Constantly in need of…

the Lord Jesus Christ’s grace.

Yes, I am. I do. I will always be. I need Him everyday of the week, every hour of each day, every second and minute of each hour.

As a Christian, I am not perfect. (In fact, no Christian is perfect.) I need Jesus every step of the way. We need Jesus in every breath we take.

This morning, God’s sweet surprise and wonderful blessing shared this Bible passage to me. And I find it very timely. The Lord, indeed, has amazing ways to reach out to me (and to each one of us) in various styles.  Thank you, Lord!

Psalm 19: 7-14

⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

¹¹ By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

A Lesson on Waiting

The past two weeks have seen a swarm of eager kids of all ages with their equally-excited-but-sometimes-distressed parents rushing to buy the requisite notebooks, uniforms, shoes and the necessary baon. College students, too, have joined in the commotion, if I may call it so, filling up Lee Plaza, Cang’s, NBS, and even the far-away Robinson’s Place Dumaguete.

Because I am impatient, I know all too well the ins and outs of this frenzied phase of the Dumaguete lifestyle. I’ve memorized the rush hours and tried to avoid them.  I’ve learned to delay my lunch at 1 pm when the queue has shortened.  And to skip the long lines, I’ve learned that it’s best to do the groceries before or during lunchtime.

The past weeks, however, I have no luxury of choosing my time. That’s why for me to at least avoid the June rush, I have suspended all my necessity shopping to an indefinite time when the rush finally subsides.

Last Wednesday, however, I was extremely hungry in the early evening and my taste buds were craving for quesadillas at Lee Food Court. Since I was pretty sure that not many people will be eating at the food court at that time, I bravely headed to Lee Plaza. With my books and other study paraphernalia still in my oversized bag, I decided to leave my things at the Courtesy Counter which was surprisingly empty when I arrived.

I thought I was able to avoid the waiting time in lining at the Courtesy Counter but the Lord, indeed, had a different plan for me. And I was glad that He had.

After eating my share of quesadillas, I was ready to head to Cangs, buy a good book, head home, and leisurely read the book in my bed. But imagine my dismay when I found out that the “Claim” line at the Courtesy Counter has stretched out to almost as far as the street where fruit vendors converge.

I could have just skipped the line; in fact, I wanted to. But I realized only at that time that my ATM card was inside my bag and my money at hand was not enough to buy that good book I have been eyeing for a while now. So, without a choice, I obliged to fall in line and surrendered my will to His will.

And indeed, I was amazed at how fast the line moved when I waited, willingly, in my heart. I did not grumble nor give up; I simply waited and did not get angry at such a delay of my schedule which I was supposed to rigidly follow. I still even had the time to enjoy observing other people.

Later, at Cangs where I had to pay the book and a Chocolait, I had to undergo another long line. And at that time, the line was a bit slow-moving compared to the first one. Nonetheless, I was not harmed. I even had the chance to witness a mother-and-son scene which really touched me.

Oh the joy of waiting! Just like in our lives, there are no shortcuts in God’s plans for us. We have to go through in each stage He has prepared for us because He knows that it is the best. We may think by our human understanding that there is no point in waiting but we all know that the Lord’s wisdom is beyond our comprehension.

With that ordinary experience of falling in line, God was telling me that there is no need to rush, actually. Everything and everyone in this world operates and lives according to His own time. God wants us to take in all the details, big or small. He wants us to live each day in faith, one day at a time—enjoying His love and grace fully in each moment!

Isn’t it great to know that the Lover of Our Soul doesn’t want us to rush; instead, He wants us to spend time with Him—slowly, fully, and more memorably?

Oh how perfect Your timing is oh God!