Immediately I began thinking of what to do next... what hospital, what doctor, how much. But I also realized she needed comfort that very moment, and assurance that she was going to be taken care of. I held her hand, looked at her eyes, and assured her that I would take care of her. I also prayed a healing prayer for her, and thanked God for His loving protection over her.
In my heart I was asking God to guide me every step of the way - where to go, what to do. We took a taxi to go to the nearest hospital in the area. When the cab driver saw Aiza's arm, he asked what was wrong with it.
"I think the wrist bone might be broken after a fall."
Then he said, "Madam, maybe the medical center you are planning to go is not the place to get treatment for broken bones. When I broke my leg a few years ago, I got excellent treatment at the Orthopedic Hospital."
I never even knew there was such a place. So, I asked him to bring us there. It was right in the middle of Metro Manila, but it being a Saturday, traffic was light. We reached the place in less than thirty minutes.
How thankful I was that of all the cabs we could have taken, that particular taxi was sent by God just at the precise moment. After the initial interview with one of the many orthopedic doctors on duty at the emergency room, several x-rays taken, a gram stain analysis of a small wound, her left arm was put on a traction, then after about twenty minutes that seemed like forever, in a plaster cast... a repeat x-ray to make sure everything was right... an appointment card given for scheduled follow up. Four hours after we got there, we were on our way back home... my heart brimming over with thanksgiving that God had indeed heard my prayer.
But her fall required a readjustment for us... one that could take as long as six weeks to three months. We've been so used to having Aiza's efficient domestic help. With her left arm in a cast, her movement is very limited.
So during the last week of my stay in Manila, roles in our home were somewhat reversed. I became the servant to Aiza, where she used to be our servant girl. At the start, not being used to it, she refused to be served. But I had to keep assuring her that she is part of our household, and it was my responsibility to make sure that she got the proper medical attention for her arm. It was a lesson in humility for both of us.
There were many realizations during the days that followed. I discovered a well of joy bubbling up inside my heart. This was not an accident, it was a divine opportunity sent by the Lord. All my life as a wife and a mother, I had lived a life of service to my family. We live in a culture that relies heavily on hired domestic help, but my parents had trained my sister and me to be DIY, hands on persons, experts at home maintenance and running a household efficiently.
But in my earlier years of doing it, I was a perfectionist. Without my knowing it, in the name of efficiency and cleanliness, I was not much fun to live with. There were too many rules and demands.
One does not become a true servant overnight. It took years of shaping, and molding, and chiseling off the rough edges of my person. To be kind, compassionate, patient, and understanding when others don't do it my way. To have love as my motive... only love and nothing else.
Two songs kept repeating in my mind the whole week. One was "Brother Let Me Be Your Servant" written by Richard Gillard:
Brother let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too
We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christlight for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear...
The other song was "Make Me A Servant" by Maranatha Singers:
Make me a servant
Humble and meek
Lord let me lift up
Those who are weak
And may the prayer of my life always be
"Make me a servant...today."
We used to sing these songs in church many years ago, so I knew them by heart. But it's one thing to sing the words from my mind, and another thing to let its spiritual melody flow from my heart.
If this had happened years ago, I know I would have gone through it with a different attitude. But brokenness and disappointment and unmet expectation have proven to be good teachers. With gladness and joy I did the best I could under the circumstances... singing in my heart... praying... believing that this servant girl's broken bone is healing faster than it normally would. I spoke life to her everyday, building faith in her heart to believe in the miraculous intervention and provision of Almighty God, Jehovah Rophe and Jehovah Jireh.
I wish I could have stayed longer in Manila, but other appointments were waiting for me back home. With a heavy heart I left for the airport Monday noon for my return flight back to my home city of Bacolod. I was just so thankful that the timing of the events was more than perfect. On the day of Aiza's fall, my sister had also just arrived. So, even with me being gone, there is another willing person in our home who will help look after the needs of our domestic helper, and also do the other chores needing to be attended to, while waiting for the bone to set and be fully restored.
It's been nearly a month since Obedient One and I reached Manila after spending the holidays together with our whole family.
How quickly the days have flown by! Yet each of these days left a mark on my heart. The events of the recent weeks have served to remind me of an important lesson God taught me years ago: walking in the opposite spirit.
It was Youth With a Mission founding father, Loren Cunningham, who wrote of this beautiful lesson in his excellent book entitled, Winning God's Way.
...There are only two kingdoms and they are at war. We need to win for the kingdom of light by moving... in the opposite way that Satan is working. Where he is spreading hate we must show love. Where greed prevails we must outdo everyone in our giving. Where intolerance is winning we need to show loyalty and forgiveness. God's Spirit enters into this world through His people, moving in the opposite spirit to wrest the power from the god of this world and give it to Jesus who is King of kings and Lord of lords.
Applying this lesson in my life has been a tremendous boost to my spiritual growth. Whenever I was facing a difficult situation, God would remind me to simply discern the kind of spirit that I was battling, and then begin to move in the opposite direction:
walking in faith, instead of fear
in peace, not in anxiety
in kindness, instead of criticism
choosing forgiveness over anger
walking in integrity, not in dishonesty
in victory, instead of defeat
choosing compassion over judgment
generosity, not greed
extending grace and appreciation instead of finding fault
With joy I heard the Master speak a word of praise to my heart. You have done well, My child. You have begun to learn the lesson of being a true servant in my kingdom. You have reflected My heart, You have been a messenger of hope.
At the Passover Seder, the Jews sing a popular song of Da'yenu.
Da'yenu is a Hebrew phrase that means, "It would have been enough to praise God."
Da'yenu is a simple, yet beautiful poem of fifteen stanzas describing acts of God's kindness - each stanza stating that it would have been 'enough' had God only helped us in one way. It tells the story of how the Israelites were saved from their slavery in Egypt to the time they reached Canaan, a total of fifteen acts of divine kindness, each act alone worthy of praise.
"Even more so must we praise God, for He had performed all of them!" (The Tanach Study Center)
How easy it is to begin each day with a sense of lack... not having enough... circumstances not being to our satisfaction... a demanding spirit that all go in accordance with our wishes and desires... that there be no delays... or interruptions.
Father Richard Rohr suggests we pray the Da'yenu at the start of each day. If we begin our day with any notion of scarcity, not enoughness, victimhood, or "I desrve", I promise you the day will not be good -- for you or for those around you. Nor will God be glorified. (Unpacking Paradoxes, January 30, 2012)
On this my fifth blog anniversary post, I thank God for the many valuable lessons He has taught me these past five years. The journey is not over, but my Father in heaven can be counted on to keep His promise to never leave or forsake.
Continue to teach me how to be a servant, doing all things well to reflect Your heart, to bring glory and honor to your name, dear Father.
Below is a beautiful song adapted from the prayer of St. Francis. I have sung it often these past days, and my prayer is that its message will ring true in my own life.
Instrument of Peace
(adapted from the prayer of St. Francis by Marc Jordan, Stephan Moccio, and Amy Sky)
Where there is hatred, let me bring love
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith
Where there is falsehood, let me bring truth
Where there is pain, I'll comfort you
Where there is silence, let me sing praise
Where there's despair, let me bring hope
Where there is blindness, let me bring sight
Where there is darkness, let me bring light
And with these words I speak
Grant that I may not seek
to be heard, but to hear
to be consoled, but to console
to be seen, but to see
to be loved, but to love
For when we give love, we will receive
When we forgive love, we'll find reprieve
It is in dying we'll be released
Make me an instrument
Of peace
19 comments:
5 years! wow! so thankful our paths crossed along the way. I like your advice to discern the spirit you are operating in then to move in the opposite direction...away from the flesh and toward the spirit....good word!
Dear Lidia,
Always when I read the prayer of St. Franciskus I think, "Easy for him to say, a giant of belief, sacrifice and prayer." I feel so far away from being a saint as possible. I know my weaknesses and flaws. The evil keeps remembering me about them.
Then when reading about your maid, I thought, well, that I can do, that I actually have done, for friends and colleagues, I have no maid.
It was an encouraging reminder of what can be done. The small everyday things do count and I can be a pat of it. Hallelujah.
Ang tagal mo na palang nag blog sis and congratulation.
Your entries are always inspiring and showing how GOd workks in every area of your life. A close relAtionship with God is what we all need.
I have enjoyed this post - it spoke to me in many ways. The simplest of which is how the Lord cares about every small detail of our lives - sending the taxi driver who was about to advise you regarding the hospital. And that you became a servant --an important lesson for us all. (by the way, I recently quoted Henri Nouwen in one of my grad. papers - he has written some great things!) May you be blessed this day!
Hello, dear one. This post is such a blessing, to me yes, but I'm sure to many others as well.
There is a miracle within our darkest, most painful trial. If we fail to see it it's because we failed to expect one, forgot that God makes masterpieces out of the wreckage of our lives.
I so love the person you are. May God continue to bless you as you so faithfully witness to others. Thank you for including me in your life. If you disappeared from mine, my world would be less sunny. Have an awesome day.
Happy Bloggoversary Lidj! I appreciate reading your posts which always brings glory to God. Isn't it wonderful how God leads and directs us? I'm glad you were there and able to pray for and help Aiza during this time.
Hello my dearest Lidia, I just came from another Blog that had much sadness and then I came here to yours.. What you wrote about God as the heavenly Father who is the Restorer, the Redeemer, the Sustainer, the Comforter, the Defender, was what I was trying to explain to this other lady. She has come through a lot of sadness and needs encouragement... Praise God for your maid, who you got to the right hospital, through Gods love... Praise God Praise God, for all you have written here. Much love Crystal
How true that there is purpose in everything that happens even with your blogging. Jesus didn't have to wash His disciples' feet but He wanted to be that example. We can always look up to Him.
May Aiza's hand heal in no time. Even the way she approached you, she was probably shy about the incident but it wasn't her fault. Any fracture could be too painful and for her to tell you in a calm manner, that spoke how much she didn't even want to give you any problem. God bless you for being sensitive to her needs.
May stories like these encourage and remind us how important it is to always show love and compassion, not only on "love day" but in each day because of what God had already done. May His love that was poured into our hearts overflow to reach out to those needing it.
Love and blessings to you always sister Lidia. May you always remain strong in His mighty power.
Dear, Dearest Lidj Last night (Feb 13th) I read through your 5th Anniversary post. Congratulations!
Your writings (seriously!) bring me closer (feeling) to my God, than any amount of prayer ever could, in fact, your blog IS a prayer, Lidj.
You are unknowingly on of God's favorite teachers; how you handle adversity, happiness, and all between--with JOY! "It is out Faith which will save us". "Faith, without good works, is dead.
At 2 AM I was simply too sleepy to write coherently. But at least I can let you know that your faith is alive, and works all around the world, in this blog, as well as in many other ways.
SO...HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! and HAPPY BLOG ANNIVERSARY #5 and
LOVE and PEACE, Lidj!
Steve
Dearest Lidia, Such a helpful post. You have reminded me to slow down in this crazy life of mine and reflect much more on what the Lord is trying to teach me. Thank you. Blessings, xo
I agree with Steve that your blog is a prayer...it is a tool for all of us to draw closer to the Lord in service and trust. I do hope your maid heals quickly and that she also will see the Lords hand in all that has occured. Happy blog anniversary!!!!
I am so glad that you began blogging! It was God ordained. Consider how many lives you've touched in the world by sharing your heart. I am so glad I got to know you through your Crown of Beauty. What an amazing blessing for you to serve one who has served you. God is so good.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
I truly felt that I was sitting at the feet of Jesus while I read this post, Lidia...and my response? That song expresses my heart. Amazing.
Praying for mending of your maid's arm and PRAISING God for His faithfulness in and THROUGH you!
Hello. Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog. It's nice to meet you. You have a lovely and meaningful blog here. I'm sure your words bless many lives. Wishing you a good day! :)
Each day a gift...so much gratitude....hugs from my heart to yours...
Wow, Lidia - 5 years! I've been blogging for almost 3 years, and I have found the same thing as you. My blog writing has been a precious way to walk out my faith with God. So often He speaks to me as I write. I have also been so blessed by the wonderful people I have met in Blog Land. God works mightily in the ways He unites the Body of Christ!
I loved the lessons you taught here about servanthood. And also about moving in the opposite direction of where my *natural* spirit may want to go sometimes.
Lord, give me discernment, and give me the strength to be a servant.
GOD BLESS!
What a beautiful space here you have been faithful to provide your heart for the Lord Jesus. You were the first "visitor" to my blog and you have been instrumental in mentoring me from afar to write from what God brings to our heart if for no other than Him. You've challenged me to worship deeper and expect more of God. Blessings to you in abundance as you continue to minister to those around you!
Hello, Lidia,
Just read through your blog once more,your last blog post cam well be read at east twice. I also wonder how you are doing. Your monthly resume has not been published. May God bless you and yours, the maid included.
A beautiful teaching post as always, full of meat for my spirit and soul...full of conviction to me in many areas.
Thanks for always sharing and taking us down the road of truth...healing to your maid, and blessings to you as you continue to allow Him to mold you...you truly reflect His image
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