Do you know what it is with birthdays?
Here's what. The culture we are soaked in wants us to honor our birthday above all other days in a year.
That's why we become so self-centered when our birthdays are coming up. Thoughts of parties, or other creative ways to celebrate flood our mind.
"I'll treat myself a very expensive dress."
"I should be treated to a fancy dinner, I deserve it."
"I want to organize the grandest party! I want swimming pools and stuff."
"I want my birthday to be my glorious day."
Haha, see? Are you reminded of how you plan your birthday celebrations?
I remember how our tropa used to surprise each other when it's their birthday. We would carefully plan everything. We thought of stuff like balloons, decorations, etc, to give the plan more impact. Of course we spent money! We also thought of strategies to make the party a little more unexpected. Most of the time, we acted as if we could not have a celebration.. Until.. SURPRISE!!
Those birthday celebrations really had great roles in strengthening our friendship. Those were fellowships that made us more and more comfortable and happy in each other's company. We had group devotions too, which makes us aware of each other's spiritual struggles and feats.
This time, we take a different turn!
As we all matured spiritually, we decided that the best celebration we can do yet is extending our blessings to our own Lesters and Leslies. (Matt. 25:40)
Here's my tropa helping me out and sharing with me the experience :)
We prepared tuna sandwiches.
Here's Kir, my cousin. My comrade when serving others like this one!
Dishwasher :)
Our first stop was Bagong Palengke in Taytay.
We found four Badjaos who were quite hungry.
Guys I want you to remember the times when you encounter a Badjao. It's most probably on a jeepney.
How did you treat him or her? When they hand you their paper envelops with the written note, what do you do? Do you fake sleep? Do you try your best not to look at them in the eye and stare at the window instead? Do you raise your eyebrow?
People, please do realize that these Badjaos are people loved by the King! They may have wrong principles on how to gain money, but we all know that they are just trying to meet their needs! More than the money and food that we can give at the brief moment that we encounter them, it's best to offer them Jesus! Why not smile at them and make them feel that there are still people who choose not to discriminate them? Why not give them prayers instead of a fake sleep?
I remember my encounter with the Badjaos on Christmas 2010.
Did you know that they do not even know who Jesus is?
So before you raise your eyebrows and get pissed off by what they do, think of how you can be a blessing to them. :)
This kids are Jonad and King Jasper! :) They are cousins (like Kir and I) and they are the most masipag 8-yr-olds I know! :) After talking with them and a lot of kulitan, they followed us wherever we went! I'm sure that they felt God's love, but I never thought that such a simple gesture and simple talk we did for less than 10 minutes would have an impact like that! Praise God! Let's pray that He'd continue to move in the hearts of these kids.
The sandwich and the orange juice we gave was a gift that had temporary help. But a prayer? Not ephemeral! I'm sure that God heard it and He'd continue to move in Ate's life!
Kuya had the most heart-breaking life story among the people we talked to :( He talked about how He forgot God during his trying times and he kinda expressed how much he wants to go back to have a life of worship! Men like him just want someone to talk to. And when he had the chance to express everything in his mind, he just cried :(
Okay, this is a lesson for all of us! Whenever we see someone who looks kinda lonely and God taps our back to take a step to talk to that person, we should obey and be a channel of hope.
Kuya "Leongson" said that he would try to find our church! He knows APNTS but he does not know where TFCN was..
Junction. These moms did not have enough sleep and food because of the Filipino tradition of staying up late to welcome the new year. They took advantage of this and did not close their stalls until 4am!
Nanay had an illness but had no money for it :(
JR :)
Had a great time talking with these two! They were sooo bubbly! Hehe the one in the center is so kind.. The woman in the right is already a lola but all her children and grandchildren left her to start their own families. The one in the center takes care of lola, even though they're not blood-related :)
This is so amazing! Nanay is not the richest woman in the world but she's willing to spend money for taking care of lola!
These kids are the cutest! Hahaha! Had so many laughs with them. They were so funny, especially the baldy kid at the left. :)
They prayed before eating, led by Kuya JR. When Jan-jan in the center starts eating before praying, Baldy kid told him, "Ba't kumakain ka na di pa tayo nagdadasal.. Siraulo ka ba?!"
I don't even know what to feel when he said that.. Hahaha..
Here's Janjan, the shyest among the three. Look at all those gifts.. He did not even know what to eat first! Haha. There was a couple of ladies giving out food wrapped like a Christmas gift.. :)
Had great extraordinary fun with JR, Kir, Jopel, Niro and Kenneth! We ended the day later with a group devotion with Camille and Kuya Levin.
We only had P860 to make this event possible! Could you believe that?!?
That P860 would not be enough for the expenses of even one person if we did what we originally planned - to shop, to eat and to ice-skate at SM Mall of Asia! Haha.
This is the loudest move we did to welcome 2013! It was louder than any trumpet blown. It shook the world harder than any firework lighted. It disturbed the wickedness of this world more violently than any other Chinese rituals!
It was the sound of God's love overcoming the world. :)
(I thought of not posting about this because it could sound like doing good deeds because I wanted to tell the world how good I am.. But you know, it's not me who's good. It's my King. I'm just His servant. This servant originally thought of pampering herself on her birthday. But that does not make her the King's servant, right? That's a day off from being a servant. My King wanted to celebrate with me on my birthday.. So I thought.. Well, can't think any better way to celebrate my birthday!! And you, who are also a servant of Jesus, I want you to realize how you could use your birthday to serve the King! Glory to Jesus, my King!)
How do you plan on celebrating your birthday in 2013? Plan it early! Hehe
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