Alone with the Lord!

We have heard this many times already but please let me say it once more… life is a journey and every journey has a beginning and an end. We also learned from books and lectures, from our teachers, parents, friends, or perhaps from other people that every journey carries with it struggles and joys as well.

The beginning of our life was not for us to decide on. Others decided for us; our parents and God, not us. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that freedom was taken away from us upon our conception. In fact, I think, our freedom was given to us the moment we were conceived; we just did not know it yet and did not know how to exercise it.

So the first step of the journey did not depend on us. Others had to walk for us until the day we learn that we can think for ourselves, walk on our own, and decide and choose what we want. We had to depend on others because we could not exercise our freedom yet, because we did not have the strength to will and to act. But again, the freedom is there, just waiting to be exercised.

We all cried when we were babies for reasons we cannot even remember. Mommies take hints from their babies’ behavior. When babies cry, it could either mean that they are hungry or wet. It could also mean that they are hurting or feeling uncomfortable. Be that as it may, they somehow know by intuition what their babies need at a particular time and space.  See how much we owe our parents? We owe them at least our life.

As we grow old and become conscious of who and what we are capable of doing, our journey also starts to get tougher. Life becomes more serious. We begin to realize that life is not always about baseball and computer games. There are responsibilities and duties that needed to be done and perhaps to be prioritized. This will go on and on as we grow older but with growing and greater intensity.

Is being a grown up the saddest part of life? For some, they might see it that way. For others, they might see it otherwise, and for the rest, maybe a mixture of both. Childhood, a moment in time where we enjoyed playing under the burning sun, is gone. We are grown ups now and facing a different kind of life. Sesame Street is no longer our favorite television show. We now find puppets and cartoons boring.

Let’s face it; life is not always easy and smooth sailing. There are bumps along the way and bruises that can leave marks that never fade. We do not have to go very far to realize this rather unfortunate fact of life. We just have to look back at our own past and or present or of those who are close to us.

Our tendency as humans is to feel bad about the harsh realities in life. We even blame God or at least we doubt his existence. The classic question that goes, God, why did you allow these things to happen, carries with it sentiments and anger. Of course, we cannot blame someone for having that kind of feeling or sentiment towards God because it is a very sincere expression of one’s inner self; it is totally understandable.

Jesus who is God himself did not escape the dreadful fate of the cross and grave. The bumpy and rocky way of the cross became his earthly reward for doing the will of his Father. But it did not stop him from doing God’s will. Easy for me to say, I know. But that is the truth and truth can sometimes appear impossible and hard.

Let us pause and turn back time a little bit. Do you remember the first time you fell? the first time you got betrayed and lied upon? the first time somebody hurt you physically and emotionally? These are just a few of the bumps and bruises that life can offer. Tragic, isn’t it? Look back at them and tell me if it killed you. The fact that you are still thinking and reading this insane reflection means that you are still very much alive.

Why am I saying these? My point is that these events can only do us good or bad depending on what decisions we are going to make out of it. It can either make us better and stronger persons or the opposite that is weak, afraid and bad. The truth is, no matter what happens we are still responsible for our decisions in life. We can all run and hide but that can only make us weak and afraid of things whatever they may be.

Let us go driving. The first time I drove a car was not really a good experience. I almost hit a young boy who crossed the street to get his ball that accidentally went outside their gate. Luckily, I was able to step on the breaks and stop the car. Just a few inches more and I could have killed the young kid. However, the shock of it made me petrified and unable to move my legs and arms. My feet and hands became glued and couldn’t let go of the breaks and the steering wheel. It was a good thing that somebody who can drive was with me and took over and we went home safely but that memory haunted me for a long time and made me afraid to drive for a long while.

The lesson is that, if life is a journey, we cannot afford to freeze it and stop moving. Every journey demands a lot of movements that could either make us or break us. To stop moving means to stop the journey. After that driving incident of mine, it took me several years before I drove again. But as a result, I lost the confidence in myself that I used to have. Life can be sometimes like it. Life is risky but life could also be great and meaningful. We must take the risk, move on no matter what lies ahead for if we freeze, our existence freezes with it. What makes us who and what we are today, depends on how we live our life and not on depriving ourselves of life.

Is it wrong to stop every once in a while? Absolutely not! Why else did God give us the gift of memory if we cannot even pause for a while to reflect on the past? We need to stop to think and reflect on the events in the past. It is a way of tracing back our steps, of settling things and of learning from every event both good and bad. But to linger in the past as if it is the present is as if we are not moving at all because we are allowing ourselves to be trapped in the life that no longer exists. So don’t hesitate to step on the brake and think. Just don’t forget to step on the accelerator again so we can progress. God really is great and smart to give us the gift to remember the past and learn from it. We must be thankful because through it we are constantly growing as persons.