people – Beautifully Waiting

It’s this time of the year again! Aside that September is the first month of the “-ber” months, this is also the time for promotions, ratings and increases. 🙂 This is the time of the year that there will only be two types of people at the office – happy and disappointed.

As for me, I even forgot about ratings until I was scheduled to have the discussion. And nothing new, God’s ways are really amazing. I received a rating that was really way, way beyond my expectation, which meant better rewards package starting this month. Such a privilege to have the God of “how much more” in my life!

I didn’t get a promotion this year. Would it be a hypocrite to say that I really didn’t want a promotion? I really didn’t. I just know that I’m not yet ready for the role. And I know that when I’m ready, God will be the one who will make it happen.

A lot of things happened lately that I even forgot and didn’t even ponder about all of these ratings, etc. At the start of the middle of this year, things were unexpectedly challenging at work. God has blessed me with a role that I really wanted, thinking that it would be impossible to have. Indeed, if God wants to bless us, He will make it happen. That’s who God is. 🙂

God has allowed me to be into difficult situations, balancing work and dealing with people – to be able to give my best in what I need to deliver and at the same time to be very patient with the people around me. When I started this role, I was very excited and really happy. I guess I was being naive. Little did I know that the opportunities I have been praying to glorify Him would be this tough. And sadly, there were days that my heart and thoughts were never glorifying to God.

For more than seven years, I was in a comfort zone wherein I know what I need to do, I do what I need to do and I decide what I think is right. I never realized how difficult it is to adjust into something that is totally different from what I had been used to. (The reason why I even forgot about ratings and salary letters. )

But then I realized it is during these times that I will experience God more and see more of what He could possibly do in me and through me. All of these difficulties and challenges were never about me in the first place. Everything has always been about God. How He will make me overcome, how He will sustain me, how He will protect and preserve me, how He will grant me favor from men, how He will uphold me, how He will change and renew my mind each day.

The more I realize that, the more I feel peace because I really don’t have to try so hard to please everyone around me. All I need to do is to give my best to please God because what matters to Him is what’s inside my heart.

No matter how excellent the output of my work is but my means to it is not pleasing to God, it’s worthless.

I always hold on to my work verse, keeping me grounded and reminded the reason why I’m doing what I’m doing.

^“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23 – 24

I praise and thank God for the wonderful blessings, for the trials and for the people He put into my life to mold my character more. All glory to God! 🙂

When I moved to Manila to work, I didn’t have any immediate family with me nor friends that I can live with. I was basically on my own at the start. It wasn’t an easy move and I can still clearly remember that I wanted to go home to Bacolod during my first week of stay. I got so homesick as it was my first time to really be away from family.

Eventually, I made a lot of friends from my work, from where I used to stay and from church. As months went by, I realized how important to have people who would continue to guide you and even become accountable for you. That’s when I decided to join in a small group. And being part of it really helped me in my continuous stay here in Manila.

The small group became my spiritual family. It is composed of people who show genuine love and concern towards each other. In the group, we share our victories and trials to one another to be able to encourage each other. We pray for each other and help each other in our walk with the Lord. There is nothing so extraordinary in a small group except the common factor why we meet together – Jesus Christ.

I’m glad that I made that decision to be part of a small group. It’s not just about meeting together, talking about our lives, doing fun stuff together, a small group is more than that. It’s a privilege to be a blessing to different people. It’s a privilege of knowing God through other people who share the same passion for the Lord.

Indeed, we are all created for relationships. We are not meant to be alone. If right now, you feel like you don’t have friends, or you’re too far away from your family or you just really feel alone, and you’ve been invited to be part of something like this, give it a chance. It’s more than an invitation, it’s a privilege.

In small groups, we don’t just gain friends, we grow with friends.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25

These are the different small groups I’ve been with and still with. It’s just amazing growing old with such beautiful women, some have gotten married already, one had kid, some had left the city, some had returned, some still stayed single :), but despite of the changes, the journey of encouraging, praying for each other and lifting up one another never changes.

Truth is, our lives together go beyond the small circle of group. 🙂 🙂 🙂