There are days when I just really feel tired. Sundays are our busiest at church and last Sunday, while I was figuring out what's wrong with our ID system, and I was eyeing the laptop and asking it what's wrong with you in my mind -- a woman approached me.
She asked me what type of Christian church is our church. I smiled with whatever smile I could muster and said that it's born again.
She was in her 40s or 50s and she took off her medical mask and with a seemingly annoyed yet stern voice asked me again and said: "Oo pero diba maraming klase ang Christian church -- meron Baptist, may Conservative, may Pentecostal... Kahit nga Iglesia sabi nila Christian sila eh."
She was spewing words matter-of-factly and I felt like she was being annoyed that I couldn't put a name to what type of Christian church our church is other than it's "born again."
I got a little bit annoyed and I remember thinking: "if you don't want to attend, don't" Waaaaah Lord I am so sorry! I was beginning to be stressed out at that time with the many push and pulls of the morning and this is not really something that I needed right now... Those were the thoughts running in my head.
Good thing my mouth stopped itself from uttering what was on my mind.. and so I just said -- trying to be nice "Ayun po.. gusto nyo pa try nyo po magattend sa mga services para din po makita nyo.."
And then she agreed and walked away...
I immediately felt guilty -- knowing full well that I could have been nicer and more accommodating. Anyway, isn't this what Jesus upheld to be of utmost importance? The lost people. Not the people who are already in church --- but people who are seeking or trying to find their way back to Him.
As much as possible I try to schedule my day with a list of tasks and to-dos. But I remember the importance of leaving spaces and buffer for people to barge into your schedule unannounced -- of just allowing the Holy Spirit to disturb whatever plans you may have for the day (hiyang hiya naman ang Holy Spirit haha)
Jesus did the same thing -- many times in the Bible we see Him being pulled away by the crowd asking to be healed, to touch His cloak or to be fed.
If Jesus does that -- it is because His compassion for the people is always at work. That was His mission -- for people to come to a saving knowledge of Him. I also notice that everytime Jesus just had a big day (think mass healing or teaching hundreds of people), He always go to a quiet place and pray.
... And He and I both know I could be more like Him. I pray to have more of Jesus so that when people start knocking -- I will have more love and grace to give for them to see Jesus in me.
She asked me what type of Christian church is our church. I smiled with whatever smile I could muster and said that it's born again.
This is me that day.
She was in her 40s or 50s and she took off her medical mask and with a seemingly annoyed yet stern voice asked me again and said: "Oo pero diba maraming klase ang Christian church -- meron Baptist, may Conservative, may Pentecostal... Kahit nga Iglesia sabi nila Christian sila eh."
She was spewing words matter-of-factly and I felt like she was being annoyed that I couldn't put a name to what type of Christian church our church is other than it's "born again."
I got a little bit annoyed and I remember thinking: "if you don't want to attend, don't" Waaaaah Lord I am so sorry! I was beginning to be stressed out at that time with the many push and pulls of the morning and this is not really something that I needed right now... Those were the thoughts running in my head.
Good thing my mouth stopped itself from uttering what was on my mind.. and so I just said -- trying to be nice "Ayun po.. gusto nyo pa try nyo po magattend sa mga services para din po makita nyo.."
And then she agreed and walked away...
I immediately felt guilty -- knowing full well that I could have been nicer and more accommodating. Anyway, isn't this what Jesus upheld to be of utmost importance? The lost people. Not the people who are already in church --- but people who are seeking or trying to find their way back to Him.
As much as possible I try to schedule my day with a list of tasks and to-dos. But I remember the importance of leaving spaces and buffer for people to barge into your schedule unannounced -- of just allowing the Holy Spirit to disturb whatever plans you may have for the day (hiyang hiya naman ang Holy Spirit haha)
Jesus did the same thing -- many times in the Bible we see Him being pulled away by the crowd asking to be healed, to touch His cloak or to be fed.
If Jesus does that -- it is because His compassion for the people is always at work. That was His mission -- for people to come to a saving knowledge of Him. I also notice that everytime Jesus just had a big day (think mass healing or teaching hundreds of people), He always go to a quiet place and pray.
Luke 5:15-17
15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
When you have more of Jesus, you have more to give. And when you give, you have to have more of Jesus. It's like that book "to busy not to pray" which is proving to be more true as you grow older.
... And He and I both know I could be more like Him. I pray to have more of Jesus so that when people start knocking -- I will have more love and grace to give for them to see Jesus in me.
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