The Faces I Want to See In Heaven

We were in Victory Center Katipunan this afternoon when my friend saw on Yahoo! News about what just happened in Japan. All of a sudden my eyes were glued on the screen as we try to read the news. Then my other friends in the room joined us in conversation and told us about the tsunami alert here in our country. We were all in denial and wishing it wouldn't happen until a friend blurted out "Okay lang, sa heaven naman ako mapupunta!"

Since I made a decision to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and to follow Him all the days of my life, I wasn't anymore too afraid to die. Some people don't like discussing about death - especially their own death. I know this is gory but if I die today, you can ask my friend Mariel about all my bilin because we sometimes talk about our own deaths.

I'd like to believe that when I die I'll get to see Jesus in heaven. I'd like to believe that when I die I'll have a chance to eternal life. I'd like to believe when I die I'll see God face to face. I'd like to believe that when I die I'll be in heaven where there's no more pain or struggle. This makes me not so afraid of death. But I realize this afternoon, though I'm not afraid to die, I still don't want to die yet because I'm afraid I might NOT see the faces I want to see in heaven.

How about you, are you going to see the faces you want to see in heaven someday?

Don't get me wrong. We're not judging people here. We're not also saying that we are sure of going to heaven, and some people are not. But just a thought. That classmate you always see in school, have you shared Jesus to him already? That friend who've been so curious about your faith, have you gotten the courage to share the Gospel to her already? Your mom or your dad, have you already told them how Jesus changed your life?

I'm afraid to answer my own questions. I was compelled by these thoughts.

Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Good news are meant to be shared my friends. And we don't wait until a tsunami hits our country before we share it to someone else.

DAY 213 03.12.2011 1:35pm

Big Ships Need Anchors

anchor (n.) is defined as a heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom. It is a rigid point of support, as for securing a rope. A source of security or stability.

When I gave my life to Christ, my life didn't become storm free. Storms still come and in fact, sometimes they come in the most monstrous ways. And during these times when I experience the biggest waves and strongest winds in my life that I need an anchor - no ANCHORS at that, to keep me stable and still in the ocean.

One of the greatest blessings that I received when I decided to follow Christ are people who became not just friends to me but mentors and coaches as well. I'm thankful that early on in that walk, my first Victory group leader, Ate Ruby, had already introduced and surrounded me with people in church. She didn't put a boundary to keep me with just her and the girls in her small group but all the more she encouraged me to build relationship with the people in church. I guess the worst thing I can do as a Victory group leader is to have the girls stuck with me forever.

Over time, I've experienced being transitioned from one discipleship group to another. I hated it before. There was even a time I wanted to just quit attending leadership group. No one likes transitions, right? Especially this kind of transition. But in those six (or seven?) times that I was transitioned from one discipleship group to another, it was during those times that I got the best opportunity to grow and learn more, I got to be mentored and coached by different women of faith and character. Like anchors to vessels, they are the ones - everyone of them until now even if I'm no longer under their discipleship group - who help me keep in place, who give support and make me stable.

Throughout time, I learned how important it is to not just limit myself with one person who will mentor and coach me but let others speak into my life as well. If you want to be a big ship, you need multiple anchors to grip the bottom for you in order to keep you stable. If you want to learn about different areas like faith, character, leadership, discipleship, it's okay to run to someone else who will best help you in that area aside from your discipleship group leader.

Everything that I am now I owe to the people who have been so good and patient to teach me, coach me, spur me, mentor me, correct me and be there for me.

I thank God for Ate Ruby for teaching me to love Jesus and love others, for helping me lay a strong foundation.

I thank God for Domz for being my prayer warrior, for teaching me a lot about faith and prayer, for helping me believe that God is a God who performs miracles and wonders.

I thank God for Sharon for being the best listener, for being an example of excellence and patience, for encouraging me that I can make disciples.

I thank God for Gaviene for teaching me to really dig down deep in His word and to not be contented with just reading my Bible alone but to also read a lot, listen to podcast and do any means I can to know God more and deepen my relationship with Him. For encouraging me to reach out to my campus and to raise up leaders.

I thank God for Eva for teaching me to engage the lost, to be not ashamed of the Gospel, for giving me visions for my campus.

I thank God for Babes for being a testament of God's blessings and favor to me. I learned from her that I can dream big because God is BIG, for teaching me in areas of identity, character, love and relationships.

I thank God for Dar for teaching me obedience and not compromising, to study God's word, to just really love God and His word.

And because of ministry, I also got the chance to be mentored by Joey Molina. I thank him for teaching me in the areas of discipleship and leadership, for teaching me ownership, commitment and accountability, for encouraging me to go an extra mile for people.

We can't learn everything from one person, we learn it from different people. And I am encouraging you to surround yourself with people who will teach you, coach you, spur you, mentor you, correct you and be there for you. Just go ahead. Big ships need anchors. :)

Dar and I.

On my right is Ate Ruby, beside her is Domz.

With Eva, Babes, Gaviene and Sharon

Joey and Gaviene accompanied me when I received my Spirit of Excellence Award during our Training for Victory Graduation.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:6

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

DAY 194 02.21.2011 1:19am

Planting Seeds

I always believe that I wouldn't be where I am today if not for the people who have sowed seeds in my heart and took time to pray for me with or without my knowing.

One of my disciplers is Ate Ruby. She is my first small group leader and the one who shared One2One with me. I remember attending her small group before in Kalayaan Dorm in UP Diliman. I was in first year college then.

Being the only Miriam College student in that group, I am grateful that she chose to keep me and mentor me still. Knowing that someone didn't give up on me, took time and gave so much effort just so I would have a relationship with Jesus keeps me encouraged to do the same.

Just the other day, I asked her what encourages her to make disciples and to mentor people and why despite all the hardships, she still chooses to continue. She is so generous enough to give us some encouraging words. Read on and enjoy. :)

***

What happens when after long days, months and years of labors and hard work, not even a single sprout appeared? After all the love has been given, not a bit of it was returned? After all the hundreds of texts that have been sent, not a single reply was received? What happens?

It will always be encouraging to plant, to labor, to persevere and to continue whenever our eyes could see glimpse of the bud, the flower and the fruit of what we have invested.

But what happens now when the fig tree has not blossomed? The vines have no fruit? The olive failed to produce? The field yielded no food? The flock was cut from the fold? And the stall has no more herds?

Are we to give up loving? Are we to despise the people who rejected us? Or are we to stop believing and obeying the commandment He has given us, which is to go and make disciples?

Along the way of making disciples, there will be times when we will experience drought, when there seems no fruit in the land we are tilling. There will be times of rejection, when people will say no right before our face. And there will be times when the love that we have given will not be reciprocated. How did I know? Because not only have I seen it but I have experienced it first hand.

But never have I lose hope. Yes, a lot of times I almost have given up - give up on encouraging, give up on giving and loving but thank God who always reminds me that my labors are not in vain. Many times have I cried before God, cried because there is no fruit in the land, cried because a voice is telling me that all I have invested has gone to nothing. But right there and then, God would remind me of the lives He has allowed me to mentor before, lives who once have received the seed and were forever changed. Lives who once have accepted the seed, were filled and now are continuing the work of planting the same seed that has been planted in them. What a domino effect! Right there and then I am amazed. Amazed of how the seed has grown, how it withstood all the storms of life and how it is multiplying now. Right there and then I have resolved, though years of labors give no sight of fruit never will I give up, never will I stop reaching out.

I will continue to plant, I will persist on giving and loving for He has said my labors are not in vain. Time will come, when I will see all the fruits of what I have planted. My job is to plant and wait, it will be Jesus who will grow the seed. Once Jesus grows seeds, their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit will fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary of the Living God.

Our labors are never in vain, one seed, one soul at a time. We will never know how far that seed would go unless we start sowing the seeds of love God has once sowed in our hearts. We give because He has given all, we reach out because He initiated to reach out to us and we love because He first loved us.

How can we get weary and lose sight of the big picture if we would fix our very eyes on Jesus who first did all these things for us. Anyway this is about Him.

Ate Ruby and I during her visit in QC last April 2010

Rubyruth Marie Garobo is an Economics graduate in University of the Philippines Diliman and is now currently working in Palawan State University as a professor.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

DAY 62 10.12.10 8:57pm

I Doubted Meg

I remember the first time Meg attended Youth Service with me. It wasn't actually part of the initial plan but when she learned that some of my friends and I are attending Youth Service, she said she wanted to come too. I remember that day so vividly.

I didn't actually know or even expect that from that day on, a life will be transformed. I didn't invite her at first because I was reluctant that she might not like Youth Service. I didn't reach out to her because I was reluctant she might not be interested. I was reluctant because she seemed like the type who wouldn't bother listening to me when I talk about God. I was reluctant God might not move. But it was all a mistake. I doubted her. I doubted God.

It is a humbling experience to see how God can transform a person's life. It is a humbling experience to see Meg grow in her relationship with God. Every time I see her, I am being reminded that I cannot change a person's heart. Only God can. And that we shouldn't base who we should reach out to on the way people look, on their character, their situation, their problems or even their past because the truth is, no matter what our backgrounds look like, everyone needs God, everyone needs to know Jesus. He died on the cross not for good people or rich ones, but for sinners - meaning everyone of us. So we shouldn't exclude anyone.

Meg gave her life to Christ in that Youth Service. Today her life is a living testimony. She radically turned away from her old life, choosing not to defile herself and not to let the culture define her identity. She is a faithful Victory group leader. She has a heart to reach out to our campus. She is a great writer, an upcoming worship leader, a follower of Jesus, a woman after God's own heart. And as we graduate this school year, I know that she will leave a legacy in our campus.

We will never know what God can do in a person's life. I will be forever amazed.

"But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

DAY 15 08.26.10 2:29pm

Seeing Growth

One of the girls in my small group texted me this evening with questions about what she read in the book of Genesis. Yesterday she gladly told me that she finally was able to buy a new Bible.

Seeing a person with a heart and eagerness to know His word more is such a privilege. Nothing compares to the joy of seeing your disciple grow. It pays all the hard times. :) I was encouraged to continue on sowing seeds. Surely our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

"You know what? It is hard. Maybe this is why Paul encourages doing the "work" of evangelism. It is work, and a hard work at that. You put your heart out there. You offer grace and acceptance and love to people far from God. You make the phone calls. You extend the hand of friendship. You pick up the phone in the middle of the night. And at the end of the day, you just feel like you've been ripped to shreds. But somehow you hang in there, determined to keep sowing seed. Sure you may be a fool, but you're a special kind of fool. You're the fool who still believes that a tiny green sprout will one day rise up from the dirt.

Someday, friends, there comes a harvest. Someday there is a payoff. Someday sinners become saints. And between now and then, we get to keep spreading the message. We get to keep playing the roles we are meant to play. We get to keep planting seeds, trusting that God will bring the increase. Because in due time - oh, the increase that he brings!"

- Bill Hybels, Just Walk Across the Room

DAY 4 08.15.10 11:27pm

Day One

I will never be a student forever. This was the reality that hit me days ago. Sometimes I'm too consumed of the fact that I'm a student that it makes me feel like I'll be one forever. It's not that I don't anticipate graduation but isn't it that it's too surreal to think that come March I'll be then forever free from the trap of my uniform?

And so yeah, let's make my last two hundred and thirty one days of honoring God and making disciples as a student count starting now. :)

I'll hope you'll join me until the end of March. :D

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

DAY 1 08.12.2010 10:49pm