The funny thing is, I have visualized myself in front of people sharing my testimonial as a Christian even before thinking being baptized as one.
I have no intention to tell a life-changing story but mainly to share my story (it may not be as dramatic or thrilling as the other testimonials I’ve heard but I’m) hoping it would change someone else’s life. So here goes...
I started attending study groups here in GCF early this year when Rajsh came up to me and initially invited me to the Call Center Ministry. (and Rajsh’s definition of “invite” means daily dose of text messages). I was a Catholic then, having been living and have grown in a Catholic community and actively participating to Church activities, I have the connotation of a Bible study equals sitting beside Lolos and Lolas and sharing my boredom to some ‘santo-santitos’ / ‘santa-santitas’, and I only do this because it was mandated by my teachers or else I get red marks on my report card plus the Church was just a stone throw away and my CLE teacher was just my neighbor, imagine that...
My life before as a Christian was dull, lifeless, and non-conforming, everything was grey. I had envisioned of a short-lived life. I never had goals, I never dreamed, I never aspired. I had the concept of there’s a life ahead of me but I don’t care. I was never close to my brothers, we hardly even talk like normal ones; I don’t listen to my parents, I isolated myself and thought there were playing favorite amongst us; My prayers were never answered or so I thought; I thought my friends are the only family I have due to the fact that I was ignorantly young and thought they are the only ones who cared. As you can hear me now, my sentences starts with “I”, puro ako, I, I, I, ironically I was tired with my life then and really don’t have a clue what to do. I want the world to do something for me.
Last year, when I and Rajsh was part of the new hire training class back in Sitel, normally we do the introduction/orientation on the 1st day. She introduced herself, what she’s into and her aspiration of becoming a missionary, and at that precise moment it dawned on me, I was so selfish thinking what I want the world to do for me.. I was in need of a caring world but all the while the world needed me to care. After a couple of months, I obliged myself to attend Rajsh’s study group, with the hopes of changing my concept of life as I know it. And it proved me that it did! From Call Canter Ministry to I-Yacies (now Mosaic), to practically every activity that Rajsh is a part of (remember the word “invite”), until such time that I find myself attending to other GCF activities without her “invite”. I didn’t put any effort changing my life but it did dramatically changed. I have learned too much and have learned that everything I have learned prior to being as a Christian was not enough, and when you act on it, the effort that you did was the reward itself.
I thought God was being self-centered when we say “Let God be the center of your life”, as I have learned, by positioning God in your life at its center, you can make great things happen in your life more so to the life of others.
Before I thought my prayers were never answered, but as I learned, indeed they were answered. I was only blinded then by my self-centered cries for help that I never realized that God was giving me more than I asked of Him. And for this I am thanking Him. Thanking Him to the point that I believe my answered prayers were miracles. Come to think of it, yes they are God’s miracles.
Now as a Christian, I have grown into someone I never expected to be. I am aspiring, dreaming, wishing, hoping and praying for things I never aspired, dreamt, wished, hoped and prayed before. My relationship with my brothers is a far cry of how we were then as compared to what we have right now. I can talk to my parents as if I was talking to my friends. I value them now like I have never valued someone before. I am too proud and glad to say that these things or changes are not an intention for my own but an intention for others. As a Christian, I am returning the favor, my intention is to change a life, this is my purpose, this is in fact our mission.
And guess what’s on top of my agenda? “World Peace”
Impossible to achieve? With God, its not! Start with making peace within yourself, as what I did, then teach others to do it by themselves by sharing your life as what I am doing now. By doing that, you are ministering them into God’s glorious and loving arms.
And as willing as Rajsh’s arms reaching out for people who were once lost like me, these arms of mine will reach out and minister others to live a life and with God’s words as the reason to live by. I tell you world peace was never just a miss universe thing and it isn’t literally peace on earth, it starts with one person having God in his heart, to minister is to make a difference, now tell me, is world peace beyond our reach? I don’t think so!
To conclude this, I thank God for this privilege of sharing my testimonial and as I learn more I am looking forward to stand again before all of you soon and share what God has done for me and what He can do for you. Thank you.
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