What miracle has happened in your life?
June 11, 2006 | 12:00am
Sometimes they are small that we hardly notice them until we sit down and reflect on the day’s events, sometimes they are big that the moment they happen we realize that we live but by the grace of God. We only have to open our hearts and minds, look around and feel all the miracles that come our way every day – waking up to a beautiful day, narrowly missing an accident, realizing that we are truly loved, or making a mistake that turns out to be a blessing. Every day, God shows us that he is always there for us. We must learn to be more appreciative of these miracles no matter how big or small they are, and only then that we will realize that the mere fact that we are here on earth – even if we don’t fully understand why – is the greatest of all miracles.
BENJIE BAUTISTA, lead vocalist of Behind Closed Doors band: Helen and I were separated for a total of 14 years. During that span of time, I was constantly in adulterous relationships and completely forgot about my family. Little did I know that in spite of all the hurts I caused them, my wife and kids were praying for me and the restoration of our family. On April 7, 1996, as I was invited to church and attended for the first time with my family, God granted me the peace I was seeking, and eventually, restored our family. Today, I’m proud to say that my greatest miracle, in spite of all my sins, is how the Lord changed me and how I’m able to be a good husband to my wife, a loving father to my kids, and a doting granddad to my grandchildren. Praise God!
RICHARD GOMEZ, Team Goma Sport: We were in church last Sunday with my family and I was not feeling very well. After receiving Communion I asked the Lord to heal me from my sore throat pain, which I’ve had for the past couple of days. The moment I asked for comfort the pain in my throat was gone. I don’t know what you would call it but I think it was a miracle.
ATTY. MAY FLORES: Miracle of the doctrinal kind, I have not had any, but little miracles, I have had plenty. Asking for a sabbatical on a whim and actually
getting it; quitting a job and receiving offers before having to apply; putting on a life vest just before the boat suddenly and dangerously listed to starboard; taking a wrong turn which turned out to be a shortcut. To experience miracles, approach life as an adventure. Take some wrong turns once in a while, do things on a whim every now and
then, ask for things even if you don’t think you’re going to get them, then sit back, relax and allow life to give you those little surprises called "miracles."
ARIEL J.G. MARQUEZ: senior pastor, Victory Christian Fellowship-Alabang: Ten years ago we were blessed with a baby boy, Jerome, our second-born child and our first son. He was full of life, playful, and just beginning to be a young boy of promise before the tragedy. In November 2003, he suddenly fell ill, which we thought to be an ordinary fever. But after unusual circumstances and a series of hospitalization, we learned that he had a rare sickness, TB meningitis. It broke our hearts to witness Jerome’s body deteriorate. He was fully paralyzed just after a month. Two months later, he passed away at the age of eight. Losing him was the most terrible and unexplainable pain we experienced. It is the worst thing that can happen to any parent. We had many questions, but God never failed to comfort us and reassure us of His faithfulness and goodness,despite unanswered questions. For many people, they would think that the miracle would be the complete healing for our son, but the real miracle is having to go through the whole ordeal and feel God’s abundant grace and comfort in our hearts. And just last year, God again proved himself to be good and gave us a lovely baby girl, Ana. She is one-year-old today, and my wife Shirley is (once again!) four months pregnant! Ana and our soon-to-be-born baby are not replacements of Jerome, but rather, new sources of joy for us both. We know that because of God’s great love for us, He has eased our grief and tears through the new additions to our family.
MAY GERONA, sales manager, Toyota Cubao: My greatest miracle would be my house that I bought early this year. I fasted and prayed for it. Now my children and I have something to call our own and God gave me much more than I prayed for. God has been good to my family and me, and we are very grateful.
RICHIE SANTOS, VP for merchandising, Cinderella: One truly memorable miracle in my life occurred when I was still in college. I almost got into a serious car accident with my friends. I really thought I was going to die. I believe it was my guardian angels that saved me. My guardian angels are so powerful that they have saved and helped me in a lot of other near-death incidents. Likewise, they have also helped me win a lot of major sports events in jet-ski racing, soccer, basketball, golf, skydiving, and other extreme sports.
Senator PIA CAYETANO: When I was a few months pregnant, I was reading this book called Miracle for Mothers. It’s an inspirational feel-good kind of book. But there was one story about a pregnant mom who learned her child was severely deformed and would not live past a few days. I wondered why they included that story because it was so sad. Fast-forward a few months later, I learned I was carrying a child with a chromosomal disorder and that he would be severely handicapped when born and wouldn’t live past a few days. With my first two kids, both girls, I waited till they were born to learn their sex. This time, I decided that I would find out if my baby was a boy or girl because if he had only a short time to live I wanted to name him in my tummy and call him by name for as long as I could. I learned that he was a boy. I’m a Bible reader and believer so I decided to name him Gabriel after the archangel who was sent by God to earth on a mission. Right after he was born, my sister-in-law who didn’t know his name yet, told me that when she saw him, and not knowing he may die any moment, she baptized him by the name of Gabriel. A few months later, while my little Gabriel so valiantly fought for his life, and I struggled to be strong, I had this urge to read that story about the mom with a deformed baby, thinking it would comfort me in some way. I was stunned that the baby’s name was Gabrielle. Gabriel’s story might not read a miracle, but he lived for nine months, long enough to make me a better mom and person. His sisters think of heaven as a real place knowing their brother is there. Through him, and the foundation (www.Gabrielsymphony.com) we put up in his memory, hundreds of disabled and disfigured children will live better lives. Knowing he’s waiting for me in heaven gives me reason to walk in faith.
SUSAN GADDI CAMPOS, personal shopper, Rustan’s: I believe miracles happen every day and often at a time when you least expect it. My most recent miracle is my being hired as a personal shopper, VIP Services for Rustan’s. I am an empty nester; my two sons (my eldest is working and my youngest is juggling his time between his showbiz career and school) are grownups and have their own busy schedules. I suddenly found myself alone with a lot of idle time on my hands. I refused to succumb to loneliness and decided to apply as a personal shopper at Rustan’s Department Store. Miracle of miracles, they hired me. This is a dream come true. It feels great to have something to do. It feels great to be of assistance to customers who need advice on what to purchase. It feels great to be walking around a store filled with beautiful merchandise. It feels great to have a job. What a miracle! Praise God.
RAPA LOPA, businessman: I suppose waking up each day and realizing how truly blessed I am is a constant miracle in my life. I cannot recall one particular instance like being dramatically healed of a serious illness or being witness to a supernatural event. But just the fact that I am blessed with good health and I am surrounded by family and friends who selflessly share much of themselves to me are already daily miracles I can be truly grateful for.
WEENA LIM, 1996 Atlanta Olympian for badminton: The miracle of waking up every morning to a brand-new day still amazes me. Winning the first-ever medal for the Philippines in the 1997 SEA Games in Indonesia was truly a miracle. In our game against Thailand we were down 6 match points and on the verge of getting eliminated when I truly prayed to God to help us win because it was my last SEA Games. I really don’t know what happened or how we did it but we were able to turn the game around and unbelievably won the match and attain my long-time dream of getting the 1st medal in badminton in the SEA Games. It was truly a blessing!
JOSEPH BONIFACIO, student: Last August, I had an accident while goofing off with my brother and some friends. I fell while hanging from the basketball ring across our house, and landed on my head. They immediately rushed me to the hospital where it was discovered that I had suffered three internal fractures of the skull. The doctor told my parents that I had a 60-40 chance of surviving. They operated on me that night. So many people from our church rallied to pray for me and my family during this time. And God heard them. The operation went smoothly. In a week’s time, I was out of the hospital. And after two weeks, I was back in class. Within three months, I was playing basketball again, albeit with a little more wisdom. I’m so thankful to God for granting me a complete recovery and for seeing my family through it all. I’m also grateful to all the people, many of whom I don’t know personally, who supported us during this time and prayed for us.
BENJIE BAUTISTA, lead vocalist of Behind Closed Doors band: Helen and I were separated for a total of 14 years. During that span of time, I was constantly in adulterous relationships and completely forgot about my family. Little did I know that in spite of all the hurts I caused them, my wife and kids were praying for me and the restoration of our family. On April 7, 1996, as I was invited to church and attended for the first time with my family, God granted me the peace I was seeking, and eventually, restored our family. Today, I’m proud to say that my greatest miracle, in spite of all my sins, is how the Lord changed me and how I’m able to be a good husband to my wife, a loving father to my kids, and a doting granddad to my grandchildren. Praise God!
RICHARD GOMEZ, Team Goma Sport: We were in church last Sunday with my family and I was not feeling very well. After receiving Communion I asked the Lord to heal me from my sore throat pain, which I’ve had for the past couple of days. The moment I asked for comfort the pain in my throat was gone. I don’t know what you would call it but I think it was a miracle.
ATTY. MAY FLORES: Miracle of the doctrinal kind, I have not had any, but little miracles, I have had plenty. Asking for a sabbatical on a whim and actually
getting it; quitting a job and receiving offers before having to apply; putting on a life vest just before the boat suddenly and dangerously listed to starboard; taking a wrong turn which turned out to be a shortcut. To experience miracles, approach life as an adventure. Take some wrong turns once in a while, do things on a whim every now and
then, ask for things even if you don’t think you’re going to get them, then sit back, relax and allow life to give you those little surprises called "miracles."
ARIEL J.G. MARQUEZ: senior pastor, Victory Christian Fellowship-Alabang: Ten years ago we were blessed with a baby boy, Jerome, our second-born child and our first son. He was full of life, playful, and just beginning to be a young boy of promise before the tragedy. In November 2003, he suddenly fell ill, which we thought to be an ordinary fever. But after unusual circumstances and a series of hospitalization, we learned that he had a rare sickness, TB meningitis. It broke our hearts to witness Jerome’s body deteriorate. He was fully paralyzed just after a month. Two months later, he passed away at the age of eight. Losing him was the most terrible and unexplainable pain we experienced. It is the worst thing that can happen to any parent. We had many questions, but God never failed to comfort us and reassure us of His faithfulness and goodness,despite unanswered questions. For many people, they would think that the miracle would be the complete healing for our son, but the real miracle is having to go through the whole ordeal and feel God’s abundant grace and comfort in our hearts. And just last year, God again proved himself to be good and gave us a lovely baby girl, Ana. She is one-year-old today, and my wife Shirley is (once again!) four months pregnant! Ana and our soon-to-be-born baby are not replacements of Jerome, but rather, new sources of joy for us both. We know that because of God’s great love for us, He has eased our grief and tears through the new additions to our family.
MAY GERONA, sales manager, Toyota Cubao: My greatest miracle would be my house that I bought early this year. I fasted and prayed for it. Now my children and I have something to call our own and God gave me much more than I prayed for. God has been good to my family and me, and we are very grateful.
RICHIE SANTOS, VP for merchandising, Cinderella: One truly memorable miracle in my life occurred when I was still in college. I almost got into a serious car accident with my friends. I really thought I was going to die. I believe it was my guardian angels that saved me. My guardian angels are so powerful that they have saved and helped me in a lot of other near-death incidents. Likewise, they have also helped me win a lot of major sports events in jet-ski racing, soccer, basketball, golf, skydiving, and other extreme sports.
Senator PIA CAYETANO: When I was a few months pregnant, I was reading this book called Miracle for Mothers. It’s an inspirational feel-good kind of book. But there was one story about a pregnant mom who learned her child was severely deformed and would not live past a few days. I wondered why they included that story because it was so sad. Fast-forward a few months later, I learned I was carrying a child with a chromosomal disorder and that he would be severely handicapped when born and wouldn’t live past a few days. With my first two kids, both girls, I waited till they were born to learn their sex. This time, I decided that I would find out if my baby was a boy or girl because if he had only a short time to live I wanted to name him in my tummy and call him by name for as long as I could. I learned that he was a boy. I’m a Bible reader and believer so I decided to name him Gabriel after the archangel who was sent by God to earth on a mission. Right after he was born, my sister-in-law who didn’t know his name yet, told me that when she saw him, and not knowing he may die any moment, she baptized him by the name of Gabriel. A few months later, while my little Gabriel so valiantly fought for his life, and I struggled to be strong, I had this urge to read that story about the mom with a deformed baby, thinking it would comfort me in some way. I was stunned that the baby’s name was Gabrielle. Gabriel’s story might not read a miracle, but he lived for nine months, long enough to make me a better mom and person. His sisters think of heaven as a real place knowing their brother is there. Through him, and the foundation (www.Gabrielsymphony.com) we put up in his memory, hundreds of disabled and disfigured children will live better lives. Knowing he’s waiting for me in heaven gives me reason to walk in faith.
SUSAN GADDI CAMPOS, personal shopper, Rustan’s: I believe miracles happen every day and often at a time when you least expect it. My most recent miracle is my being hired as a personal shopper, VIP Services for Rustan’s. I am an empty nester; my two sons (my eldest is working and my youngest is juggling his time between his showbiz career and school) are grownups and have their own busy schedules. I suddenly found myself alone with a lot of idle time on my hands. I refused to succumb to loneliness and decided to apply as a personal shopper at Rustan’s Department Store. Miracle of miracles, they hired me. This is a dream come true. It feels great to have something to do. It feels great to be of assistance to customers who need advice on what to purchase. It feels great to be walking around a store filled with beautiful merchandise. It feels great to have a job. What a miracle! Praise God.
RAPA LOPA, businessman: I suppose waking up each day and realizing how truly blessed I am is a constant miracle in my life. I cannot recall one particular instance like being dramatically healed of a serious illness or being witness to a supernatural event. But just the fact that I am blessed with good health and I am surrounded by family and friends who selflessly share much of themselves to me are already daily miracles I can be truly grateful for.
WEENA LIM, 1996 Atlanta Olympian for badminton: The miracle of waking up every morning to a brand-new day still amazes me. Winning the first-ever medal for the Philippines in the 1997 SEA Games in Indonesia was truly a miracle. In our game against Thailand we were down 6 match points and on the verge of getting eliminated when I truly prayed to God to help us win because it was my last SEA Games. I really don’t know what happened or how we did it but we were able to turn the game around and unbelievably won the match and attain my long-time dream of getting the 1st medal in badminton in the SEA Games. It was truly a blessing!
JOSEPH BONIFACIO, student: Last August, I had an accident while goofing off with my brother and some friends. I fell while hanging from the basketball ring across our house, and landed on my head. They immediately rushed me to the hospital where it was discovered that I had suffered three internal fractures of the skull. The doctor told my parents that I had a 60-40 chance of surviving. They operated on me that night. So many people from our church rallied to pray for me and my family during this time. And God heard them. The operation went smoothly. In a week’s time, I was out of the hospital. And after two weeks, I was back in class. Within three months, I was playing basketball again, albeit with a little more wisdom. I’m so thankful to God for granting me a complete recovery and for seeing my family through it all. I’m also grateful to all the people, many of whom I don’t know personally, who supported us during this time and prayed for us.
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