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WHEN things go wrong and pain sweeps over us, we remember to call on
God. Problem is that often we cannot find Him. This is the complaint
of so many believers: “when I need God, I can’t seem to find Him
. . . it’s as if He’s hiding from me.”
We believers insist on having God when we need
Him. God at our fingertips. When that doesn’t happen, we get upset
with Him and accuse Him of playing games with our feelings. We blame
him for hiding from us.
This reminds me of the story of the favorite
disciple of a holy man. It seems that he complained to the holy man
that it was very difficult in adversity to retain perfect faith in
the belief that God provides for every human being. “It actually
seems as if God were hiding His face from such an unhappy being,”
he said.
“It isn’t hiding anymore,” replied the
holy man, “if you know it is hiding.”
If you have enough faith to believe that God is
there always loving you regardless of what happens, you know that He
isn’t hiding from you even if He does not grant your every wish
and desire; even if He does not shield you from the pain and hurt;
and even if things are not at all going your way.
If you have faith you know He’s there even if
you can’t feel His presence. You know He’s by your side even if
you cannot sense Him. You know He won’t abandon you even if it
feels like you’re all alone. You know He has a plan for you even
if everything seems to be so chaotic.
A child was playing hide and seek with another
child. He hid himself for some time, but his playmate did not look
for Him. The little boy ran to the wise man and complained; “He
did not look for me!”
The wise man replied: “This is also God’s
complaint, that we don’t look for Him!”
The trouble with us is we expect God to stand by
us and serve us. Like a butler in waiting. We get our roles
reversed. It is we who need to stand by and serve Him. We need to
seek Him out. It is we who need to stand before God and worship Him
and not the other way around. The trouble with us is that we don’t
know our place. Like the guys who rush into the banquet hall and
expect to be seated at the table of honor.
We will find more contentment if we learn to
trust more and demand less. We will be more at peace with ourselves
if we accept in faith our place in the order of things.
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If you have problems about drugs, alcohol and
behavior/attitude call my office at 8206107 or 8251771 or e-mail me
at gvcbuenca@vasia.com or write me at P.O. Box 2099 MCPO, Makati
City.
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