I'd just like to share my awfully fake journal in Christian Living. Well, okay. It's boring. So, I won't mind if you'll ignore it. And there may be typos here since I was really not in the mood at the time this was written.
Quarterly Reflection
During the quarter, we tackled lots of lessons that really grabbed my interest and inspired me in a lot of ways. Some made me realize my wrong doings, some made me feel sorry for others and some made me doubt if I truly am fulfilling a true Christian’s life.
We tackled about freedom-its interpretations and its misinterpretations. Usually, we think that the essence of freedom is doing what we want to and when we want it. This is a big misunderstanding. Freedom means you have a choice between good and evil. We all have choices. I do not believe that people do wrong tasks because they do not have a choice. They just mostly use the immoral shortcut rather than the righteous detour. This is most common to us, teenagers. There is a big freedom conflict. I remember once when I wanted to go to a concert and my dad didn’t allow me to as he said it might get violent. At first, I felt oppressed. I felt that he doesn’t give me the right to have fun. But then, I realized, he was just using his freedom to impose a rule that will benefit me. He is right. Sometimes, the things that we want are not always the best for us. Sometimes, they aren’t for our good. Sometimes, they’re for the contrary. But we have the freedom of choice. What we want is not always what is right. Our parents, whom we often blame for opposing our rights, are there not to hinder us from having fun but to ensure that we use our freedom wisely.
I also came up with another freedom that is taken for granted most of the time. Most of the time, our freedom of speech is abused. We simply express, disregarding how other people feel about what we say. We do not care simply because we think that it is our right of speech to say what we want to say. Well, that’s not how it works. Freedom. We are given freedom to choose the right and concise words to say. We are given freedom for us to learn how to make the right decisions. We are given freedom to learn how to weigh the right from wrong, the good from bad. Freedom is given for us to set our priorities whether we focus more on studies or just having fun.
We are all free. Free to do what is right. Free to choose what is right. Free to focus on what is for the better, what is for the good of others and ourselves. For me, that is the real essence of freedom. I really hope that many people realized this for it is vital so that misconceptions about if would be eradicated.
Another topic we tackled is about pagpapakatotoo. Each and everyone of us have our hearts which roots and is the center of our kalooban. Pagpapakatotoo is being true to what our hearts desire, but in a good way. Again, this value has many misconceptions. People would sometimes just blurt out their opinions saying that they are just being true to themselves. Being true comes with great responsibility. We are not the only person in the world with feelings. Everyone has them and it’s just a matter of being sensitive to the extent of other’s emotions. We are all different in a sense that we should use that difference to build better relationships.
Pagpapakatotoo can be connected to our politics today. Many politicians lack this. Before elections, they make promises and pledges to help and serve for the good of their vicinity. But after elected, most of them forget these pledges, being blinded by the large amounts of money they receive. This is where corruption is rooted.
Another topic I enjoyed in Christian Living is about Pagdama. Even if we are individuals, every one of us needs other people to turn to in times of doubts, problems and misunderstandings. We all need others to comfort us, to make us see when we are blinded, to guide us when we lose our direction. This is vital to our society today. Due to climate changes, the storms that pass our country get stronger by the minute. And as these storms get stronger, more people are affected, flooded and are experiencing hardships in conformity with it. This is a calling. As kapwa Filipinos, we should be sensitive to other’s needs. We, the lucky ones who have things to spare, should always remember that other people need us. I really believe in the concept of karma and I believe that if we would not help others, then others might not be helping us too in our desperate times. It’s just a matter of giving back. We are oh so blessed. We are abundant with food and money. Why not use that wisely to help others? Why not give back?
Another topic, pagbibigayan or mutual sharing, also left me with so many realizations. Male and female are far different from each other but it doesn’t mean that those differences would become brick walls that separate the two. Differences are there to remind us that we are all unique individuals. But we should always respect those differences and have empathy. We should feel for each other. We should have a mutual relationship. In nature, there are lots of examples of mutual relationships that keep the balance of it all. Though those animals have their differences, and some may even be predator and prey, they forget that as they are benefitting from each other. Same goes for man and woman. They may sometimes intimidate each other but that is just natural behavior. In time, we must learn how to cope with each other, to understand both sides, to understand both unique wants and needs.
Another tackled lesson is about pagkamatapat or faithfulness in marriage. This should be fully understood as nowadays, the number of broken families is increasing. Marriage is not just a game in which when you lose, you will just quit. It is a lifetime commitment. It is a lifelong endeavor. So, we should always make sure that we are married because of true love, not lust and certainly not of infatuation. The problem nowadays is that many people take marriage for granted. Some may have hidden agendas in marrying and some are just forced into it. It is a sacred sacrament that involves being moral.
Broken families not only contradict faithfulness in marriage but they also have extremely negative effects. Children from broken families often resort to drinking, smoking and other vices and are mislead thinking that these are proper solutions. They tend to be rebellious and mad at life and its twists and turns. Due to the lack of guidance, they are easily mislead by peers and media. This is a growing problem that could only be addressed if couples learn how to settle their problems and differences.
One time, I found myself on the verge of giving up on my prayers and my faith in God wasn’t that strong. I felt abandoned by him as I was receiving a lot of problems. I felt that he was singling me out. I realized that many people had been under more problems and challenges from God but they never did give up. But I, after just simple wishes that weren’t granted, I easily lost my faith. I was really in the wrong direction. Most of us become too selfish and consumed in what we want that when these are not granted, we lose our patience. We disregard the fact that these challenges are given by God to test us if we could surpass it and it could also greatly help us to learn to be better people. Problems are like sharpeners and we are the pencils; though sometimes we feel hurt, after that hurt and resentment, we learn to move on and become better persons with more values to showcase. God doesn’t throw us problems if we couldn’t handle them. We simply have to remain humble and fervently ask for his guidance. He is always there, watching over us. He will always listen to us and guide us in every endeavor if we just believe.
