Rainy Days

It was raining hard and I was trying to get a ride, hoping not to be late for my appointment. I had no choice but to get a taxi. I had to spend more than the usual commute fare. I guess that's why they say that we have got to be prepared for the "rainy days."

In the "rainy days" of our lives we are forced to spend more money, exert more effort, use up more time, and be in discomfort.

So how do we prepare for the rainy days? What are we to do in these situations?

1. Save. Just like the ants, they store up food for the future. Although our intelligence is far greater than these creatures, they have it in them to prepare for the rainy days. I have heard that it's not how much you earn but its how much you save.

2. Adapt. We have to be flexible to the situation and find ways and means. There is a tendency to complain more rather than to find a solution. When in trouble, its easy to play the blame game. We have to manage and adapt. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

3. Pray. In these "rainy days" we will be faced with instances where our human capacity reaches its limit. There is nothing more we can do, but there is something more God can do. That is why in the lives of the saints and the faithful, there are always miracles. We have to believe in God who saves us.

Noah was prepared for rain. He saved by storing up food in the ark and by gathering the animals. He adapted to a life in the ark. He prayed for hope and salvation to come. There is always the glory of the rainbow after the rain, a sign of God's promise fulfilled.
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When Big Things Come

In the middle of much work and rush for the events, we ordered a 30-inch pizza for a short break and fellowship. Its not the usual pizza size. Everybody would say "it's big!" We had our fun and our fill as we it finished off.
There are a lot of "big" things that come our way. We have big blessings and big opportunities as well as big decisions and big challenges. What is our attitude when these big things come?
My children who are 5 and 2 years old, are very fond of watching 3 little pigs. And of course aside the pigs, with them is the Big bad wolf. We all know that the pig who built his house with bricks was safe from the big bad wolf. He was ready.
When Big things come, we should be ready. Let us therefore...
1. Have Big Faith
Knowing that we have a God who is bigger than any of our problems will give us hope to endure and overcome. Having big faith will also help us stay focused when big blessings come. Many who receive much often forget the Lord. When blessed with a business, we forget God because we become too busy. When blessed with a special love relationship, some stop serving. Having big faith will make us remember that we are here for God and that He is here for us.
2. Have a Big Plan.
The Lord blessed us with intellect and sense enough to "build a house of bricks." The problem would be our laziness. Have a Big plan. Get a pen and paper and start envisioning, setting goals, and putting them into action. In this way, we know what to do when challenges come and we would also know how to share our big blessings. Having a big plan will aid us in making Big Decisions in life. Most of all we have to discern if this big plan is God's plan for our lives.
3. Have a Big Heart.
When it's pressure time, we will come to know the size of our hearts. We will be able to measure our capacity to love. We can start to expand our hearts by exercising love even in the simplest of things like affirming people and volunteering to help. When blessings come, specially monetary blessings, a big heart will remind us that happiness is not about money but about the joy we give others and to God. A big heart will help us weather the big storms in our lives by knowing what matters, by enduring in painful times, by learning to sacrifice, and by preserving our relationships.
Don't let the big things overwhelm you. Rejoice always and be grateful for our Big God is in control if we surrender to Him.
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In Condition to Face Life's Storms

After a long time, i played basketball again. I was pumped up, very excited to shoot those hoops again. In the first 10 minutes, I was 0 out of 5. I made several attempts, but my shots were either too strong or too weak. There are a number of reasons (excuses) why I did poorly. I was unfamiliar with court , it had been months since I last threw a shot, my legs were out of condition, and I was trying to catch my breath among other things.
This reminds me of something about facing our problems. Often, we pray intensively when we encounter life's problems. There can be two scenarios; a) one who faces a problem but has always prayed faithfully b) another is one who faces a problem but only prays at the time of the challenge.
Just as storms are a part of the natural course of the environment, so are the storms that naturally come in our lives. When our problems arrive, we have to be:
1. Familiar with God's voice
2. Conditioned with prayer
3. Filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit
This is experienced by those who have been already praying prior to the "storm." That is why when problems come they are calm and even at peace. I know of someone who found out that he had cancer symptoms and had to be operated on. He confessed that he was surprised that despite the shocking news, he was not afraid and he felt peace knowing that many of his friends will be praying for him. He exhibited a certain strength only manifested by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a similar case when Jesus was sleeping during the storm. "Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm (Matthew 8: 24-26)."
Let us start to condition ourselves in the Lord through consistent prayer. Let us not wait for problems to bring us down on our knees. So when it's 'game time' we can make the important shots and not make excuses of doing poorly in handling our problems. Surely God will help all those who call upon His Name even if we have only remembered him during the crisis. But by being faithful and ready, we can overcome problems with His strength and even be an instrument to help others in their storms.