Where Do We Go From Here?

          One could not hold back tears and emotions while watching the current news on the recent catastrophe that struck the Philippines. Amidst the chaos brought along by Typhoon Haiyan, one could simply ask himself/herself, " Where will I go from here?". Perhaps this may even end up as a very vague question for much uncertainty is what lies ahead as an aftermath of Haiyan.

          However, you could also find the resiliency and firmness in the hearts of the Filipino people that in the midst of this disaster which claimed thousands of lives and left a large score of homeless people, many still chose to continue with their journey in spite of this seemingly dark chapter of their life.

imagecredit: By tungphoto, published on 08 February 2011

          The Philippine government through its president, Pres. Benigno Aquino Jr. is trying its very best to restore order and hope on the situation. On the other hand, local governments are extending various ways to provide assistance. One among the many local governments that responded to the situation is Taguig City which initiated the movement " Bayanihan Ro-ro Mission" that aims in bringing immediate relief supplies. As reported on Philippine Inquirer News, the Taguig local government hired ro-ro vessels to deliver goods to the much affected areas in Leyte such as Guian, Mercedes, Quinapondan and others.

          On the other hand, you could also laud the huge amount of efforts put up by the international community to rush aid to the victims. Countries like US, UK, Australia, China, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, and many more have contributed huge amounts of money, food, shelter kits, medicine to augment the worsening conditions of the victims. 

          With a disaster of such an unprecedented scale hitting badly most especially the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc, you could see the distress call for help everywhere. Dead bodies are still left unattended in some areas while scores of children, women and old people are seen moving around aimlessly. You could just feel the sense of helplessness around  the hardest hit areas. 

          What has been giving a consolation to all the victims is the kindness and love extended and shared by people coming from all walks of life, races, denominations, status, lifestyle etc. and it just manifests that in one's heart, there is that innate kindness as well as love that resides deep within.

                                       

                                   

THE WILL TO HANG ON

          Life is such a wonderful gift and a great treasure yet once in a while it also becomes complicated. As we go along with it and develop different relationships, challenging situations also comes in. 

"As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed." - Vincent Van Gogh ( http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/difficulties.html#irDlDGSkG8m7b6sI.99" 

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          As expressed by the famous Dutch impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh above, the more that we spend time on this world, the more that our journey then also becomes complex. Everyday we encounter various experiences that will help or unhelp the development of our wholebeing. Even if at times, there could be instances that it is hard for us to cope with the situation. We may differ in terms of our reactions to difficult situations. 

          While some may be strong enough to face them, others may wilt and softened after encountering a problem. May we always remember that problems are part and parcel of life. What counts most for us is the will to survive. 

          The will to hang on plays a significant role in this arena of life. As human as we are, it could be possible that we will be upset with any big problem. On the other hand, if and foremost we know what really the problem is, then we might as well know soon or later how to deal with it.

          One of life's treasures is the presence of other significant people thus in the midst all trivialities and tough situations, we will humble ourselves and acknowledge their presence, ask for comfort as well as assistance.

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Pride makes it hard for us to do such gesture however, we need to lower our ego and recognize the special presence of others in our life. 

          May we never fail to constantly recognize that life is such a wonderful gift and let us then savor its every moment.

THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

          How would you perceive the image of the cross? Is it a sign of a victory or a defeat? Is it a sign of hope or a sign of failure? These are but some of the questions we can raise in our mind in relation to today's complex world.

          Personally, I would claim that we should always be grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ for His preparedness to sacrifice even His own life to merit our salvation. With this in mind and in heart, I unceasingly put my prayer that may our minds be enlightened by the power of the Holy Spirit, the source of truth, so that any decision that we will make about other people may be all honest and sincere. if we can live by the principles of truth the we will contribute to the peace and harmony in our society no matter where we are in. 

          Consequently the image of the cross for me is a paradox of what it meant to be for others. The cross where Jesus died is a complete manifestation of His triumph over our sins. When humanity suffers insults and rejection because of the desire to follow Christ, there comes the influence of Mary in our life being the spiritual mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, who while witnessing the humiliation of her son, pleaded to God the Father for the forgiveness of His executioners and also for our conversion as sinners. 

          Thus, the cross at this time wherein our world is so overwhelmed at times by sufferings, humiliations, corruptions, becomes a symbol of good being triumphant over evil. May we then continue to imitate all these examples in our life in spite of all the odds out there, witnessing and believing in the concrete sacrificial act done by our Lord Jesus Christ.

LIFE'S HERE AND NOW REALITY

          Life as it is encompasses so many chapters. There were those which ended and there will be those that are still coming. Yet I personally believe that to be able to cherish life as it is, man should learn how to live life to its present reality- the here and now chapter of our life.

          I love to read quotations in life and oneof those which I treasure the most is this one from Buddha:" The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."- Buddha

from:www.pixabay.com

           What I love in Buddha's words is its invitation for us all not to mourn whatever our past brought to us and not to worry as well to what will happen in our future. Rather we better invest our energy on living in the present for it is there that we can accomplish more in life. 

          Sad to say, there are several instances in a day that we lose our focus on the present moment rather we allow our minds to linger so much on the past and on the future. It is not bad after all to engage ourselves in those two realities yet if it then becomes too much that it greatly consumes our time in a day, then our here and now activities will surely be missed. 

          Just to emphasize my point, like when we are eating together with our family in a meal then instead of savoring the food and cherishing the presence of each one, our minds linger on the report that we will present the following day. Consequently, we deny ourselves the treasure of hearing the stories of those who are with us in the table aside from missing the delicious taste of the food. 

from:www.pixabay.com

          Aside from this situation, we can pinpoint several situations in a day wherein we stay out of focus on our here and now reality. We only need to accept what has been part of our history and we need to be open to what the  future will bring us. Being able to constantly be conscious to our present reality brings us into a deeper understanding of ourselves. We will then learn to embrace who we really are and at the same time, welcome both our positive and negative qualities. 

          After all, life is a constant journey and while we have others as our companions in this lifelong trip, the role of being the primary trekkers on this is left to ourselves.