The Restorative Power of Creation

This photo was taken in one of the public beaches in Mauritius just last April. I took some time off from the day-to-day activities of the mission trip and recollected in prayer and reflection.

Many of those who read this blog are city dwellers and know that it's a treat---a wonderful getaway---to be one with nature; to be united with God in creation. Just by breathing in fresh air is enough to refresh our weary soul.  The breeze against our cheeks even tell us that God wants to be felt and desires to be personal in our prayer.

At least once a week, I so believe, we have to commune with God through nature. That's probably why parks are built -- to give us a breather from the toxicities of work and city pollution.

Perhaps we can deepen our reflection by this quote: "...the aesthetic value of creation cannot be overlooked. Our very contact with nature has a deep restorative power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts peace and serenity." (St. John Paul II, World Day of Peace, January 1, 1990)

We can derive 3 ponder points.

1. Creation is made beautiful for the delight of our souls

I don't think anyone will disagree that God's creation is amazing and beautiful. It is for us to behold and especially to preserve. Our souls well up with inspiration at the sight of a dramatic sunset or an encounter with a centuries-old tree.

2. God restores our strength through the breath of the Holy Spirit

The person of the Holy Spirit is often referred as "breath." By praying intimately to God, especially when surrounded with nature, we feel a restorative power -- as if new life was breathed into us. We are embraced by God's creation like a mother embracing and comforting her child -- even appeasing us of our wounds by blowing gentle heaps of air that soothes and heals.

3. There is peace and serenity in the magnificence of God in creation

Our hearts and minds, when enveloped in nature, are enlightened into discovering---or rediscovering---our purpose. A spiritual perspective is gained by the calmness and stillness of the setting.   When we realize the perfection of the Creator, we are reminded that we are in the loving hands of God -- the best security we can ever have; bringing us peace and serenity by being led to decide on what is right in His eyes.

We often remember St. Francis of Assisi when reflecting about God in nature. So I end with something written about him: "The whole of nature was a sacrament, where Francis would find himself in an ecstasy of prayer with eyes raised to heaven while holding a waterfowl in his hands. The world and all of its beauty was considered a gift from God." (thefranciscanfriars.org)

Stopping-over and Moving Forward

Over the weekend, I went to Baguio through a 7-hour bus trip going there and another 7-hour trip riding with friends going back to Manila. My favorite parts of the trip are the stop-overs. Besides getting a good stretch and a rest room break, I can take a snack and buy some things I forgot for the trip.

Stop-overs. In our life do we have stop-overs? Is our life in a constant rush?  The opposite can be, "Are we stuck in a stop-over?"


Some reflections on moving forward in life:


1. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.  In a sprint, you give it all you've got from start to finish since it has a short distance. In a marathon, you pace yourself, taking important breaks to regain strength for the long haul. Some give up in running the marathon, some pursue it until they reach the finish line.  We aim to reach the finish line. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14).


2. Rest if you must, but never give up. It is natural to get tired specially after consecutive days of pressure and concerns.  Maybe because of our lapses in prayer or a lack of focus, we get burned out.  If we are certain that we are doing what the Lords is calling us to do, then we are to be faithful.  We can take our time to cry and heal, but we must pursue the mission.  Like a bow, it's string has to be loosened when not in use, otherwise it will affect its effectiveness.  Have a stop-over, relieve the stress, retreat into prayer, and regain your strength.


3. Move forward with the Spirit.  In the journey of life, we encounter crossroads. We make decisions, some of which are life changing.  How much prayer do we put into our decisions?  Where is God leading us?  We must realize that each of us has a God-appointed mission on earth.  Will our decision bring us closer to His mission for us?  Many of us just make a pros and cons table and weigh our options.  We can be practical thinkers, but we have to also take into consideration the important aspects like family time, service to God, and how our talents and gifts contribute to building God's kingdom.  Some of us cannot decide and we get stuck in our "stop-overs." Let us move forward knowing in our hearts where the Spirit is leading our lives.


The journey to Baguio and back was long, but the trip was worth the trouble because of the destination. All of us are in a bus ride towards heaven.  It's a long ride, at times frustrating, but we have to set our hearts "heavenward" and be led by His Spirit to get there.  And yes by His grace, we will get there.

Fan Into Flame

Once baptized in the Holy Spirit, we have been set on fire to do the mission of Jesus. We were granted the gifts of the Holy Spirit that will enable us to do as the apostles did.  But in trying times when the flame seemed to have died down, the fire is not actually dead.   In this stage we are like ember, still glowing with much potential for fire.  Just like grilling barbecue over charcoal, we fan the flame so the meat will be cooked.  We need the Holy Spirit to Fan Into Flame, the power that is within us.  We ask the Spirit to blow upon us and enflame us once more.    Let the Spirit revive us and turn us from ember to razing fire to do His will on earth.

Passion for God

Passion is a very strong word. It reminds us of two things. Christ's passion, which is His suffering and death on the cross. Also, it reminds of us of the things we love to do, the things we are passionate about.  In the dictionary, the meaning of the word passion is "any powerful or compelling feeling or emotion, as love or hate." I'd like to focus on the side of Passion, which pertains to the things we love to do.

 Passion is something God given, it is innate in us. Not all people have the same passions. Not everyone is passionate about music or art, nor are others passionate about numbers and algorithms. Since each of us have different sets of passions, we can conclude that God has uniquely planted in each of us a combination of interests and desires we can use for His purpose.

Purposeful Passion. Passion with purpose is very important. Without purpose, our passion will have no clear direction.  It can go wild and destructive, and to a certain point meaningless.  When it's meaningless, our passions often end up in sinfulness. Having a purposeful passion stems from knowing "Why we are doing what we love doing." Having a clear purpose will sustain our passion and even deepen our passion. Let's say a person is passionate about music.  This person will have then to ask himself, "Why am I passionate about music? Is there a greater reason and purpose behind my interest?"  Being able to answer this question will lead him to the enlightenment of why God planted in him the love for music.  We also have to watch out because our passion can end up having selfish intentions, like doing it only for money.  Money is not enough motivation.  You cannot derive creativity just by thinking of money.  For some this will motivate them in the beginning, but in the long run, it can become meaningless. That is why companies or organizations have vision and mission statements, so that those working will have a greater purpose and clear contribution to the world.

Powerful Passion. The result of purposeful passion is powerful passion. Power has a negative connotation, and it is often associated with greed.  But if we turn to the definition of power, we find out that in the field of science power means, "a measure of how quickly work can be done."  It is also defined as "the capability of doing and accomplishing something." God has a mission for each one of us, and he intends to use our passion gifts for this. With passion, we can get things done quickly and with greater capacity.  Passion is fuel to our purpose to be able to powerfully make a difference.

Passion for God. Having both purposeful and powerful passion for the Lord's mission is Passion for God. When we raise our hands or bow in reverence when we pray and worship, we are passionate.  When we serve Him through our God given passions, it is a form of worship. Passion for God is expressed in both prayer and action. Our passion for God is brought to its fullness with the Power of the Holy Spirit.  Often when we refer to the Spirit, we imagine fire burning in us.  Passion for God is the Spirit's Holy Fire burning in us to have the power to do our purpose.

May we discover and harness our passions for His purpose to make a powerful difference in the world.

At the Lowest Point

We were able to visit Jericho (yes, the one Joshua conquered). As seen in the picture, it is claimed to be the lowest place on earth at 1300 feet below sea level. It's also the oldest city.  North west of the west side bank of Jericho is also where the Mount of Temptation is located.  It is where Jesus was tempted by the devil during His 40 days and 40 nights fast.

In life we go through low places or low points.  Some points in the past we consider our lowest or maybe at present we feel our lowest.

What can we learn from going through our low points?

1. Our life's low-points are tests of our faithfulness.  I can imagine how vulnerable Jesus was while fasting for so many days. He may have been at his lowest physical and mental state. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry (Mt.4:2)  And so the devil comes into the picture to test Him.  Just like us, at our lowest, the enemy comes and tries to deceive us. The devil offers us the deception that life apart from God is way better because of the convenience it offers.  We must remember that it is when we get to our lowest point that we must be most faithful. 

Behind us is the Mount of Temptation

2. When at our lowest, there's no other way but to go up.  When we've hit rock bottom, then we can only bounce back. We can never underestimate the Lord's mercy. If we accept His offer of love through our repentance, then our relationship with Him is restored.  I believe that there is no true success apart from Christ.  On our way up, Christ carries us along with His angels.

3. Christ restores us higher than our previous high-point.  Because of our "low-point" experience, we learn valuable lessons of faith and life. We come back with more wisdom, confidence, and strength.  It is like a line graph that dipped, but bounced back to even a higher point than the previous performance.  What is different now is that we rely on God's strength more than our own.  This is supernatural strength by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Life is a series of high and lows. Our faithfulness is constantly tested and even at times we wander away from God.  Let not our pride blind us from the love and mercy of God.  He alone restores us back to a life of fullness. Let prayer, humility, and hope be our way back to God and our way up towards our life's high points.


 

The Power to Achieve the Impossible

We had a planning session today. It's amazing when hearts and minds meet and are led to a common purpose.  How powerful it is for the burning passion of individuals to combine and create a blazing fire of will!  Some call it synergy, I'd call it the power of the Holy Spirit.  

They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us (Luke 24:32)?"

If you really look at the great commission, it's humanly impossible. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... (Mt. 28:19)."  But what gave the first Christian community the zeal and commitment to do this?  

a. The Descent of the Holy Spirit

The disciples lost heart and were fearful without their leader, Jesus Christ.  But Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit, "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven (Luke 24:49)."  And so when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, their fearful hearts were filled with courage, confidence, and boldness.

b. The Good News

 "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all (Acts 4:33)." Christ resurrection was too good a news.  One cannot just be passive about it, specially the apostles.   If one kept it inside, he would surely burst.  The message was so great that it will fill the earth.

c. His kingdom on earth

The apostles were to build a community of believers, the Church.  "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had (Acts 4:32)." They were determined to establish Christian communities throughout the world.  Paul was most passionate in his missionary work and brought Christ to many places despite perils and dangers of death.

In serving God, a person needs the Holy Spirit. More so, we need a community of believers empowered by the Holy Spirit. Imagine what a group can do, knowing fully that no less than God is giving them the power to achieve the impossible.  Let us then desire His outpouring upon us, and let the blazing fire of the Holy Spirit fill us to do His holy will!