I was in an unfathomable
depression a year ago. It seemed that all miseries fell from the heavens right
onto my head. I was financially unstable. My career was hanging by a thread and
my mind was preoccupied by too many unfinished businesses. The road to
happiness was unpaved.
On Sundays, I would hear the mass
hoping to find the answers to my problems. But in the church I did not find
peace. The place was typically crowded. All I could hear were the crying of the
babies, the sound of the fan, the feedback of the microphone, the needless
whispers of the people around, the beeping cell phones and the remitting bell
sound of the Popsicle vendor. In simple words, the very essence of the mass was
not achieved.
I went home still with a
burdensome heart. It was past six in the evening when I went home that
particular Sunday. I lied down in my bed and stared at the darkness surrounding
me. Out of the darkness I saw something glowing in my peripheral vision. I saw
a small crucifix. It was the first time I realized that it was glow in the
dark. It stayed in that wall for I think four years already. It was like
sending me a message: God is always present whenever we need Him most especially
in our darkest hours. I kneeled down and prayed hard. After praying, it was as
if something changed. He did not give solutions to my problems; rather He gave
me a stronger heart to face all my troubles. As I was saying repeatedly in my
previous blogs, God will not give us the best; rather He will give us what is
fair.
A church will teach us to pray.
In our silence we will know how to talk to God. A church will teach who is God.
In our silence, we will know who God really is. A church is there to guide us.
A prayer is there to ensure that we will get There.
When I say “in silence” it means
prayer. For me a prayer should be silent. For it is silence that we will hear
clearer; for it is silence that we will be heard well. We don’t have to speak
because God can hear our hearts and can read our minds.
When I started a small business,
I purchased a fridge from a local appliance store. The owner was a nice old
lady. She told me, “When you do something, offer it to God. Always include God
in everything that you do.” So I did.
Whenever I wake up every morning
I pray to Him to give me more customers and at night before I sleep, I thank
Him for all the blessings.
One thing I have learned about
prayer is that it is also the best outlet of anger and disappointment. It can
ease that furious feeling inside us. Anger is a scrap perfected by the devil.
However, prayer is an art perfected by God to beat the devil.
A prayer when memorized is no
longer a prayer. It should be a conversation to God. When we converse, we do
not recite. So, when we pray, do not read. A prayer should come from the heart
and not from a book. That is the true essence of it.
The beauty of life remains a
wonder. God has given us the most precious things that this life can ever
imagine. Everyday is a blessing because our life itself is a blessing. We
should always be forever thankful to God. For it is in thanking Him that we
receive more.
When in doubt, pray.
When in misery, pray.
When thankful, pray.
When in joy, pray.
Make prayer a habit because if in
times that we cannot find God in the church, then maybe we will in our
“sincerest silence”.
