Ice Skating in a Parallel World

Ice skating! The last time I did it was when I was single and shameless -- ice skating wearing the thinnest (at least long sleeved blouse) and slacks and the burning desire to ice skate no matter what. That was at SM Megamall in the early 90's.



This year, I went ice skating again, rather by force, by my daughter who wanted to do it with me, on her Day Two of ice skating. At least this time, a friend (Ruel A.) has forewarned, thus forearmed us, about what to wear when ice skating -- including our very own socks.



It was at the Mall of Asia when Bea had her first taste of ice skating. I had to decline and let her go ice skating with Ruel and his daughter Yuki while I go somewhere else.



Of course I lingered for a while, watching Bea's first few steps on the ice. From my view several meters away, a sudden rush of flashback overwhelmed me as I saw my daughter fumbling and tumbling in her ice skates, like a baby taking her first steps. Unmindful of the other ice skating figures from the neophytes to the pros, Bea struggled with her very best as she tried to pull herself up along the metal bars on the rink side. She stumbled, she fell. My heart rushed out to her, but I couldn't help her, and she must stand up on her own.



Suddenly, I saw the whole skating rink as a microcosm of the world populated by ice skaters from all walks of life. And there, of all the people ice skating about, is the one person I love, the one person I will always have in mind. She has a story to tell that nobody else would really care about. And each one of them have their own life stories nobody else would really care about. Except for the one who parents for them. For the one who loves each and every one of them.

I cried insanely by myself as I pondered upon this thought among a crowd of watchers -- parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters. I wondered how God must be looking at each one of us. Only He knows each of our individual stories as we go about ice skating through life. Only He cares for each and everyone of us. Because He made us. We are His.

And there we go about, ice skating in this icy cold world, minding our own businesses, sometimes forgetting that He allows us to fall so that we can stand up on our own, stronger this time, to face the world with more confidence in Him as we go on, ice skating.

Overcome, Not Become

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -- John 16:33 (NIV).

Jesus has warned us that there will be trouble in this world, and that peace is only in Him. It is only in Him that we can overcome the world, as He has overcome it.

Sadly, rather than overcome, some become what God has not planned for them. I am not spared by this becoming, it is and always been a constant struggle. And truly, one cannot lean on his own understanding. It is always fallible, no matter how well-thought, how smart it may seem, as God has proven time and again that His thoughts are not our thoughts.

It is only through faith that we can see what is unseen and find rest in His peace.

What More?

Psalm 23:1-4 & 5

A psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

...

⁴ Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

This verse speaks to my heart today.

The Good Shepherd is there with me and for me when fear stalks. In fact, He throws a party for me in the face of my enemies. Wow! What more could I ask for?

You Can Never Really Tell

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1)

Like a box full of surprises, you can never really tell what tomorrow brings.

Take for example my personal experience of the Flood caused by Typhoon Ondoy. It seemed like any other ordinary rain. It just rained and rained, but it didn't seem life threatening.

We were staying in Makati when it happened. Had a mini reunion with classmates the night before. It was raining but we still had fun. Then I packed up for tomorrow's journey back home to Bacolod.

But then, the waters at Metropolitan Ave was unusually high. And it only meant one thing: If it's ankle high in that high place, it must be waist deep and even deeper in other places, such as the roads going to the airport.

Radio reports became more and more dismal. I couldn't imagine that there was a killer flood going on while we were relatively safe where we were. Our only problem was that we were running out of supplies and fresh clothes for me and my daughter Bea.

So the proverb holds true: you can never really tell what tomorrow brings.

Only God knows.

Only God knows.