Tag: Love

Vivamus, moriendum

A few years ago, I went to a retreat with my family, and I came across a young charismatic man who spoke so passionately about his faith journey. Almost two months back, I happened to hear about the unfortunate demise of this young boy. Even though I didn’t personally know him other than through few mutual friends and seeing him at a couple of retreats, it felt as if I lost a close friend of mine.

Art created by Syrocreatives

On the day we went missing, he was boating with his friends in San Antonio when he jumped into the water to rescue one of the other boys from his group. At the time I was informed about this shockingly disturbing incident, I tried going on with my day even though his image kept showing up in my mind. I relentlessly prayed GOD performs a miracle like the ones proclaimed in the Bible like sending a big fish to save Jonah from drowning, and when Jesus walked on water to save his drowning disciple. Similarly, I was praying that this young boy can be found lying unconscious on a shore. However, four days after he went missing, his body was found nearly 200 yards from where he was last seen. Over the days he went missing, I heard people say that all he wanted to do was please GOD by leading his life with purpose and mission. While watching his viewing online, I cried to myself for taking a life that was so pure, saintly, and holy. Perhaps, that’s the reason GOD decided to call the most precious fruit from his garden. When Joel’s body was recovered, a girl from the youth ministry posted a picture on Facebook of a rainbow that appeared over the sky shortly after his body was found. I think that proved GOD was awaiting to welcome this young boy into his heavenly kingdom.

In the past year, death might seem so near and inevitable to many of us particularly at a time we are still dealing with the global pandemic. Not to mention the number of losses each of us had to go through. It might seem so hard to get past grieving over your loved ones. My mom still dwells about her 2-year-old baby she lost 26 years ago, so I can’t imagine the pain Joel’s parents are going through after losing their child who they have known and raised for the past 20 years. When Jesus was standing in front of Lazarus’s tomb, he wept because he shared the sorrow of Lazarus’s family. Even just before Jesus was crucified on the cross, he wept not because of the pain; instead, he felt sympathy and compassion for all mankind. The resurrection of Lazarus was like a parable that death is not the end. Instead, it is a sign we start to see the manifestation of God’s power over mankind’s life and death. It’s important we take the time to mourn over our own losses, but we have to at some point move through that loss and spend the time we have on this earth to carry on the legacy of our loved ones and start living in GOD. The life of this exemplary servant of GOD proves it’s possible to be fully committed to him. I hope he continues to inspire us spiritually, and that each of us accepts this awakening to henceforth lead our life with the goodness and love of GOD.

Sleeping at Last

You smile a lot. It’s something I get a lot from people. My friends joke that I am happy even when I shouldn’t be. Smiling is probably the most beautiful remedies that exists in this world. We often fail to notice the power of touch, kindness, smile that could possibly turn a life around. People who are very close to me know that I am a person who loves to smile and laugh a lot in life. Comedy was probably one of the relief that life brought me during my dark days. Back when I was in high school, I used to go to school everyday for five days a week then come back home and lay in bed for next two days. I used to live each day as if I was dying, ridden with anxiety. It’s merely not possible to forget some things or people from our past, but it is possible how we perceive what has already happened to us. Our eyes will take some time to adjust to the overwhelming light surrounding us, but there always lies some certainty within the shortness of breath. We come across lot of other people with different stories far from ours. People who have gone through far more worse times than us, making us grateful that we are still alive even after everything we have been through. With time, we will come to realize just how rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist.

I used to feel like I lived in a world where people are afraid to feel anything genuine. I used to let the negatives control my mind and allow them to control my life. I thought the world is out to get me. I looked at everything the wrong way and I really learned this the hard way. I used to lie in bed and just stare at the ceiling in the dark room. There were so many nights I had to cry myself to sleep, thinking about the things that would keep me awake all night. But I don’t want to ever be that 17 year old teenager who had some broken dreams and hopes. Nowadays, I would laugh away my worries and be happy even when life has other plans for me. It was one night during finals week last semester, I was alone in my room studying for my exam. I was so stressed out I didn’t know what to do with myself. I then put on my headphones and just started dancing to some peppy music. I could have broke down crying then, but I thought of something funny instead and laughed hysterically. If someone entered my room at that time, they would probably think I have gone insane.  I still go through some days feeling melancholy and unexplained sadness, but I have learned to overcome it. I chose to surround myself with positive people and laugh whenever I can. I think that’s why my life has turned out as good as it has over the past few years.

Humanity

Few months ago, I watched a ted talk that touched me deeply. The talk was about Thoughts on humanity, fame and love by Indian film actor Shah Rukh Khan. The way he shared his personal struggles and failures to his audience was really captivating. How he was orphaned at a very teenage age and how he took up roles that many other actors rejected. When he recalled how he took up the responsibility of his family after the early death of his father, it made me realize life could hit us at any time. He mentioned the sad incident with a tone of humor which shows his acceptance of what has happened in the past. In another speech, I heard him say when life hits us with all the force, we don’t give life the space to move at its own pace. Instead, we stay hurting or in despair that makes us forgetting to smile and love others.

In the midst of money making, advancing technologies and media, we sometimes forget what’s really important. We start to live in a world where we often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. We sometimes fail to see it’s the smile of a mother and warmth of a father that brings light to our life. Despite all the sufferings, despairs, hardships and losses, love should triumph all. This is particularly evident as he quotes “Whatever moves you, whatever urges you to create, to build, whatever keeps you from failing, whatever helps you survive is perhaps the oldest and simplest emotion known to mankind and that is love.” No matter how many years pass or how developed the world becomes, humanity will always revolve in its underlying aspect of love.

Beloved

His eyes were the first to forget. The face he tenderly loved, now a blur. The voice is slowly drifting from his memory like he never heard it before. The sun settles quietly down into the basin of the lake painting the sky in gorgeous purple, crimson and gold. Standing in the middle of the wooden bridge, the man gazes upon the majestic mountains, he remembers the time they were lying beneath a tree on a winter. Admiring the beauty of the snow capped mountains veiled by the white mist. The way he felt and the way he feels will never change. Even when the clouds of uncertainty and darkness of doubt are revealed by the light of truth, he still tells his mind they are destined for each other.