Another Victorious Day

One bright morning, as the sun rose aesthetically with its radiant rays touching my skin, I walked along a crowded street heading my workplace. With fried chicken full of joy as my packed lunch on my left hand and my cellphone on the other, I walked rattling fast to beat my morning rival--time. 

I arrived a minute earlier with a victorious smile, sat down on my chair with my heart brimming with boldness. I was breathing hard. I was not breathing really fast, but I was breathing extremely hard. After I recovered my incredible-hulk-like-strength, I started setting up my desk and did whatever needed to be done. Since I'm a person who loves to do extra-unorthodox phenomenon, I ended that day in the office trying to party up in my favorite book while working. That was a very nice morning for me.

"Time flies so fast", time to go home. It was just a regular day for me except for my packed lunch that was remained untouched because we had a free lunchout. I was thinking of eating that for dinner if it was still okay to eat.

On my way to the apartment, walking alone after a long day of work, I mustered up enough courage to walk and venture out into the crowded street so that I could be at home early instead of battling with heavy traffic. I eyed the people around me. I saw their  smiles, frowns, phones on ears, some staring at nowhere. They were walking slow, walking fast, walking really fast. They all looked very busy.  And they were, indeed, all different. I wondered how noisy their minds were.

Anyway, l was physically tapped out and would easily be beaten with just a forceless baby punch, I slowly snatched back my stance and continued to walk with a competitive posture. While cheering up my fainting feet to never give up, I felt a little loneliness. I heard no one as if everything around me was muted due to sadness. It was a mysterious feeling that I couldn't explain and didn't know where it came from.

Suddenly, a loud sound was heard. It came from the bell of a church nearby, the National Shrine of Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was strange to notice that flaring sound in the middle of nowhere and my mind was floating in another dimension. It was like a wake up alarm that brought me back to reality. I know God was calling me. I went to the church and prayed. Down on my knees, I loosed a humble sigh, taking a rosary from my hands into my chest, closing my eyes upon embracing it into my heart as if I held it, fought for it, victored with it, like a mysterious source of strength in a losing battle. I made a simple wish, a wish only I and the Star I wished upon only knew. Though the Star seem out of sight, I believed it was there, waiting for me to ask anything and everything I ever desired. I renewed my strength. I felt I am never alone. He is always there watching over us, He is always with us. God is really great.

I might be physically tired, but I was spiritually fired up during that time. I continued my way home. I was hearing a loud sound from a party nearby. As the gloomy lights shone from those posts standing with might, I stepped onto the shadows. Then, a figure emerged as my feet moving towards the triumph of rest. And I finally recognized it when the figure was dimly illuminated by the light from a poorly-lit lamp of a post. I saw a humble man sitting on the street waiting for someone in the party to give him some foods, with his wrecked dress and, for the eyes of others, a sack full of garbage, but for his, a treasure. Usually vivid, yet that night the lamp failed to retrace the bleary image. He was looking at me. I saw the tiredness, sadness, loneliness, hunger in his eyes. I thought of giving my untouched packed lunch to him, but I wasn't sure if the food was still okay, still, I past him. After a few steps, I opened my packed lunch; I smelled it and found out that it was still okay. I went back to the man and gave it to him. His melancholic eyes were replaced by a vehement smile. I think he was the reason why my packed lunch remained untouched on that day. That chicken full of joy brought literal joy to him. I learned that God is, indeed, giving the best reason for everything that is happening to us.

It taught me to love without effort. We should not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. Real love is simple, everyday kind of thing. A smile, a hug, an encouragement, or even an untouched packed lunch. Continuous love without effort. And by that, you will notice the beauty and the goodness in the world, then the evils and catastrophes, the greed and the wars will not be as overwhelming. And when we love, we do not expect to receive because we are too busy looking for a chance to give. That was how Jesus demonstrated it.

Also, I learned that God's timing is really perfect. The untouched packed lunch. The bell. The humble man. Everything is perfect. In time of my depression and loneliness, He called me. In time of depression and loneliness of others, He used me as a blessing. 

At the end of the day, I felt victorious with Him. I laid on my bed, praying, talking to Him about everything that had happened during that day. I received a sweet answer from Him, I imagined having a gentle kiss on forehead, and then an assuring look before closing my eyes that we have a constant contact with His hands like a pot still being molded by a Potter.

Hold fast to your faith. Believe in goodness. Believe in Love. Believe in God.