let God strike that army // 2012.06.26

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Imagine a great army camped around your house, ready to obliterate your house unless you give them everything that you have. That means you will not only lose your belongings, but your family and loved ones as well. The army's laughter and loud taunting outside simply makes you tremble in fear.

Options run through your mind like, "maybe they'd change their mind if I beg them to spare my loved ones or if I offer myself in slavery in return." You may also blame others for the situation. If only this person didn't do this, or if only that person helped me out. Worst, you also blame God for letting bad things happen to you.

Not Hezekiah. I'd imagine he was trembling with fear when the news came to him that Sennacherib, the king of Assyria who brought down a lot of countries, is targeting Judah. But he didn't let his fear get the best of him.

He didn't let Sennacherib make him lose sight and focus on God. It wasn't about Sennacherib for him, nor was it about himself, his kingdom or his family. It remained about God. Why let them laugh and mock God's people? Why let them dirt God's name? The focus remained on God, and not anything else. What did God do? Sennacherib broke camp because the angel of the Lord struck 180,000 men in the Assyrian camp!

Having troubles? Don't lose sight of God, cause He definitely hasn't lost sight of you! Trust in Him and rest assured of His wonderful deeds that are nothing short of a miracle!

love and patience for the "terrible two" // 2012.06.25

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Terrible Twos. That's what most pediatricians and child psychologists call that stage characterized by toddlers being negative about most things and often saying 'no'; or finding your toddler having frequent mood changes and temper tantrums. Experts always remind us that the child isn't trying to be defiant or rebellious on purpose, and that he is just trying to express his growing independence and doesn't have the language skills to easily express his needs.

Being a father of a "terrible two", I can cleary see what they mean. My baby would always want to do things his own way, and shout back at me when I reprimand him for doing things he shouldn't. I'd discipline him when needed, and he'd feel resentful sometimes. What makes it all worthwhile is seeing him develop positive habits. More importantly, seeing him develop those while drawing even nearer me despite the disciplining that I do.

God is like that -- He disciplines us to help us be the best that we can be, not because He resents us but because He loves us. The Israelites felt more than a lot of times that God had forsaken them, even forgetting that it is them that brought about their misfortune themselves. However, time and again, God has proven His love for us despite our somewhat rebellious attitude.

In today's Gospel, Jesus calls us once again to look at our neighbors not with judgemental eyes but with eyes of love that seeks to lift the person up from his ditch instead of branding him or her as a waste of earth space.

Jesus is not asking us to pretend nothing's wrong, or to call black white. He isn't telling us that "better" people have the license to judge or correct others however they want to. On the contrary, He is reminding us to love the person, understand what is causing that person to sin, and have the patience to be "Jesus to him or her".

Is there a person in your life right now that is heating up your blood? Cast away that anger, stop cursing or thinking bad things about him or her. Instead of distancing yourself, draw nearer to Him just as God does with us.