Faith amidst trials

Thank God, there is always tomorrow beyond today, beyond yesterday. Thank God for another new week, and more new weeks to look forward to. Thank God too, for the sun that never fails to show up despite days or weeks of storms and clouds.

To be honest, when we saw the floods and the massive destruction that people and communities suffered with Ondoy, we did ask ourselves and we asked aloud, will we ever recover from all these? Will our people and our country be able to start anew from hereon? How?

And as if our challenges were not enough, then the announcement of stronger typhoons came. Our people had hardly recovered from the wrath of Ondoy, we braced ourselves for another round of possible more devastation.

Armed only with prayers and faith, those of us abroad waited for more sad news and photos of our suffering kababayans. Gratefully, so far, the next typhoon was not as harsh as Ondoy although sadly, there were those who lost their lives as well.

May the next storms be milder and weaker and less destructive, we pray.

As the days passed, we saw how people picked up the debris, but most importantly, how they picked up what was left by Ondoy. There were so many grieving, pained, lost looks captured online, by mass media, by civilians.

Yet, we saw a grateful people, thankful for the gift of life, for themselves, for their families, for their kababayans. We heard stories of heroism, of volunteerism, and we saw for ourselves how Filipinos throughout the world mobilized and organized themselves to extend their love and concern for our people. And through all these, we realized the answers to our previous questions.

Will we ever recover from Ondoy and the devastation? Yes, we will and we are recovering, no thanks to the fund-deficit government of the rich politicians. Yes, the victims themselves are helping themselves to stand up anew, to pick up and clean out all the remains of Ondoy. Yes, our people may be down and drowned for a while but they do not remain victims for long. And they are not alone and they realize they are not alone. There are as many good neighbors and Samaritans in contrast to the those that are cloistered in the halls of power and unexplained wealth.

Will our people and our country be able to start anew from hereon? Yes, and that is a resounding yes! We have seen how those who experienced the floods realize their redemption from near death. Life is more precious than any other material possession. Never mind if they have nothing else to start with. They are alive and that is the best cause to celebrate, to start anew, to continue what has been preciously preserved for them, their lives and those of their loved ones!

Those who were not in the midst of the floods realized this most important lesson as well. That the floods left behind what everyone else took for granted, life, oh, beautiful, precious life! Life is enough reason to begin living all over again.

Another precious lesson from the floods is how the best in the Filipinos come out in the midst of trials. Of course, we grant that trials also bring out the worst in some people. Still, the heroism, the volunteerism, the quick response of Filipinos all throughout the world and within our country provide the inspiring impetus for recovery, the most important kind of which is spiritual and moral.

We saw the laudable efforts of those who sent emails and prayers encouraging all to share whatever they could do where they were for our suffering people. We saw how actively, how sincerely the Filipino community in Tsukuba, led by the Filipino scholars and those in churches, reached out to co-Filipinos and their friends from the international community to cook food, do potluck, sell and raise funds to send to the needy back home. And through the internet, we learned that all throughout the world, the sincere Filipinos are continuing to join our suffering Filipinos back home, doing whatever they can to help alleviate the suffering and trials of their kababayans affected by Ondoy and the other storms beyond Ondoy.

Faith in the Filipinos, unity and assistance amidst trials, and yes, God in our midst during storms and clouds in our personal and national lives are our tools to recovery, to begin anew.

Yes, we are recovering with only God and united, sincere Filipinos to start rebuilding private lives, to begin reconstructing a damaged society.

Thank God for the past, the present, and most especially for not only the promise but for the dawning of sun-and-faith-blessed tomorrows as well!

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