Shit happens for a reason

I always make it a point to have a handkerchief in my left (back or front) pocket everywhere I go.  But one fateful day, I was not able to bring one because all of my hankies are in the laundry.

So when I got to my cubicle at the faculty room, I grabbed a pack of pop-up tissues that has been there for several months already and shoved it into my bag before going to class.  I thought it was the perfect stand-in for my absentee hanky.

In the classroom, as I was running a little late, I immediately set up my computer for Powerpoint.  When I was almost done, my tummy started to feel weird.  And if one knows me, he/she should know that I'm not particularly skilled at holding my bowels.

There was nothing else to do: I had to grab the pack of tissues, put it in my pocket and dashed to the nearest rest room.

That was the first time I was glad I did not have a handkerchief with me.

... all things work together for good to those who love God... - Romans 8:28

School ID Christianity

University of San Carlos (USC) is one of the few schools that still imposes strict policies on wearing uniforms and ID cards.  And probably the first directive the security guards in the campus were given was to implement these policies.  This entry is not a critique on the policies and the guards; it is rather a reflection of how we are as Christians as seen in the analogy of wearing ID cards.

The most common scene at the gates of USC is this: students (on their way into the campus) taking their ID's from their pockets and wearing them; students (on their way out of the campus) taking their ID's off and shoving them into their pockets just a few meters away from the gates.

I can't help but notice certain similarities between this scene and our Christian lives.  Many of us wear our "Christian ID cards" when we are in church.  We don our kind, compassionate, loving, friendly, accommodating selves when we are in church or when we are with our friends from church.  But as soon as we step out of the gates, we take them off and go about our ways.

Let us examine ourselves.  How do we take our identity as Christians.  Do we wear it like an ID card - which we can take off whenever we feel it's not needed anymore?  Or do we wear it like our skins for everyone to see?

Just do it

Just do it.

That is the catchphrase of one of the world’s leading sports apparel brand.  Their store in a mall, just recently, and for quite a long time, put up a big poster of two of their leading endorsers: Kobe and LeBron – two basketball superstars whom fans had hoped to battle it out in the (recent) finals.  They never did.  It seems they just couldn’t do it.

The company, in a way, put their faith on two humans.  Failure of the endorsers to “just do it” may not topple down the company.  But imagine if it was you who put your faith on people and they failed big time.

Put in Christian light, “just do it” is a disposition that entails a lot of faith – faith in God, of course, not in men.  When the first missionaries arrived in Cebu encountered obstacles – the least of which was not having a sanctuary to worship in, they probably said to each other, “Let’s just do it. God will provide.”  When people were pessimistic about reopening the Bradford Memorial Church, citing the unsuitability of the old building for worship services, our church leaders said, “Let’s just do it!”

Sure enough, God provided; just as He did almost a hundred years ago; just as He always does.

So the next time you are doubtful about having enough to do something, just do it.  God is sure to provide the needs of His children.