IN HIS GRIP: UNSTOPPABLE

There was an English man who described the life in New England. He observed that the migrants have the wrong impression that there would barely be a hard winter, so they would continue sight seeing and relaxing, disregarding the deep freeze arriving. But those who have known the seasons were not silly. They used this short gap to prepare for the winter’s gust Through this preparation, they were able to endure the long and very cold winter.

In your life right now, do you feel that you exactly know that what you are doing and where you are heading is right? Do you feel secure, certain, and led? Or is the future a bit blurry to you right now? Are you prepared for what is to come?

My best friend wrote to me one time before our graduation and said that change is constant. She knew that on our graduation day, everything would start changing. And it did, very fast. Everything changes. Time changes. I remember when we were just young kids in grade school, and we were not even best friends yet. Then we found ourselves creating a small group of four in high school. And we would sing, join English and journalism contests, write poems and short stories, and watch anime. And I cherished everything we did that I had this mind set that somehow this is going to be constant.

After four years in high school, I found myself leaving Quezon City to go to Los Baños, Laguna for college. We all passed UP yet in different campuses, meaning we wouldn’t see each other much. I would be staying in a dorm about three hours away from my home. I was leaving my comfort zone. I’d be away from my family and friends. I suddenly felt like I’ve outgrown something and had to put it behind. Right now three of us are working and one is finishing her journalism degree. Time runs fast. Who knows what would happen next.

Notice that when the “new time” is coming, we often feel a bit restless. Going to college was a mixed feeling of anxiety and excitement. But I knew that God has a purpose for bringing me there. He wanted to take me away from things that I was holding to, things that were slowing me down. Through separating me from the people and things that I love, through isolation, I began to know Christ. Through isolation I began to slowly overcome my timidity. Through isolation, I began to have a deeper “relationship” with my Creator. And through that relationship, my life finally had a purpose and direction.

In the Ezekiel 38:7, the Lord said “Get ready; be prepared…” The Lord wants us to be like the “Men of Issachar” in the book of 1 Chronicles “who understood the times.” Let us be observant, let’s check out what is going on now and not later, and be prepared for what is to come – for what the Lord has planned to come.

It’s true that we go through different circumstances in life, some are bad, and some are good. Sometimes God would allow the deepest hurt, like the loss of a loved one, to help us focus on Him and on His will. But different times will help us grow in different ways and keep us moving ahead towards the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan for us. We have to let go of things that are slowing us down or hindering us to become what God wants us to be.

In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul said “…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Let us set our eyes towards what God has destined us to be. Let’s be alert and be prepared for what is to come. Let’s not wait for circumstances to change before making a move which God has already planned. To avoid this we have to stay connected to God by reading our Bibles daily and praying. Let us develop our spiritual radar so we could readily move whenever God says “it is time.”

We are not forever young. There are many things that we can do now while we are still strong. We may have our own weaknesses and disabilities. But let’s not let these things slow us down or hinder us. The Lord says, “My grace is sufficient.” He will give us the strength and the courage to move on. He will make us able.

Just like what the lyrics of a song by Switchfoot that says “the tension is here,between who you are and who you could be. Between how it is and how it should be… I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor…I dare you to move, like today never happened before.”

I dare you to move. Be unstoppable.