A Letter for a paasa and pa-fall Christian brother (and some words of wisdom on the sides)

I wrote this letter to a paasa/pa-fall brother in the faith two years after I left the school where we're workmates. 

Real names were changed for confidentiality, and to protect the minors involved in this magulong affair (the minor hearts and EQs of the nagpaasa and pinaasa).

***

March 2018

Hi Sir Dudung,          

           

I am writing this letter to inform you of the things that you are not aware of. This letter has two parts namely confession and apology.

Natakot ka sa pambungad ko ‘no? Joke lang. Feeling ko Letter of Notice e. Hahaha. No pressures. :P Just practicing Matthew 18:15. =)

Long time no talk! J O eto seryoso na (quite). Napasulat lang ako ‘coz gusto ko lang magkuwento at may mga gusto akong sabihin sayo, nang di ka naaabala masyado. Bakit ko kailangan sabihin? Dahil gusto kong sabihin. Minsan di naman kailangan bigyan ng lohika ang lahat ng bagay – ‘yan ang isa sa mga batas ng buhay na hirap ko matutunan at sinisikap kong tanggapin ngayon.  Parang si Lord, di ka naman Nya talaga bibigyan ng paliwanag para sa lahat ng ginagawa Nya sa buhay na ‘to. Siguro, para tayong isang binhi ng dandelion na sumasabay sa hangin Niya. Pihado, madalas na naiinip ang binhi ng dandelion sa paghihintay kung saan ba talaga sya dadalhin at itatanim ng Diyos. Siguradong madalas rin na natatakot ‘yung lilipad-lipad sa hangin na binhi ng dandelion na masira ng malalakas na hangin. Pero ‘di siya makararating sa paroroonan niya kung ‘di siya magtitiwala sa Ama. Talagang tiwala lang. Hindi naman Sya nagkukulang kahit kailan. Nakakatuwa ‘yun sabi ng evangelist na si Ravi Zacharias last Sunday,

"My knowledge of this life is small
but Christ knows all, and I will be with Him.

When we get in God's presence, He'll tell us all
-- and everything will make sense."

Kaya heto, napasulat ng liham ang isang binhi ng dandelion na gaya ko. (Sana mapaglaanan mo ng oras na basahin ito. Sana.)

[commercial break muna: Thank you so much for liking my short hair last week. Hehe. ]

Ayun, may mga gusto ako sabihin Sir Dudung. Medyo marami. Mahaba. Naisip ko, ano kaya kung sabihin ko na? Bago ako umalis ng *insert isang pangalan ng paaralan sa QC* inisip kong sabihin na (parang katulad noong nagbukas ng damdamin sa akin si Friend1 bago kami maghiwalay bilang magkatrabaho na magkapatid sa Panginoon (at sobrang ipinagpapasalamat ko sa Lord ‘yun usapang iyon namin! J )). Pero naisip ko, siguro naman hindi na kailangan. Mag-isa  ko na lang na aayusin, tutal isyu ko naman ‘to LOOL. Naisip ko rin, makakatulong kaya kay Sir Dudung? Narealize ko noon na mukhang hindi naman sa’yo makakatulong kaya kinimkim ko na lang, tulad ng dating gawi.

Pero ngayon nag-iba ‘yung ihip ng hangin. May mga pinagagawa si Lord na ‘di ko gustong gawin…pero dapat kong gawin dahil mas naiitindihan Niya ang mga bagay-bagay. So ayun nga, heto ang letter. *ANG PASABOG*. Hahaha JOKE! (Jokes are half-meant).

Sinabi ko sayo dati noong Summer 2016 na sumama talaga ang loob ko sayo dahil sa tingin ko, kinaibigan mo lang ako para i-recruit sa church niyo. Nasaktan talaga ako doon (factor na ang personality type ko ay iyong napakataas ng pagpapahalaga sa sincerity at genuineness (pagiging totoo sa sarilii at sa iba), lalo na dun sa mga binigyan ko ng free pass as ‘friend’).  Pero, hindi pa iyon ang buong kuwento… 

May deeper story / deeper parts pa na hindi ko pa nasasabi. Iyon ang gusto ko ikuwento sayo ngayon. Unabridged. Walang pag-iimbot. Honestest version of my story. Sana ‘wag ka maoffend, sir. Uli, ito ay kuwento ko. Kung paano na-interpret ng mga mata ko at “creative” scattered- brain ko ang mga pangyayari.

Ayun, balik tayo sa short hair ko (which I so so so love!). Binalak ko ipagupit ‘to nitong pagpasok ng March. Itong bonggang short hair ko ay victory shout-out ko ng….. “Yes FINALLY! NAKAMOVE ON NA KO KAY DUDDDUUUNG!!!!” *strong girl feels*

O di ba, napakahonest ko? HAHAHA. Kung nahulog ka sa kinauupuan mo, pasensya na.  Pero minsan talaga, gusto ko lang maging sinsimple ng mga bata. Napaka-honest. Walang samaan ng loob kasi bukas sila e, sinasabi nila. Malaya.

Kaya lang sa mundong ito, mga special child lang ang nananatiling bata. Kapag nanatili kang bata tulad ng mga special child, babalahurain ka. Kawawa ka. Masarap maging sinlaya ng bata, pero siguro mas masarap makipagbakbakan sa mundo at malamang buhay ang Diyos kahit saang sulok ka pa ng daigdig mapadpad. Siguro kaya sinadya ng Diyos na hindi palaging bata ang isang tao para malaman ng tao ‘yung bagay na mas masaya kaysa sa maging isang bata – ‘yun kapag hindi ka nga malaya sa mundo pero lumalaya ka naman sa Diyos.

Siguro kaya sinusulat ko ngayon ‘tong random letter na ‘to dahil gusto ni Lord na maging parang bata pa rin ako kahit papaano, tulad ng hiling ng puso ko. Sa bagay, sa presensya Nya mga bata lang naman talaga tayo. The warrior is a child. O, ‘yun lumaya ako sa Kanya – ayon sa panuntunan Niya—na madalas ayaw kong sundin. Kaya ayaw kong magpatawad.. Siguro ‘yun ‘yung gusto Niyang maranasan ko uli.

O siguro, parang special child din ‘ata talaga ako. ‘Di lang na-diagnose kaya ganito ako ngayon. Hahaha.

Balik tayo sa short pixie hair ko na nagsasabing “MALAYA NA ANG HEART KO KAY DUDUNG!” Kakavictory shout ko lang noong February AT BAGO MATAPOS ANG FEBRUARY, kinailangan kitang tulungan sa encoding ng grades mo as requested by ma’am Melodya. I was like,

 “Totoo, Lord? Wow, kakasigaw ko lang na wala na ‘kong paki kay Dudung a. Patawa ka, Lord…  -_-“

At ang sagot ni Lord sa akin habang nag-eencode ng grades mo ay, “Alam mo Ruth, hindi ka naman dapat nagtatanim ng sama ng loob dyan kay Dudung e. Kapatid mo ‘yan e.”

Ako naman, “Lord, ayoko mag-care uli sa kanya. Bad sya. Kaya bakit ako nag-eencode nito ngayon? ”

Nacorner ako ni Lord nung sinapok Nya ako ng Galatians 5:13 (“Through love serve one another”) at John 13:34 (“A NEW COMMAND I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”). So, ang saya :’(

‘Di lang MAPEH Area ang hanep kung mang-asar. Malakas rin mang-asar ang universe, at madalas akong biktima nito. Lalo na nung makilala kita. Honestly, gusto ko na kainin ng blackhole nun hahaha.

Nang ma-infatuate ako sa'yo

kala ko pag-ibig mo ay tunay

(Salbakuta, 2003)

            Marami kang sinabi na naging palaisipan sa akin sir Dudung. Honestly, nabulahaw ang [sariling] mundo ko noon at nabulabog talaga ang puso ko. Parang ako ‘yun malignong nabulabog sa gubat nang  pumasok ‘yun mga illegal loggers at nagpuputol ng puno. Ganun ko kaya i-explain yun experience. Well, that’s my experience.

For an instance, noong pinakaunang seryoso’t friendly conversation natin. Saturday iyon at ayaw mo marinig noon ni Sir Swagger na nag-cha-church ka kaya sa labas tayo ng MAPEH room noon nag-usap. Todo puri ka sa akin (which, di kasi ako sanay so I find it weird). Ang pinaka-hindi ko makakalimutan, sinabi mo noon, “Ma’am, that heart [you’re pertaining to my heart]... napaka-rare niyan. I’ll get that heart.”

I’LL. GET. THAT.HEART.

“Why? Aswang ba ‘tong kausap ko? Puso… kukunin din kaya nito ‘yung atay at balun-balunan ko?”

‘Yun talaga tumakbo sa isip ko nun. Naisip ko rin talaga noon, “bakit niya kukunin puso ko? Nakawan kaya ‘to ng puso? Hindi ba niya alam na hinihingi kay Lord ‘yung mga puso ng mga babaeng na kay Kristo at hindi iyon kinukuha na lang? Hinihingi kay Lord, hindi kinukuha…”

Pinabayaan ko na. Hindi na kita tinanong. Naisip ko, wala lang yun siguro.

Matapos nun, the rest of my *insert isang pangalan ng paaralan sa QC*-life is history. Two years through the storm of work pressures and in the dark tunnel of emotional confusion. Emotionally, I was like a fish caught by the bait of sweet talks and special attention (Sa Filipino, para akong isang isdang nahuli ng pamingwit na may mga paing pambobola at espesyal na atensyon). I know that you were/are not interested in me and that’s perfectly fine.  But what’s not fine was my emotions going against the reason of my brain. Brain says, “Wala ‘yan. Joke-joke lang ‘yan ano ba.” But my emotions say, “Naramdaman mo yun na gusto ka niya di ba? He compliments you. He gives you attention. He reminds you so much about God’s Word. He’s concerned. He confessed to you that he’s a follower of Christ which he never revealed to any other Christian co-worker of yours. He kept his secrets to you…You must be special.” I was so so so so confused, as in. Whirling storm of conflicting logic and emotions. Masakit sa bungo. Confusion + shame. Gusto ko na lang maglaho noon sa kawalan.

I kept asking why…“Lord, mukha ba ‘kong baboy para gawing bola-bola. Ang hirap pong labanan ng tendency na maging asadong-asado. Lord, bakit ako ‘yun naging main target na bolahin ni Dudung? Was it because he’s trying to prove to himself that he can hook a top university cum laude, NBSB, Christian girl like me? Well, good for him, he proved to himself how good he is at the ‘art of getting hearts’. While me, I’ve just proven to myself that I’m gullible, emotional and weak. I was not able to guard my heart. I’m not the strong girl after all. Lord, will You still be proud of me? ”

Kaya ako may tanim na sama ng loob sayo for the longest time. I often summarize my encounter with you as “Kukunin daw niya ‘yun puso ko kasi ang rare daw ng heart ko. Kinuha niya. Nakuha niya. Tapos, dinribble-dribble niya at shinoot-shoot sa mga ring. Tapos nung tapos na siya maglaro, iniwan na niya yun puso ko sa basketbolahan court. Yun, I lost my heart. I let it get lost. Ninja moves hit me hard. I wonder if I can get my heart back again—clean and nice and something I can be proud of, just like before....”

SORRY – those are just my thoughts. I have been in bondage to my twisted thinking L (Fighting to overcome >< )

Siguro dun ko kailangan matutunan that I am not Ms. Independent. I need God. I need Him to guard my heart. I need to depend on Him. I am not strong, but He is strong. Maybe I lost my heart, but He can always give me a ‘new heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Siguro, part of the learning process— which I can only learn through His amazing grace— is that I should stop finding worth in my goodness but find worth in the perfectness of Jesus Christ who never ever stops loving me even though I am not really good after all.

Maybe it’s God showing me and proving to me that I will never fall because He’ll catch me whenever I fall (and yeah, He did. Medyo may shock nga lang ako).

Kaya it was VICTORY for me to finally finally finally not care for/about you kasi nga feeling ko talaga, caring for/about you had been a form of weakness, stupidity, and helplessness. But, the Lord, in His kindness, saves me from my bitterness. He wants a pure heart from and for me. He also wants me to be genuinely ‘joyful in Christ’. That, I cannot achieve if my heart has bitterness and unforgiveness. Kaya, the Lord made me help you in your encoding. He did not let me go on being apathetic/indifferent towards you (indifference is the opposite of love, of Galatians 5:13 and John 13:34, of who Christ is).

Kaya,  patawad.

I was so quick to judge and to formulate my own hypotheses of why things happened and what your intentions were. But God was so gracious and patient to make me understand that, “Hey Ruth, sigurado ka ba’ng wala kang kasalanan? You’re so harsh to Dudung, are you sure you didn’t do him harm and you’re not gulity?”

Yeah, the Lord is very right. Sobrang loudspeaker ng boses and prodding Niya sa akin ngayon that it came to me… “Oo nga ‘no.” I must have done some wrong to Dudung that have caused him hurt. Nasaktan ko rin ‘yun tao.” So…

1. SORRY. Kasi nasaktan din kita, in subtle ways.   I know. I am a very [passive-]aggressive woman and I must have scarred your meek personality with my meanness/rudeness (Yes, you are very meek). I’m sorry to disrespect you/ tease you/ overpower you. At the end of the day, God calls women to respect and show appreciation to the men in their lives and men to protect the heart of the women in their lives. And since, I had only been learning the word “gentleness” and the male specie for roughly about 3 years, I am sorry I was most of the time harsh to you. I have a strong feeling my attitude wounded your courage or caused you to believe less in yourself or scarred your authority and power as a man (Holy Spirit telling me?). Maybe you were hurt but you just did not tell me…  Whatever it is, sorry. Please forgive me.

2. SORRY. Coz I have this feeling napaasa rin kita at some point. May sinend akong Bible verse sayo nun. 1 John 4:11 “Since God loved us, we also ought to love one another.” I did not mean to send a cryptic message. You were my crush but I sent it because I was amazed at our friendship. Naalala ko how you looked at me then like there was this “ooh, ikaw a?” look. I know you might not remember that. But I do remember. Sorry, I did not mean to do that. Forgive me for all the ways I might have hooked your heart and napaasa rin kita…

3. SORRY dahil for the longest time ayaw kita patawarin. I kept judging you privately and secretly. I also gossiped you (of my interpretations of what you did) to 15 workmate-friends instead of confronting you in truth and love. I let my anger simmer in selfishness. I tried to mask my mistrust, bitterness, and my harsh judgments towards you by me trying to be kind to you. But I also realized I have been, also, insincere and hypocritical towards you. I wish I had been truer and more genuine. Sana nagpakatotoo ako. I could have done things differently with patience, understanding and love. But I didn’t. I was not able. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me for all these wrongs I did to you and for all the right things I failed to do not just as your colleague and friend but as a sister in Christ?

4.  SORRY, kasi dapat ininform na lang kita, to help you get better perspective of things.  As I have told you, issue ko ito. Issue ng babaeng triple ang hormones (raging hormones) compared to guys. FYI:

“Women tend to become emotionally charged in totally different ways than men. For example, if you are paying special attention to a young lady and you have no intention of taking this friendship to the next level, you are emotionally charging her up. This is how women are.

Men are more physically charged. Women’s need for emotional connection is as strong as a man’s need for physical connection. God created us this way.

Take a careful look at your female friendships. Are you telling one of the women in your life things you wouldn’t tell most people? She’ll notice. She’ll see how you share your heart with her. Most girls find this very attractive. When you have a deep emotional conversation with a girl, you could be stirring her affection and heart toward you.

A man’s tender attention and smooth words can steal a girl’s heart. However, the young girl in the Song of Solomon requests repeatedly not to arouse or awaken love until she pleases (2:7, 3:5, 8:4). Men, when you treat a young lady as “special”, you may be whetting her appetite for marriage.

Knowing that the things you do can emotionally charge a woman, it is important to be very careful how you treat the women in your life. Are you leading her on—capturing her heart, with no intentions?

Capturing a girl’s heart, attention and loyalty before a man knows how he feels about her can be compared to his stealing a hot rod to take a joyride.

This does not mean you have to stop talking to women altogether, but it does mean that you need to be aware of what you say. Talk to all girls equally. The more you share with a young lady, the more you may be causing her to draw to you.

The female heart should be protected. Ask yourself what you can do to help the women in your life protect and save their hearts for their [future] mates.”   

(from “Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart” by Heather Arnel Paulsen)

5. SORRY because I kept looking at you as ‘the bad guy’. But the Lord, in His grace, kept pointing out to me how you had been a brother to me. A good brother.  How you gave me advice, listened, and perhaps prayed for me. There were behaviors of yours that I noticed which suggests you care – though you are the great “hider of emotions” ( I really wish I can be like you, mysterious and able to hide emotions). You care in closed doors and in secret about people, like me. In secret, because you protect. Thank you for protecting me in the ways you know and you can. Sorry because I kept judging you harshly and have ignored the moments the Holy Spirit showed me your goodness to me, because I was being so unfair to you – I should have kept “the benefit of the doubt” rather than judging on conclusions with my own judgmental version of my story.  Please forgive me.

5. Sorry, I should have prayed for your pains, kung ano man ang pinanggagalingan ng weird actions mo. I mean, every one of us have our own weirdness and it took me God’s loud voice to be able to understand that all of us are broken souls. I don’t know what exactly are your baggage/unresolved issues/unhealed wounds/pains. But I should have prayed for you instead of judged you. I’m sorry for being rude instead of gracious. I hope you can forgive me for that.  

My prayer for you is that God may restore you from all possible brokenness na hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yun, so that you may be a strong warrior of God in the places He brings you – faithfully able to protect the heart of the girls and women in your life (because trust me, they need you – you, a Godly man). After all, God called you to be His, and you are His. I pray you become God’s faithful warrior and steward (keep up the good work… you’re a faithful steward!). Love for God and love for people, a man after God’s own heart.

I also pray that I may see you as God sees you. Not through the lens of my sinful and selfish eyes. Forgiveness—you deserve it. And by God’s grace, I forgive you too. It is a process. Quite a long process. But I know I can forgive you completely because our Father in Heaven is a good, good Father – perfect in all of His ways.

So ayun, I am not looking for answers to the questions I’ve posed here lalo na ‘yun mga questions ko kay Lord. No, God will answer me in time if He wants to. Na-fulfill ko na ‘yun purpose nun letter na ‘to – to confess (tell/narrate/describe my story) and to ask for forgiveness.

Thank you so so much for reading. Please pray for me too, for my heart, if you may. My desire is to be so lighthearted before the Lord that I can be a dandelion seed who can come before Him and obey Him swiftly and gently wherever He leads and whatever He wishes of me.

“Reconciliation must always be attempted: But if your brother wrongs you, go and have it out with him at once—just between the two of you. If he will listen to you, you have won him back as your brother. “”   (Matthew 18:15, PHILLIPS New Testament) 

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend.” (Matthew 18:15, The Message) 

Counting on God’s Grace,

Your sister in Christ,

Mam Ruth

***

  ~ o o o EPILOGUE o o o ~

A day after I wrote the letter you read, I just thought of making a promise to the Lord….

“Ok Lord. I promise not to be bad to my very special child brother Dudung. HMP. But yes Lord I’m already making a promise to You -- I will stop being bad to him…” (But, aren’t promises made to be broken? WOOOOOPS!)

God scolded me again and again and again and again, hindi Nya ako tinigilan during the course of the day. It’s like a dad not letting her little girl go away with her bratty behavior. Oh no, I’m not bratty. Pretty good girl ako. Hmmm. With her not-so-pleasing-attitude lang. It’s ‘dad not letting her little, beautiful, smart, awesome, adorable, special angel go away with her ‘not-so-pleasing-attitude’’ – Now that’s much better :D

Kaya ayun, 6 hours after I made my promise to the Lord, my discipler sent me a text message saying:

“God is calling you to love radically, to confront and to eventually restore.”

My heart jumped out of my chest and with much surprise shouted out a “WEH?”

An hour after that habang tumutulala sa library, I came across this verse:

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)

*KRU KRU KRU* [was currently in my default mode: LUTANG/SABOG/NGANGA]  “Love? Love Dudung my special [child, LOL] brother? E ayun nga I will stop being bad to him na eeee. Love na ‘yun, Lord. Continuing debt to love one another? CONTINUING? DEBT? TO LOVE HIM? Baka isipin pa nun yun love love love heart heart saranghae tapos sya yun bae. Baka mag-expect ‘yun ng flowers saka chocolates saka bubuhatin ko yun bag niya and ihahatid ko siya sa house nila. NOOOOOOOO (or baka ako pala yun mag-isip ng saranghae saranghae heart heart?... NOOOOOO TALAGA KAHIYAA!!!). Di ko na nga sya aawayin deep inside Lord e. Pero ‘yun ‘continuing debt to love one another’ grabe naman ‘yun. That’s too much.”

You know what after that, ito lang naman ‘yun Message that night sa fellowship. I had nothing more to say. Tameme si akowzh. -__-

03/14/2018
Christian Liberty
Romans 14

Disputable matters
- does not involve salvation
- amoral practices ~ does not involve sins
- gray area ; not black and white matter

(There are black-or-white-Christians : every matter is a black-and-issue; legalistic Christians)

"We are not made as clones. Some are weak, some are strong. We are all only clothe with Jesus' righteousness. So we should not judge or despise one another. Drop the matters that does not matter. Pursue the things that matter. We have better things to do to pursue God's kingdom. Do not hunt your brothers or sisters down but seek for unbelievers and share the Gospel with them. Believers must not judge one another because God accepted each as they are. We stand in the same grace. Let the rightful Judge judge. And let the true servant serve.
What a waste of time. We have better things to do."
[On Romans 14]

Why not judge brothers and sisters...
I. Because we all stand in God's grace
II. Because we are brothers and sisters
III. God is the judge
-- we are not in authority: it is the role of Christ
-- We are to LOVE, and THIS HONORS GOD.

Believers will stand before God clothed in Christ's righteousness and their works will be evaluated. But unbelievers will stand before God clothed in their own righteousness and they will be punished

Brothers/ sisters should not judge one another but defend one another. >.<

PRINCIPLES:
I. Disdain (the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of res pect) between believers dishonors God.

II. Believers should strive in edifying one another.
-Christ is honored in loyalty among believers...and the disloyalty/betrayal does not honor God.
- be mindful of your brothers/sisters.. do not offend them
*offending - disturbing other's spiritual progress

Christ's love = not changing others but loving others (YAY.....)

STRENGTHEN A BROTHER >> not only accept but also CORRECT (rebuking)

Rebuke only if you're sure :
1. Done IN LOVE
2. Will EDIFY brother/sister
3. Will achieve PEACE
4. You've deposited love/good influence in that person's life

Go to God first, not to gossip.

Educate your conscience by staying in the word of God.

CHOOSE TO EDIFY, NOT OFFEND. :’(

Be strategic rather than tactical. You may win an argument but lose a heart.

III. Love limits personal liberty

"Christ accepted you. If God has accepted the person, then who are you not to accept him?
True, there is a chasm between Christians and the world, and it is a deep one. But that is where it lies, between the Christiand and the world. Not between Christians and Christians. All who know Jesus Christ are on this side of the chasm, and we must stand with them for Christ kingdom." -Francis Schaeffer

Do you allow secondary matters to divide you from other believers, keeping us from working and worshipping togerher? Pray, asking God to forgive and change your judgemental attitudes. ....

"People blinded to the truth of Jesus Christ can come to see the reality of His love as reflected in our lives. That doesn’t mean we’ll live perfect religious lives; it means we’ll have a refreshing transparency that shows we’re loved and forgiven by our Father. “We now have this light shining in our hearts,” Paul explained. “This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

God really loves us as His children that He loved us at our darkest (Romans 5:8) and accepted us as we are (Psalm 139), but loves us so much more that He does not want us to stay the way we are. He changes us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Grabe si Lord ‘no? Kahit point seven eight nine seven kilometer per hour (.7897 km/hr) pa ‘yun usad nung progress natin, He won’t quit changing us from glory to glory -- He’ll persist!

Cornered. Checkmate. Tambak. Landslide. Double dead. Napaligiran na ako ni Lord in all sides. I SURRENDER -__- . The beautiful, smart, awesome, adorable, little stubborn girl (haha, di talaga patatalo e) had no choice but to love her special child brother. Ay typo-error. l mean, SPECIAL BROTHER (‘coz we’re all special in God’s eyes ^_^ ) .

“This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.” (1 John 3:19-20)

“To set out hearts at rest in His presence”, that’s what God did and continues to do! “If our hearts, condemn us, God shows up and shows us the He is greater than our hearts and He knows everything.” See how the Lord Jesus Christ convicted me para ‘di na sinlabo ng mata ko haha at ng communication style natin ‘yung Word Nya? Ang GALING, He is so amazing! Indeed He is the God of clarity and direction!

Then go to God, talk to Him, and give Him a big hug.

May you grow into a stronger man more rooted in His clarity and direction. 

      J