This Holy Week, let us think about God’s plan for man, how we have strayed away from His plan and what He is trying to tell us in these recent events. Hopefully, this would help us put things in perspective, make us realize what is important in life and bring us closer to God.
The following personalities share with us stories of what made them embrace God.
Caridad Sanchez, actress: The death of my husband in 1981 drew me closer to God. It made me realize He is the one true God.
Gelo Serrano, president, Infinite Ideas: In 1984, our house burned down. We lost everything. The fire insurance of the house expired. We had invested all our money in dollars and that was lost in the fire as well. It seemed we lost everything. But then we realized we were all alive. We had survived the fire! This was one time we really felt His presence.
Fanny Serrano, stylist: People feel the Lord’s presence when they are at the lowest point in their life. They either lost someone, or had their heart broken. In my case, I was at the peak of my career when I embraced the Lord. I was at the clinic of dermatologist Dr. Ofelia Que when she started sharing with me God’s goodness. It was the first time that stories about God touched me. When she asked, "Do you want to accept the Lord as your Savior?" I found myself saying, "Yes!" Then we started to pray. I felt so light. The heaviness in my heart, most especially against my father whom I could not forgive for leaving us, started to disappear. I felt I was floating. I never had this feeling even at the height of my career. I wanted to know more. I was hungry for the Word of God. I asked a lot of questions and the answers were all in the Bible. This was when I became a Christian. The best part of it all is I realized my role on earth.
Cynthia Almario, interior designer: When I found out that my brother Dondi has cancer, I became closer to God. Shortly thereafter, I attended a centering prayer retreat.
Gino Padilla, singer: I got closer to God through the death of a loved one – my brother Eric, who at age 22, died because of drugs. He would have made it big in business. He was strong-willed and ambitious. But drugs put an end to all his dreams. Drugs destroy families and relationships. I believe that through my songs, I can spread the message of God’s love.
Maribi Garcia, author: I’ve been in search of God since I was a child. But the nuns in school traumatized me. I was very naughty and distracted then. I had a difficult time memorizing prayers. They told me I was going to hell. My turning point was when I was suffering from clinical depression, I felt the calling to write a prayer book titled Presence: Prayer for Busy People. I wrote a couple of more books after Presence. With the help of Fr. Teofilo Rustia, we put up a healing center. The irony of it is that now I give seminars to nuns. My cross became my ministry.
Beth Sison Tagle, businesswoman: Coming from a religious family and having grown up in a convent school, I’ve always felt a close connection to God. The connection became stronger when in 1998, my husband, painter E.R. Tagle, and I separated. I was suddenly alone with no one to turn to but God. He became my constant partner in all my endeavors and helped me to be at peace with myself.