unlike any other
My lent was this blog's title, and more. I guess every first time is. You see I made myself attend a holy week retreat, an event that took 2 days from my 5-day "vacation" as well as P3000 from my P4000 so "savings". I could have spent (or better yet saved) that much time and money on something fun and exciting or profitable (like web rackets) but i chose something else. I got up early to get out of town, listened to a series of talks, and confessed my sins to a man I've just met. This was all a first, because I initiated it, unlike in my past retreats which spelled requirement, this was my choice.
And it was one of the best decisions I've ever made so far.
Let me expound by sharing things i remember most clearly.
Credit: the ff itemized thoughts won't be composed if Bo Sanchez didn't first tell it :) So read on.
(1) You have to take responsibility.
Contrary to the usual belief, you're the one driving your life, God is but a driving companion, He gave you a life and everything you need so that you can make decisions for yourself- where to turn, when to stop, when to ask for directions. God will surely be your guide (if again you let him), because you're the one holding the steering wheel and its your feet on the brakes, it's all up to you to make it a good ride. Honestly. Just listen to the Him in your passenger seat and it should be one smooth journey.
(2) If you want something to change, you should be willing to do something new.
You can't pray "God please cure my sickness" and not buy the medicines the doctor prescribed or pray "God give me a husband" and refuse to mingle. Bo's words more or less --- if you're unwilling to do something new, something necessary for that change you so want to happen to possibly happen, then you're one word - INSANE and that's being gentle.
(3) Good relationships aren't born, they're made.
If you want a better relationship with your mom, dad, sister, brother, girlfriend, friends then effort to show that want is required. Friends or family only become strangers when they stopped talking. Start from "How's your day" and never stop even until you get to the difficult "i'm sorrys" and "i love yous".
(4) Fail your way to success!
The most successful men also had the most number of failures. Being a failure now doesn't (again contrary to our usual thinking) lessen your chances of being successful someday. In fact, they might just be jumpstarts in disguise to transform you to be more persevering, more dedicated and more determined who in no time will, in God's perfect timing, succeed. So don't let yourself be stopped by one failure, wait for the second, for the third for your ad infinitum mistake because remember as much as they are failures, they are also the building blocks of success.
(5) You shouldn't ever consider yourself second class in His eyes, no matter how sinful you've become.
His love cannot and will never be overthrown or even reduced by your infidelity, how often they are. Put together all human reasoning and we can never come up with an answer to how much He loves us, more so, why He does. He just does. Doesn't make sense? Don't scratch your head. His love is supposedly beyond our comprehension. =)
(6) Forgiving someone is an act of kindness you do to YOURSELF.
That person who wronged you doesn't even think of you (as often or at all) anymore so why continue letting him/her get the best of you? and over and over at that? Do yourself a favor and let it go. It might feel unjust for a while, but trust this, there's nothing as divine as being able to forgive. Forgiveness is the highest form of generosity. And generosity and selflessness never go unrewarded. In fact, they are rewarding by themselves.
(7) The most beautiful metaphor I've heard used to answer the question "Do you know the potentials God gave you? or how much you can do in this life?"
A mango seed is about 4 inch long and 2 inch wide. Looking at it after sucking the edibles, we see a remnant of a delicious fruit, but think deeply and it should dawn on you that within that seed is a 10 ft tree, within that seed are 9,000 mangoes a year, within that seed are 9,000 more seeds. Just like you - - - within you are dreams to realize, talents to discover, enhance and profit from, within you are people to love, to inspire and to influence, within you are books to be published, songs to be written and artworks to create, within you are hard lessons to experience, great ideas to start on, and unbelievable emotions to feel, within you is a possible legend, future children, and a tree of family. There will be a hundred more within you's so don't box yourself to one or even to ten. God's will is not a single path, its a whole map, a map where He wants you to explore the horizons, see different sunsets and become what you can become. We live only once so breathe as much as you can, taste as much as you can, see as much as you can, smell as much as you can, feel as much as you can, converse as much as you can, learn as much as you can, love as much as you can while you all still can. It's tiring to type these all-you-can phrases but the point it makes is so worth it.
- - -
It was certainly a RETREAT which reminds me of a friend who once asked me why a retreat is called as such when its immediate meaning is to withdraw, so it's like a "withdrawal from what?" I honestly didn't know the answer to this so I did some google and found out this via merriam-webster website:
re·treat
1 a (1) : an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable (2) : the process of receding from a position or state attained b (1) : the usually forced withdrawal of troops from an enemy or from an advanced position (2) : a signal for retreating c (1) : a signal given by bugle at the beginning of a
military flag-lowering ceremony (2) : a military flag-lowering ceremony
2 : a place of privacy or safety : REFUGE
3 : a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, and instruction under a director
- - -
Meaning no. 3 fits exactly but after having gone from one, from this one, I think merriam-webster had rather oversimplified it. *_*
In Bo's words, be blessed, everyone.
And it was one of the best decisions I've ever made so far.
Let me expound by sharing things i remember most clearly.
Credit: the ff itemized thoughts won't be composed if Bo Sanchez didn't first tell it :) So read on.
(1) You have to take responsibility.
Contrary to the usual belief, you're the one driving your life, God is but a driving companion, He gave you a life and everything you need so that you can make decisions for yourself- where to turn, when to stop, when to ask for directions. God will surely be your guide (if again you let him), because you're the one holding the steering wheel and its your feet on the brakes, it's all up to you to make it a good ride. Honestly. Just listen to the Him in your passenger seat and it should be one smooth journey.
(2) If you want something to change, you should be willing to do something new.
You can't pray "God please cure my sickness" and not buy the medicines the doctor prescribed or pray "God give me a husband" and refuse to mingle. Bo's words more or less --- if you're unwilling to do something new, something necessary for that change you so want to happen to possibly happen, then you're one word - INSANE and that's being gentle.
(3) Good relationships aren't born, they're made.
If you want a better relationship with your mom, dad, sister, brother, girlfriend, friends then effort to show that want is required. Friends or family only become strangers when they stopped talking. Start from "How's your day" and never stop even until you get to the difficult "i'm sorrys" and "i love yous".
(4) Fail your way to success!
The most successful men also had the most number of failures. Being a failure now doesn't (again contrary to our usual thinking) lessen your chances of being successful someday. In fact, they might just be jumpstarts in disguise to transform you to be more persevering, more dedicated and more determined who in no time will, in God's perfect timing, succeed. So don't let yourself be stopped by one failure, wait for the second, for the third for your ad infinitum mistake because remember as much as they are failures, they are also the building blocks of success.
(5) You shouldn't ever consider yourself second class in His eyes, no matter how sinful you've become.
His love cannot and will never be overthrown or even reduced by your infidelity, how often they are. Put together all human reasoning and we can never come up with an answer to how much He loves us, more so, why He does. He just does. Doesn't make sense? Don't scratch your head. His love is supposedly beyond our comprehension. =)
(6) Forgiving someone is an act of kindness you do to YOURSELF.
That person who wronged you doesn't even think of you (as often or at all) anymore so why continue letting him/her get the best of you? and over and over at that? Do yourself a favor and let it go. It might feel unjust for a while, but trust this, there's nothing as divine as being able to forgive. Forgiveness is the highest form of generosity. And generosity and selflessness never go unrewarded. In fact, they are rewarding by themselves.
(7) The most beautiful metaphor I've heard used to answer the question "Do you know the potentials God gave you? or how much you can do in this life?"
A mango seed is about 4 inch long and 2 inch wide. Looking at it after sucking the edibles, we see a remnant of a delicious fruit, but think deeply and it should dawn on you that within that seed is a 10 ft tree, within that seed are 9,000 mangoes a year, within that seed are 9,000 more seeds. Just like you - - - within you are dreams to realize, talents to discover, enhance and profit from, within you are people to love, to inspire and to influence, within you are books to be published, songs to be written and artworks to create, within you are hard lessons to experience, great ideas to start on, and unbelievable emotions to feel, within you is a possible legend, future children, and a tree of family. There will be a hundred more within you's so don't box yourself to one or even to ten. God's will is not a single path, its a whole map, a map where He wants you to explore the horizons, see different sunsets and become what you can become. We live only once so breathe as much as you can, taste as much as you can, see as much as you can, smell as much as you can, feel as much as you can, converse as much as you can, learn as much as you can, love as much as you can while you all still can. It's tiring to type these all-you-can phrases but the point it makes is so worth it.
- - -
It was certainly a RETREAT which reminds me of a friend who once asked me why a retreat is called as such when its immediate meaning is to withdraw, so it's like a "withdrawal from what?" I honestly didn't know the answer to this so I did some google and found out this via merriam-webster website:
re·treat
1 a (1) : an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable (2) : the process of receding from a position or state attained
military flag-lowering ceremony (2) : a military flag-lowering ceremony
2 : a place of privacy or safety : REFUGE
3 : a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, and instruction under a director
- - -
Meaning no. 3 fits exactly but after having gone from one, from this one, I think merriam-webster had rather oversimplified it. *_*
In Bo's words, be blessed, everyone.
posted by ley at
8:00 PM
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