The Power Outage

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within. ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

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The tea lights flickered, creating a dancing form of ember lights upstairs at the loft. We had an unexpected power outage last night. It seemed like just the houses in our street were the ones covered in darkness. Thank God for my husband’s preparation for times like those, each of us was able to get a flashlight within reach. I love tea lights so I lit up some and in no time, we, three, were able to see, able to let go of keeping the flashlights in the palms of our hands.

The power returned by almost midnight, a little over 3 grueling hours of darkness, perhaps, for some of the neighbors. My family and I took advantage of telling each other stories, sharing laughter and enjoying the not-so-often incident.

“So, how did you like it last night?” my neighbor hollered as he passed by holding on to the leash of his beloved pet as they started their morning walk. I was sweeping in the front yard.

“Oh, I guess it was okay. Thank God, I love candles and tea lights so I just lit up some,” I replied.

“Man!!! It took us a while to find a flashlight. It was awful! That was a good idea what you just said. Guess I’d be doing that,” he uttered, trying to keep up his pace with his dog that started to have quicker steps from his 4 paws.

“Well, since we don’t know what happens anymore, it’s good to be ready. But you have a nice day!” I added as his form slowly disappeared and wished me back the same with a waned volume.

I shared my encounter with my neighbor to my son as we both were having breakfast before he went to school. I told him how spiritually, it was the same. How awful it must be to not have the Light (Jesus) in our lives! It would be hard to see like the blind ones. But to be able to see yet, see things falsely must be more awful than being blind!

“But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” – Matthew 6:23 (NIV)

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” – Isaiah 5:20 (NIV)

“Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness.” – Luke 11:35 (NLT)

Home Is Where He Is...

"Jesus said, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am."

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- John 14:1-3 (NCV)       

I wiped a tear or two that fell from the corner of my eyes. As my husband, child and I embraced each other after our morning prayer.

“Remember that song?” I asked my child.

“Yes, Mom. We were in a hotel,” he replied.

In 2003, we sold our first house after living there for 10 years. We stayed in the same area but just found a house on the other side, newly-built homes and the reason why we needed to leave the previous house was the backyard was close to a major freeway. When the place boomed, the noise from the vehicles became unbearable. On top of that, we believed our child was sickly because of the fumes. I never believed in coincidences anymore since being found by Jesus. The move, though seemed to be full of hurdles and that was from the enemy, but committing it with Him from the beginning, actually went smoothly. The house that we applied for, was no longer available as another couple had gotten it first by the time we checked it out. Then, all of a sudden, my husband needed to go to Vermont for a special training.  But by God’s grace, everything was truly in His perfect time. After my husband’s training, we put the old house in the market. After 1 week, we already had interested buyers. We geared to apply for another house, but with the same tract like the first house we wanted. Then, we heard good news from the lady who managed the sales. The other couple’s escrow fell and we were next in line, so we were qualified to get the house we originally wanted.  She summoned us to go to their office so we could still opt for the flooring that we wanted.

We ended up staying in a hotel for 2-3 weeks as the sales of our old house closed and the buyers moved in. The new house was not ready at that time. I kept playing the song. My child, at that time, would sing it with me. Inside the hotel room.

I cleared my throat as my child hugged me again….

“So true…We can live anywhere…but our true home is where He is…”

“Where Jesus is…”

I pray that this song will encourage you that no matter how tough your journey is, He is always with us, never leaving us. Until we reach Home...Just have FAITH....and BELIEVE...

Wound Care

“I haven’t really seen your wound from the start. How is it to you?” I asked the middle-aged, male inmate with a haggard-looking face.

“Actually, it looks much better,” he quickly replied with a positive tone.

If not for my strong stomach, perhaps, trained during my nursing school years, I held my breath as I slowly opened the dressing on his left, inner thigh. Nursing staff usually changed his dressing everyday during the morning hours specifically scheduled in their unit. He missed that day’s dressing change as he was included in the doctor’s sick call follow-up.

His wound was so deep. A big piece of muscle missing in the center as the surrounding tissues appeared pinkish. There was no more bleeding that was previously charted in his notes. A wound as a result of a dog bite when he tried resisting his arrest.

I cleansed it well with a wound cleanser and packed it with a special thin strip of dressing. I asked him to take a deep breath as I applied the gel that would aid in the wound’s healing. As I was applying the big dressing that would cover the wound, he started whining.

“Don’t use that! That’s not the dressing they used,” he uttered.

“I know, Sir. But as I removed your dressing, I noticed the redness around the edges of the former dressing. I wanted to make sure your skin is not getting irritated from that kind of dressing. I want to try this non-allergenic one. But you need to trust me. If you don’t like it, you can tell the nurse in the morning to change it when they do your dressing change.”

He didn’t know what to say. His mouth did not protest anymore. He finally realized that he needed to let the nurses have their way in treating his wounds. Things might not be the same. Things might change because it would depend on the needs of his wound.

How often we also resist the leading of the Spirit? He is quick to reach out and never holds His arm to save us. But we must come to His presence, broken and willing to surrender. Everything. Daily.

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” – 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NIV)

Happy Mother's Day

12 years ago, in my son’s Kindergarten class, the teacher had them write something about their moms in sort of “fill-in-the blanks” styles. I was sure that must be challenging for their young minds or imaginations.

One question out of about 5 fill-in-the blanks struck me the most:

My mom__________. (My son’s reply: “knows everything.”)

As we both recalled that time as we happened to take a tour back to those old paths by looking at the pictures I had kept all those years, I asked him what he thought about that now.

Oh, he was quick to give me a reply with a 17-year old wisdom:

“That isn’t true, Mom!” As he gave me a hug and a kiss as if to counter any potential harm to this mother’s heart.

I hugged him tight and I said, “That’s right! Only God knows everything!”

“I know,” he replied with a big smile, perhaps with a sense of relief that his “mama” didn’t get emotional!

As time goes by fast, year after year, I often reflect on those memories I share with my child. As a mother, I want to be better, help him in any possible ways with the hope and prayers that he will always walk in that right path. The narrow path that isn’t easy but leads to the eternal.

As mothers, we are a part of our children’s journeys. We have a part in their history even when that time comes that they have to create their own.

So, as my last words at that time when I was talking with my son, I added:

"Your mom may not know everything but by God's grace, He tells me a lot so I end up knowing a lot!"

He nodded his head in quick agreement.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you, friends and sisters in Christ! (And I’m not only talking about those who have children. I know many also who never have children but have a loving heart like that of a mother’s)…May God’s wisdom and discernment continue to guide us as mothers to our children, and not only to them but to others as well. For this journey is not easy. But with God’s help, we can always make it! We can endure.

What will your child say about you as a mother?