My Best Revenge

I once took a taxi ride from the Ninoy Aquino Domestic Airport (Manila, Philippines) to my destination in Antipolo to spend my Christmas break with siblings and family. I was getting unfamiliar with the routes to my destination because it was a long time ago since I last left Manila.

As with the usual modus of some cheating taxi drivers I was taken to a wrong way when we got into Antipolo and, obviously, he was pretending to have a hard time locating my specific destination. We had some stops and me asking passersby about the address until we finally get to the place. The meter reading registered a whopping Php900.00 in total cost! I had no other choice but to pay the amount because I couldn't argue with a skilled Tagalog dialect (I am Cebuano). Besides, the travel did take long. However, being unfamiliar with the roads isn't my fault and shouldn't be any reason to dupe me. I was upset but could do nothing.

Later that day, I wanted to report the driver to authorities with the taxi complaint ticket I was handed at the airport. But then, doing so would have me go back the distance plus the hassles of traffic and cost of travel. The process would take away some of my valuable vacation time and it would have spoiled my stay. Nevertheless, I still wanted revenge.

I figured out the best revenge I could do and that was to pray instead. To be honest with God, I poured my sentiments through prayers, though, in a humble way. I said that, being human it was natural for me to think of revenge but with God knowing I should not take matters into my own hands. Instead, I asked If He could discipline that driver so that he would learn his lesson the hard way and realize how unfair he was. He needed to mend his ways. I added that I was not only praying for myself but also for other people who may also fall victims of his folly. That way, perhaps he could become a better person. I prayed that for a few days and even at random times until I was totally weaned from anger.

I channeled those anger and revenge in a positive and noble way for God to take into His hands. I felt justified with it and felt no regret with my supposed revenge. I was rewarded with a clean conscience knowing that God does things in His loving and divine ways. I was able to move on with a belief that my experience and revenge may spare other poor would-be passengers and perhaps help get one lost sheep back to God.

Technology to Help us Connect to God

As you read this post one thing is for sure, you are not reading it in paper prints thanks to today’s technology. Today’s tech gadgets that can access the net can connect users around the world within seconds. We know too well that technology significantly affords us almost limitless possibilities to make our lives much more comfortable than what it already is. That, as our earthly life is concerned.

The bigger question is, do we have the technology to connect to God like we do to friends? The simple answer is yes. We need not look far. It’s here and everywhere in the tech world. Our creativity dictates how we use these gadgets to help us get closer to Him and rekindle that relationship.

Whatever you’re using to read this post can very well be the start of using it to connect to God. If you’re reading this on your mobile phone you can use its built in alarm to remind you at certain times of day to dedicate regular short prayers. If you’re using your windows pc to access this post you can use your Windows 7 Task Scheduler to set a schedule to pray either at the office during work or at home when you’re using the PC. You can set it to display a message on the screen to remind you of say, The 3 o’clock prayer. Other gadgets may have apps you can also utilize in similar manners. As mentioned, it all depends on your creativity.

Now, we have a few less reasons to excuse ourselves from our distance from God. Besides, a few alarms and short prayers do not add a single cent to our network bills as against a few minutes of nonsense chitchat using the network services. It’s just a matter of simple usage of technology available to us, to use it to connect to God for free. This is supposed to be the upside and the best use we have for the current technology. Use those gadgets, to help pray for others to save their souls or at least just help your own. That is technology at its best and most meaningful way of usage.

The image beside is a screenshot of my sample Windows 7 Task Scheduler reminder which I coded to mean " Bible Reading and Holy Spirit Devotion " at a certain time during work days.

Our Obstacle to God’s Mercy

Even as persons who strive to live a prayerful life many of us are still unworthy to be exemplified true Christians. We oftentimes forget the fact that we have always been virtuously imperfect since birth. That’s why, in our day to day struggle to live a righteous life we always end up frustrated with our own perceived failed efforts to be pleasing in the eyes of God.

Such frustration could get us discouraged and make us become perceptibly helpless from our own sinfulness. As a result, we tend to stop trying instead of continuously pursuing to seek God’s grace. But the truth is that this chain of events actually stem from of our lack of faith in God’s goodness.

Let us base our random human ability to show mercy and compare with that of God’s. In other words, if we can show mercy towards anybody how much more can God? Because He is the Creator He is understandably the source of everything that is good in us starting from our infant virtues. Therefore, If He is the source He has the abundance and flawless goodness in Him, and that includes His infinite mercy towards His most valued creation - us.

We will have a hard time receiving that grace unless we take the effort to heed his call and invitation. We cannot initiate action unless we truly believe that God is very much capable of that grand generosity. We need to overcome that obstacle of unbelief.

This realization should draw us closer to Him knowing that He is constantly inviting us all to come back to the fold of His loving arms. For us Catholics we are all called to answer to His call of repentance and reconciliation through the blessed sacraments solemnly carried out by the ministers of His church. It all starts from trusting in His infinite goodness as a whole.

Coping with Haunted Dreams and Nightmare

I have heard from people talking about experiences with haunted dreams and nightmare. True, there might be scientific explanations about these phenomena but then growing up with beliefs deeply rooted in our culture often make us dread the experiences. Oftentimes, some people have to deal with the rest of the night unable to sleep and to cope with the anxiety.

I myself isn't immune to these haunted dreams and nightmares, and even though I have long read and welcomed the science behind them I still cannot deny the fact that I, too, have natural and residual fear when put in the situation. However, my mental reflex to resort to prayer has always been very helpful.

Through instant prayer the sense of belief that there is one powerful God who hears and delivers during dreadful occasions makes me overcome the feeling. Because I have made prayer as my refuge even in trivial situations the habit that's been developed always make its way when I am deep in haunted dreams or nightmare. It always offered me instant relief against the unfounded anxiety and allowed me to recover from it. Prayer has been a very helpful tool for me to be able to get back to sleep soundly right after the bouts.

A Short, Quick Routine to Thank God

So long as we have the faith, there's no denying about our awareness of the limitless blessings and grace we receive from God. We literally see them every day around us and we realize them during our random reflections about the spiritual aspect of our lives. However, for reasons of our economic preoccupations we all know and feel guilty about not having thanked Him enough to this day. In other words, we receive so much but thank Him so little.

Even though we desire at times how much we should be giving Him the appreciation He so deserves we oftentimes end up forgetting the most basic task due Him. I have identified myself wanting to do the same. In my desire to fill the need I have thought of a simple way to address it.

Because, it has become a routine for me to log in my office workstation almost 5-6 days a week I thought it would be best to exploit this quick task to remind me all the time. I regularly change and pen my secure password patterned and combined (e.g.ThankYouLord) to imply my gratefulness. That way, logging in to my PC at the start of work day has become a short, yet meaningful action intended for God's glory.

It has since made me reflect, in an short instance, how lucky I am to have Him as my God who is the source my blessings starting from my job to everything else. It refreshes my faith and gives me the strength to face the challenges of the day. It reinforces my belief that along the way He is always there to guide me in my career and in my life as a whole. By logging in with my faith-based password everything comes in an instant mental summary of my providential life.