Going the extra mile in life’s journey

A few days ago, my youngest son decided to get baptized in a church called “Inspire Church.”  It’s a really young church. When the group came into my house, they were all in their 20s. When I attended the service, I was met with a band on stage. The attitude and thinking of the group is very positive. Pastor Nolan is in his early 30s and actually grew up in Hawaii.  His talk when I went there was to “stretch — go the extra mile” and “dig deep” — to take on life’s travails. The messages resonated with me. When he came to the house, I expressed to him my wariness of the rigidity of organized religion and that my experience in life has taught me that God is a presence to be felt — and the way is to silence the mind. I feel that God is not limited to a book or a service. But it’s the way one lives one’s life. He said his goal is to have people realize their God-given potential.

What I liked about the group is their positivity. He came to the house several times and brought Benj to lunch and then a few days ago, Benj decided to get baptized.

Before that, he had all these dreams — one of which stands out, because he kept on mulling over it for days. So I am going to share it with you. The space of the dream is quite beautiful. There is a depth and profundity to it.

A Story About Meditation

My son Benj gets baptized: “As I was looking at the water before me, I felt my past body enter it,” says Benj.

A man is following a cat. He has black hair and a fur pouch. He is traversing an incredibly steep edge off the side of an icy, snowy mountain and a misstep would mean his life. The journey to get there from the forest has been long. As he gets around the edge, he sees an opening and approaches it. What he sees is beauty, an unexpected beauty. A clearing, inside this mountain, from end to end and as far as the eye can see. Plain, clear ice, untainted and untouched. At the end are a few more steps up to the top of the mountain. What the man sees, notices rather, as he walks onto the ice and looks around are two things, two kinds of beauty. The first is the beauty of almost limitless human potential and the second beauty is the beauty within himself, the beauty of being human. And atop the steps lies a small garden with a baby girl in a stone crib.

This is a darker version of Adam and Eve.  The baby girl was placed in the crib by God and He was watching over her and caring for her before the man arrived. The garden eventually grows much bigger and covers up the clearing and the man loves and takes care of the baby girl until she is older. Therefore, God banishes them from the Garden of Eden and sin is born.

This is not a story about the beginning of humanity but a story about the beginning of life.

So, to connect to the divine and realize your full potential, spend some time every day (if you can) to sit down, close your eyes and wake up.

This is Benj reflection on the day of his baptism:

Today, I was baptized. As I was looking at the water before me, I felt my past body enter it and when I was dipped and re-emerged, I felt a little bit different. I think it is the little things that can make a big difference and that lead me to somewhere new.

Prayer: I pray to God that light spread over humanity and lead us to the path of true salvation and wisdom.

In time, if there are people to be helped, I will help them.

Isn’t that beautiful?! I am so very proud of him. And feel honored to be able to help in whatever way towards the journey of this soul.

A day after his baptism, Benj left for the Himalayas because he felt the mountains were calling him. His father, who is Indian, is bringing him. In the latter part of June, we do the Walk of the Samurai — the Nakasendo walk which is one of the top 20 tours of all time (according to the Net). The walk helped my sister when she was in chaos — so I am hoping it will also help my sons.

One walks about 12 kilometers daily and spends the night in a traditional Japanese hotel, eating different cuisines. So it should be really interesting.

Then in July, we will climb Mt. Pulag because I was told that, too, is a slice of heaven.

Speaking of journeys, let me end on a lighter note by sharing with you a picture that tickled me pink.  There’s Andy with my sister Berta, his ex-wife, and Liza, his current wife. To complete the picture, there’s me with Ting Feliciano, my sister’s current husband. Now, don’t you think this picture is cute?!  I love it when life moves forward without negativity and just moves forward in gear and love. That’s the way it should go.

So, may you have happy journeys of your souls. Always see the light at the end of the tunnel. Valleys don’t last forever.

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I can be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com.