Birds and Masters

Two men who are neighbors have both grown fond of raising pigeons. Both raised the birds from hatchlings, fed and took care of them well and soon the birds grew big and strong.

One of the men raised his charges with loving care, speaking to them, and every so often let the birds out of their cages, and the first man was happy to see that the birds have developed strong wings that let them fly out far into the sky. Soon he disposed of his cages and replaced them with little houses for the birds to come home to after they have gone out flying.

Meanwhile, the other man, though he loved and took care of his charges well, decided to clip the wings of the birds in his care. The birds can still fly, but not far enough to take them soaring high into the sky, for their wings are no longer strong enough to let them fly. The second man was pleased to see that the birds in his charge can fly only a safe short distance away from him.

Once, having realized that though they share the same enthusiasm for the birds, they have different ways of handling them. So, the second man asked the other, "Why do you just let them fly off far away from you like that? Aren't you afraid they might not want to come back to you? Why don't you clip their wings like I do?"

A knowing smile came upon the first man's lips before he replied, "My friend, I keep these birds because I love to see them fly high up in the sky... and I trust them enough to fly back to me at the end of the day, as much as they trust me to never keep them from enjoying the beauty of their flight."

Light at the Dark Tunnel's End

This is an excerpt from the magazine God's Message...

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Not that the righteous are spared of problems. As they are still in this world, in more ways than one, they shall have their share of life's woes. Nonetheless, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit" (Psalms 34:17-18).

God's servant may find himself once in a while discouraged or with a broken heart, but He will not abandon him, as promised. Rather, God saves His servant who comes to Him with a contrite spirit. During distressing times, therefore, God expects His faithful servants to approach Him in prayer. And they can always count on Him.

Taken from "Even Through Distressing Times." Pasugo/God's Message. July 2008.

When the Head Gets Too Big for the Hat

Sometimes it is nice to hang around know-it-alls, bigots and braggarts. You can hear it loud and clear when they fall flat on their faces!

And, yeah, they do fall hard! Hah!!!

However there are some downside when sticking around these guys. These people are so full of themselves that there is hardly any space left for others. It gets too crowded, too stifling! They eat up too much space that their icky personalities rub on like slime.

Eewww! Yuck!

One unstarry night...

...and there was nothing but emptiness...

Rolling Down the River

" Think of problems like a swim in a river. When the current gets too rough for you to handle, climb up the bank for a while, and once you caught your breath and rested your limbs, dive back in with renewed strength and vigor to tackle the current. "

I have posted this elsewhere, and someone, a girl and obviously a young one, said it's easier said than done.

Yes, perhaps. But I guess the girl must have read the thought wrongly. Climbing up the river bank in the middle of tackling a problem is not the solution. Climbing up the river bank is a way to take a breather, to take a moment to stop and check out the situation, weigh options available, and think out solutions. One cannot think clearly if neck-deep in a problematic situation.

But with a rested mind, it gets easier to see solutions, and at times it's amusing to find that solutions are just there, sometimes shamefully obvious... waiting to be picked up, possibly imperceivable before because we are left myopic by problem-ridden river water.

Mommy Mushy Musings

The other night as I prepared dinner for my son and myself, I went in to his room to check on his preparations for the next day’s final exams. I found him sound asleep instead, sprawled across the bed with his books and notebooks strewn around him, obviously exhausted from all the reading and reviewing he had to do.

Looking at his peaceful face, my thoughts raced back to 14 years ago, when I first looked closely at my baby Pernell’s face, all cute and puffy, swaddled in baby linen and blissfully asleep. As I watched him from my hospital bed, deep maternal emotions tugged at my heart, drawing tears to my eyes.

I cried silently as my heart murmured a prayer, thanking the Lord for the little miracle I was gifted with.

As I watched him sleeping now, a teenager teetering towards becoming a young man, I feel the same emotions swelling in my heart. Unshed tears stung my eyes, my throat tightening from suppressed sobs. Here is my boy, fatherless at a tender age, yet already he shows resilience in facing life’s challenges.

I tidied up his things so he could have the bed all to himself. Closing the door as I exited the room, I cried silently as my heart murmured a prayer, thanking the Lord for the young miracle I was gifted with.

RAIN

The pitter-patter of rain soothes my nerves. It’s as if the rain drops are like millions of minute fingertips drumming at my temples. The rain also seem to wash away stress and worries that have left me raw after the day is through at work.

Rain is so peaceful. So rhythmic. So drowsy… So hypnotic, even.

I remember way back in my college days… whenever I feel troubled, whether be it for matters of the heart or due to academic disaster… I welcomed the rain. I once found myself walking for not a few kilometers in the middle of a heavy downpour. The raindrops stung my skin as the wind whipped it up against me… plastering the wet clothes to my chilled body ...

But I did not mind… I was so depressed that I was actually hoping then that the rain could just wash away my troubles. Perhaps, I found the rain also to be a good way for me to hide the tears flowing down my cheeks as it mingled with droplets on my rain-drenched face.

So did the rain actually help me get over my troubles? Hell, no! I actually got fever after that soaking stunt, but I somehow felt great after it.