It is my understanding that there are different types and levels of miracles. The Creator/Giver of life, creates and provides continuously and indiscriminately air, rain, sun, crops and cattle of the fields to all. He cares for the tiniest as well as for the most gigantic creatures. These are continuous miracles bestowed on the collectivity unconditionally. (Famine and starvation are human made)
On the other hands, there are miracles that are only contingent upon our willingness to ignite the power within us. Such power will allow our desires to manifest in our lives through faith and obedience
Moses in order to lead the Israelites out of bondage, had to ignite the power in him by replacing his fear with faith. Then, all it took for all the miracles to happen was his baton and his faith. The woman of Sarepta, through faith and obedience was able, despite the minuscule amount of flour and oil, to feed the prophet and her son. Her blessing was toppled by an overflowing riches and grace that carried over generations afterwards.
The young boy did not hesitate to surrender his five loaves of bread and two fish for the Master's plan. He ultimately witnessed his participation in the divine plan that satisfied his hunger as well as that of the whole community. He had allowed himself to partake in that indescribable miracle of sharing. The same dynamism applied to the woman with the issue of blood, the lepers, the lame, the blind and the dead. They witnessed their miracles because of their faith and obedience.
There are occasions where we impede or sabotage our miracles. Cain for example missed his miracles because of his lack of faith; and unwillingness to offer his best. Abel on the other hand, honored The Lord with the best that he could with the understanding that all belong to God; that he could never out-give The Lord. Therefore, despite his violent death, his sacrifice will remain at The Heart of The Throne of The Lord of lords forever.
Jesus Himself spoke of a town where no miracles happened because of their lack of faith. Jesus went on sharing the secret to our miracles: a bit of faith as tiny as a mustard seed in The Living God. Jesus replied: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Like 17: 20
Created at the image of The Father God Almighty, we have been blessed with the power to walk in our purpose. We need faith and action for them our miracles to come to light. We need to believe and allow God to operate in our lives without hindrances. We need to tap into that divine energy, and dynamically activate that supernatural power though faith and obedience to bring about our miracles.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Our Existence Intertwined
I liked sitting on the floor and inviting my children around; coming home sharing the highlights of my long work days. Often times it was about the simple blessings that I called miracles. Joking around, I would point out that every time I was inadvertently caught up in the rain without an umbrella, I would look at the sky and pray for the rain to halt until I reached my destination. I would hear the rain behind me, and as soon I reached my shelter, it would start pouring. It happened over and over. I would share the countless blessings in moments of dire need, but was not successful in convincing those young kids of mine that they were miracles. Those days are over. I hope that as adults their eyes are opened to witnessing their own abundance of miracles.
One Summer, I had decided to go spend some time with my ailing sister about 60 miles away. Since I normally do not like to drive, furthermore, was too exhausted to take the bus, my son agreed to drive me there. It was a scorching hot day, not one to be dealing with mishaps or drama. I had reclined my seat to ease my back, and had begun chatting with my son, when suddenly I heard him sighing. Then about a few feet away, I heard a screeching sound. My son went outside To take a look, came back inside, then moved the car a little bit further. Fortunately, we were right by a gas station. He eased the car next to the air pump and got out. Then came right back inside, "We have a flat tire that needs to be patched". What! What's the plan? I interjected...He kept on moving. Few yards away , behold there was a car repair shop. The tire was patched for 50.00 and we headed to my sister's.
On the road as I was thankful and grateful for that new miracle, I continued sharing the blessings of that week. Suddenly my son interrumpted me saying: "Mommy, what had just happened was a miracle. Everything else you mentioned were just coincidences". He went on explaining that he had accidentally gotten off the wrong exit. That what at first seemed a nightmare turned out to be a blessing from heaven. If he had gotten off at the right exit, the flat tire would have happened in the middle of the highway. I deducted that even in the safest case scenario, the car would have needed to be towed; the financial cost would have been greater. Also, waiting under such extreme heat could have potentially caused health complications -such as dehydration and stroke- to both of us. At least my son and I were on the same page, that together we had witnessed a miracle.
Miracles come in many different forms and different packages. The gift of life, the air that we breathe, the food that sustain us, all that we take for granted are miracles.
One Summer, I had decided to go spend some time with my ailing sister about 60 miles away. Since I normally do not like to drive, furthermore, was too exhausted to take the bus, my son agreed to drive me there. It was a scorching hot day, not one to be dealing with mishaps or drama. I had reclined my seat to ease my back, and had begun chatting with my son, when suddenly I heard him sighing. Then about a few feet away, I heard a screeching sound. My son went outside To take a look, came back inside, then moved the car a little bit further. Fortunately, we were right by a gas station. He eased the car next to the air pump and got out. Then came right back inside, "We have a flat tire that needs to be patched". What! What's the plan? I interjected...He kept on moving. Few yards away , behold there was a car repair shop. The tire was patched for 50.00 and we headed to my sister's.
On the road as I was thankful and grateful for that new miracle, I continued sharing the blessings of that week. Suddenly my son interrumpted me saying: "Mommy, what had just happened was a miracle. Everything else you mentioned were just coincidences". He went on explaining that he had accidentally gotten off the wrong exit. That what at first seemed a nightmare turned out to be a blessing from heaven. If he had gotten off at the right exit, the flat tire would have happened in the middle of the highway. I deducted that even in the safest case scenario, the car would have needed to be towed; the financial cost would have been greater. Also, waiting under such extreme heat could have potentially caused health complications -such as dehydration and stroke- to both of us. At least my son and I were on the same page, that together we had witnessed a miracle.
Miracles come in many different forms and different packages. The gift of life, the air that we breathe, the food that sustain us, all that we take for granted are miracles.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Drink the Wine, but Respect the Bottle
When I found out that my name meant "Strong Spear", the divine impartation in me suddenly took off to a higher ground. My eyes opened; and the reasons I had survived the storms of my life became crystal clear. I began to reflect on my life in a more meaningful way. I began to question the purpose of the elements around me: a spear, a knife, a gun, a rock, a flower, water, fire, and so on. I became more curious about the common things, and began to pay attention to their symbolisms.
When The Bible evokes God's Word as a sword with two edges, it opens one's mind to the fact that everything in life can converge only towards two different directions. It points out the reality of good and evil, life and death, joy and sorrow. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil suggests a choice between two possible trajectories: one toward doing good, and the other toward doing wrong. The world of opposites was created right in The Beginning of our world. The world of light and the world of darkness strongly divided since its inception. It has been up to us to utilize or manipulate the world around us to promote, or to destroy life.
Let's consider water for example. According to scientific research, water makes up 60 - 80 percent of the human body. It also stipulates that we can live up to 21 days without food, but cannot live without water for more than three (m.livescience.com). Yet this same essential water destroys us when we fail to manage it properly. No one in his/ her right mind will go too far in the ocean without the proper gears and the mastery of natation.
Another element vital to our survival is fire. Attractive by its flamboyant color and flame, this divine wonder keeps us warm, cooks our meals, entertains us. Yet, when let out of hands, it becomes deadly and destructive.
A knife, another essential tool, is used across the world in cooking, science, medicine and arts. When used carelessly, this master piece becomes a deadly weapon as well.
The locomotive collection that carries us from the cribs to the graves oftentimes had turned out to be our coffins.
The Internet, this latest discovery, has propelled us beyond our imagination. Yet its dark side so dense and terrifying seems to be taking us faster and deeper towards our decimation.
Reflecting on this simple exercise, I can hear my mother's voice echoing: "drink the wine, respect the bottle". This axiom supports the idea that the source of every thing is a giver or maintainer of life as well as the decider and finisher of life. Consequently, a sacred entity should be approched with respect and reverence. In this light, whatever we use, let us use with respect. Whatever we uproot to consume let us replace. Let us rebuild whatever we destroy in our path, refill whatever we deplete, repair whatever we brake. Let us be mindful of each of our actions, for they are seeds released in the universe.
The way we live our lives testifies of the trails we will leave behind. Remember that whatever one sows, one shall reap. It is up to us to plant seeds of righteousness, or else. Even if the trees of our actions fail to produce fruits during our life span, they will certainly in due time. Our children and those of our children's children will reap the fruits of life, health, joy and happiness. Or they will bear the fruits of death, sickness, misery and bitterness. Our children and the children of the world will dance and rejoice if we consciously individually and collectively make their world a better place. Or, our children and the children of the world will be grinding their teeth if instead we leave them a hellish mess. It is up to us.....
When The Bible evokes God's Word as a sword with two edges, it opens one's mind to the fact that everything in life can converge only towards two different directions. It points out the reality of good and evil, life and death, joy and sorrow. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil suggests a choice between two possible trajectories: one toward doing good, and the other toward doing wrong. The world of opposites was created right in The Beginning of our world. The world of light and the world of darkness strongly divided since its inception. It has been up to us to utilize or manipulate the world around us to promote, or to destroy life.
Let's consider water for example. According to scientific research, water makes up 60 - 80 percent of the human body. It also stipulates that we can live up to 21 days without food, but cannot live without water for more than three (m.livescience.com). Yet this same essential water destroys us when we fail to manage it properly. No one in his/ her right mind will go too far in the ocean without the proper gears and the mastery of natation.
Another element vital to our survival is fire. Attractive by its flamboyant color and flame, this divine wonder keeps us warm, cooks our meals, entertains us. Yet, when let out of hands, it becomes deadly and destructive.
A knife, another essential tool, is used across the world in cooking, science, medicine and arts. When used carelessly, this master piece becomes a deadly weapon as well.
The locomotive collection that carries us from the cribs to the graves oftentimes had turned out to be our coffins.
The Internet, this latest discovery, has propelled us beyond our imagination. Yet its dark side so dense and terrifying seems to be taking us faster and deeper towards our decimation.
Reflecting on this simple exercise, I can hear my mother's voice echoing: "drink the wine, respect the bottle". This axiom supports the idea that the source of every thing is a giver or maintainer of life as well as the decider and finisher of life. Consequently, a sacred entity should be approched with respect and reverence. In this light, whatever we use, let us use with respect. Whatever we uproot to consume let us replace. Let us rebuild whatever we destroy in our path, refill whatever we deplete, repair whatever we brake. Let us be mindful of each of our actions, for they are seeds released in the universe.
The way we live our lives testifies of the trails we will leave behind. Remember that whatever one sows, one shall reap. It is up to us to plant seeds of righteousness, or else. Even if the trees of our actions fail to produce fruits during our life span, they will certainly in due time. Our children and those of our children's children will reap the fruits of life, health, joy and happiness. Or they will bear the fruits of death, sickness, misery and bitterness. Our children and the children of the world will dance and rejoice if we consciously individually and collectively make their world a better place. Or, our children and the children of the world will be grinding their teeth if instead we leave them a hellish mess. It is up to us.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)