The Poor on the Clay Floor

The one room shack had a clay floor. There lay on the lone bamboo bed the lifeless body of the father of the family. Acting as counsel I was assigned by a client to deliver the financial assistance from the company whose employee had caused the death of the breadwinner in a vehicular accident.

 

The grieving widow and her children, all in tattered clothes, graciously accepted me into their home. I could see in their eyes deep sadness and utter helplessness. As I offered my condolences and handed the amount, my heart was wrenched as I controlled my tear ducts from overflowing.

 

Poverty is real. We see it in countries at war; we see it in slum colonies; we see it in busy city streets; we see it in church entrances. Many dread the prospect of being poor that they get education, secure a job and venture into business, which is not bad. When they attain prosperity, they seek more -- and still more. That may be bad.

 

Yet God cares so much for the poor. "[The Lord our God] lifts the poor from dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes!" (Psalm 113:7-8)

 

Those who are well off cannot simply wash their hands to the responsibility of caring for the poor. Those in poverty actually lead us the way to salvation. "Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon." (Isaiah 58:10)

 

To this day, I still ask myself if I had done enough for that fatherless family. My consolation is the fact that God has taken care of the widow and the children. I may have failed in that instance, but God continues to give each one of us the privilege to serve the poor. We only have to open our eyes, more so our hearts.

by Mel Libre

Far More Precious Than The Greatest Treasures On Earth

Yves St Laurent is synonymous with high fashion and style. His creativity and sense of timing brought him fame and much wealth. He died in 2008. It was revealed after his death that through the years he accumulated a wide range of art works and relics that were never viewed by the public; kept hidden in his palatial home. In no time, the individual to whom he bequeathed the treasures had these auctioned, bringing a cash windfall amounting to US$264 million, the biggest auction ever. A lifelong effort vanished like spoils in a war.

 

Many people pursue hobbies of collecting things – artwork, cars, dolls, figurines, stamps, etc. Often, these avocations demand time, effort and money. But we don’t mind for these bring joy and satisfaction. There is nothing wrong with collecting things so long as the effort does not consume one to a point of obsession. Hobbies are meant to pass our time away in a constructive and positive way.

 

Our true mission on earth though is less on accumulation, more on sharing. And oftentimes we ask ourselves, "What can I share when I don’t even have enough for myself?" Others would say, "Let the wealthy ones do the giving." If we live by the standards of the world, there is never enough. But if we live by the Word of God, there is abundance from each one of us to be shared to others. The gifts and talents we have; the skills and abilities we possess; the love and the light that God has filled our hearts. "In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well." (Romans 12:6)

 

If we opt to share, blessings come into our lives that culminate in something far more precious than the greatest treasures on earth: everlasting life in the Heavenly Kingdom. "We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory." (1Thessalonians 2:12)

by Mel Libre

You Complete Me

My wife, Debbie, celebrates her birthday on March 16. We’ve been married for 29 years, have three children, one grandson and a durable relationship. I do believe in love at first sight, because even until today, I can vividly recall the time that she was introduced as a new employee in the company where I worked as an auditor: never had I seen a smile so sweet and woman so pretty and so charming. We’ve had our ups and downs in marriage: the initial struggles as a young couple of standing on our own; the birth of, raising and educating beautiful children; the demands of work and home, etc. We’ve made it through. As I let Debbie, whose a Certified Public Accountant, pursue the vocation she’s most happy – insurance and real estate selling – she has in all instances stood behind me in the many endeavours I’ve ventured into. When she went to visit a sister in McAllen, Texas, United States for two months, I came to realise of the vacuum in my life without her. It was during those moments that I wrote the song, "You Complete Me". The lyrics follow: Without the sea what is a ship/ Without the wind what is a kite/ Without the tune what is a song/ Without the beat what is a dance/ Without the paper what is a pen/ Without the words what is a book/ Without the woman what is a man/ Without your love don’t know what I am// Ref: In this world of loneliness/ There is someone I do miss/ I long for your caress/ Your warm embrace/ Your tender kiss/ Woman you fill me/ You complete me// A ship can sail only on sea/ A kite can fly because of wind/ There is a song when there’s a tune/ There is a dance when there’s a beat/ The pen was made to write on paper/ The book is read because of words/ A man exists because of woman/ I am of you and you of me." Truly the marriage bond become stronger through the years, for it is written: "Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together." (Matthew 19:6) Early on our marriage, Debbie and I agreed with our children to adopt a family vision: "Living and loving under God’s Grace." This has kept us going through thick and thin, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer. We made our choice. "Choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) To Debbie, thank you for making me part of your life, as you are part of mine. Let us continue in our life journey together for our family, for our community, for our Lord. Happy Birthday; I love you. by Mel Libre

Cure for Vice

He worked himself to death. He was the accountant of the company that I was assigned to audit. He attended to his tasks efficiently and diligently. I became curious though as he was extremely thin and looked sickly. Further queries revealed that after office hours, he would play majong with his buddies until the early hours of the morning. With little sleep, he would report to the office for his daytime job. A few years later, I learned that he died of tuberculosis. I pray that his soul rests in peace.

Vice can suck the life out of people. It detaches one from reality, from the world, from friends and from loved ones. It leaves a vacuum in one’s self. It starves one’s spirit of nourishment from God. “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life, and Day will come on you unexpectedly.” (Luke 21:34)

People tend to delay therapy for vice. Letting go of pleasures of the flesh can be tormenting. Once accustomed to a vice, the flesh dictates the spirit. The temporal drugs the eternal. Today is the day to deny the serpent of vice, Satan; for any further postponement may leave the soul damned forever. “For He says: ‘In an acceptable time, I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

The cure of vice: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lust.” (Romans 13:14)

by Mel Libre