LETTERS: My Weakness, His Strength

( Original Letter : June 22, 2003 )


To my dear friends in Christ;

Kamusta na kayong lahat diyan? It seems I’m having trouble receiving email traffic from the SFC Muntinlupa egroups, although Pearl confirmed that you received my previous “Letters”. Anyway, I always hope to receive individual emails from all of you – anything from chika-chika, to problems, and to old, plain and simple kamustahan. It would be a source of upliftment and encouragement for me, lalong-lalo na ngayong malayo ako sa inyo at sa iba ko pang mga loved ones.

Mahirap talaga ang buhay-Saudi. I don’t know where people got the notion that Saudi Boys are pa-easy-easy lang; marami at madaling makakuha ng pera; at puro good time. It’s completely the opposite here. But there are also light moments here that I would cherish.

One example is this incident when I went to Batah ( it’s like the Divisoria and Baclaran here in Riyadh, particularly in the Pinoy Market area, para mamasyal (nakaka-buryong naman kasi talaga!!! ). I was wearing this t-shirt that my father sent me. It was a t-shirt that he bought from Bangladesh, while he was working there. It has a very nice rubberized picture printed in the front with the word “Bangladesh” in clear, bold letters below the picture. Now, in Batah, most of the store vendors are Bangladeshi guys, and they were making a big deal of my wearing a t-shirt with “Bangladesh” printed on it. They were very surprised why a clearly Filipino guy would wear a t-shirt such as this. I was wondering why my t-shirt elicited such a reaction from them.

Then it dawned on me. The Bangladeshi people are considered one of the cheapest and the lowest of the low in Saudi’s labor force – while the Pinoy is way up there on top of the ladder. They really look up to us Pinoys as “above” their class. No wonder their eyes bulged when they saw me wearing a t-shirt like that. It would have been different if they saw me with a t-shirt saying Chicago Bulls, Italy or even Cebu….. but Bangladesh…. a… a….

The Bangladesh people are not the only ones who look up to the Pinoy this way, but the other nationalities as well – Nepali; Pakistani; Indian; Sudanese; Thailanders; etc. Even the western nationals – the Brits and the Yanks – would choose a Pinoy over the other nationals any day. But you know what, we Pinoys tend to be rude and arrogant to other nationalities because of that – even to our own. Let’s face it – the Pinoy has many strengths, even rivaling what the rest of the world has to offer – but we also have flaws that tend to negate these strengths, pulling us all down – specially with regards to our kalokohans.

In a society where a man could not associate with a woman in public unless they’re married – Pinoys still find ways to have “dates” – irregardless of their date’s marital status, if you know what I mean. In a society where possession of liquor is punishable by law ( in the old days, it would be a death sentence) – Pinoys still have a way to make their own homemade brew, and make profits out of it. ( Not only liquor, but even drugs. ) In a society where gambling is prohibited – Pinoys flourish with Pusoy, Tong-its, Mahjong, the local version of huweteng, and I’ve heard even sabong. ( There’s a whole lot more, and this prompted me to write about it as a script which I submitted to Star Cinema. I’ll share that to you later on. )

These things tend to pull the Pinoy down. But those who perpetrate these things are even proud that they can get away with it – and alas, most Pinoys here would agree. Blame it on homesickness, they would say . Yeah, that word again – homesick.

I think I’ve written to you before how homesickness could really gnaw up to your bone marrow, for someone who’s away from their loved ones for a long time – just like me. But in these hours of weakness, in these moments of vulnerability, who do we turn to? Just like David, we turn to Him:

“ The Lord is my strength and my shield,
in him my heart trusts. ”
Psalm 28:7 RSV

For the Lord said :

“ God said I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. ”
Isaiah 41:10 RSV

And He Himself showed us the way :

“ For we do not have a High Priest who is unable
to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are –
yet was without sin. ”
Hebrews 4:15 NIV

Paul was one of the greatest Apostles, although he was not one of the original Twelve. He was entrusted by God surpassing wisdom and knowledge never before revealed to man – and thus he was tasked with the ministry of bringing the Good News to the gentiles – to us. And yet, he did not boast of this greatness, nor let it get into his head. In fact, he himself said :

“ If I must boast, I will boast of the things
that shows my weakness. ”
2 Corinthians 11:30 NIV

Bible scholars say that Paul has some form of deformity in his body. Some say he may have been a hunchback and others speculate that he may have been a Stigmata ( having a wound identical to Christ – and it won’t heal ). And any of these things came upon him during his ministry to the gentiles. He himself chronicled this in his letter :

“ To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a THORN IN MY FLESH a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me, but He said to me, ‘My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s Power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong . ”
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 NIV

“My Power is made perfect in WEAKNESS,” that’s what Jesus said to Paul – and the same applies to us. It’s during the time of weakness that we should rely more on Him – in fact we should rely everything on Him. The more we put our trust in Him, the more His power in us is made more evident.

Easily said than done, ‘di ba? In times of weakness, in times of loneliness, in times of brokenness – we tend to lose our trust in Him. We rely more on what we know we have – our own strength – and tend to lose whatever faith we got.

But if we learn to rely more on Him in everything – lalong-lalo na sa mga oras na walang-wala na talagang pag-asa or give-up ka na – we’ll soon discover that He really is true to His promises; that He really is our refuge and strength, a very present help ( take note of the word “present” meaning timing) in times of trouble ( Psalm 46:1). I know – I’ve experienced it first hand so many times. And taking Paul’ example :

“ I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength . ”
Philippians 4: 12-13 NIV

“ I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Wow! Strong words, strong implications – but these are not merely words, mind you.

How can we learn to trust in Him? Know His Promises. And how do we do that? – by contemplating on His Word. You know, there are times when I really feel down. Even though I’ve just talked with Mommy Jing or Kenji on the phone, once you’ve been hit by homesickness, it really gets kind of lonely out here. What do I do? I gain strength through His Words. In this strict society where other religion is banned, I happen to accidentally ( if I could really term it an “accident” as this has been one of “mysterious ways” from God ) found a small booklet called “Daily Strength”. True to its title, His Words that is contained in this small booklet really sustains me, for, as the first Scripture reference in this book says :

“ That… by the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope . ”
Romans 15:4 RSV

So, my brothers and sisters, learn to trust in Him. As the song goes, “…lean not on your own understanding”. In times of weakness – look to Him – and you’ll find strength – His Strength.

At the precise moment that I’m writing this letter, I was also communicating with Pearl ( thru SMS ) that you guys are there together with the Couples at the CFC Family Ministries Anniversary. Wow, I sure do hope I could be there with you so we could rock the place together. Anyway, I know that He, the Rock Himself, is there with you…. to give you STRENGTH in everything. See ya later!!!

Shalom,
Brod. Pete

“ I lift up my eyes to the hills,
from whence does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved,
He who keeps you will not slumber.”
Psalm 121:1-3 RSV



“Letters from my Sojourn”
© 2008 by Peter Allan Mariano

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LETTERS : Sacred Duty 3 : Service With Love

( Original Letter : March 10, 2003 )


To my dear friends in Christ;


Kamusta kayong lahat diyan?! (Welcome to everyone out there!) I hope you are all in good condition back there. I was so happy when I received emails from some of you, particularly Anna, Aleth and Jinky. Thanks for the birthday greetings guys! Saka na blow out pag balik ko! (I'll treat you all when I get back!) I also received one email that really warmed my heart. It was from Kosy, including a picture of his family – one big happy family! Malaking kabawasan sa pagka-homesick ko ang mga iyan (these things would really trim down my homesickness) , so thanks a lot. Pasensiya na (Forgive me) if I was not able to reply on time. Iisa lang kasi ang computer dito sa production line namin na may Internet access, so agawan kami. ‘Yung computer na gamit ko ay ibang access meron – access sa mga games, hehehe. ( We only have one computer available here in the production line which has an Internet access, so everyone is scrambling to use it. The computer that I am using has a different access - to games!)

Everybody here is talking about WAR. And believe me, there are even some supporters here of Mr. Saddam Hussein and Mr. Bin Laden. These are some of our Muslim brothers from other countries who are also working as expatriates here in KSA. Well, they are entitled to their own ideologies. But one thing is common – nobody in his right mind wants war. So, please help me in praying for an avertion to war, and a peaceful resolution to this crisis. Let’s pray to the Lord to touch the hearts and minds of the major players in this conflict, so they could all have a change of heart – from hate to LOVE.

“Love is all that matters...” goes the song playing in our computer’s CD player. Homesick kasi ‘yung kasama kong isa. ( My roommate here is homesick). He’s still single and misses his girlfriend... hehehe.... that’s why puro senti ang pinapatugtog. But that line from the song is one perfect description of love – it’s all that really matters. Even in our service to Him.

The following description of love from Paul sums it all. I urge you to memorize it, keep it in your hearts and minds, and live it up to its full extent. It is exactly what Paul himself describe as “... the most excellent way”.

“ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
1 Corinthians 13: 1-8 NIV

“ And now these three remain: FAITH; HOPE and LOVE. But the greatest of these is LOVE. ”
1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

That passage is not just a slum book description of love.. but it perfectly describes what our Sacred Duty to Him should embody – and that is Love. Why love? Why not faith or hope or joy? Simply because of this :

“ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. GOD IS LOVE. Whoever lives in Love lives in God, and God in him. ”
1 John 4:16 NIV

Even if we can talk in multiple languages, and as Paul said, even the language of angels, but don’t have love – we’re just noise. Even if we have the wisdom of Solomon or can make miracles like the greatest faith healer in the world, but are hearts our devoid of love – then we are nothing. WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT LOVE. WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT GOD. Nothing, Nada, Nil, Zero.... it is as if we were not even born, nor even exists.... nothing. This is more aptly applied to our Sacred Duty. Even if we are “successful” in our work (even for Him), but if we have done it without love, then it amounts to nothing. Even if we sacrifice everything, but there’s no love, it just goes to the recycle bin. Jesus himself said...

“ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. ”
1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

I once read about a famous pastor/writer from one church who visited a congregation from a different church. I can’t remember the exact details but here is what I know. The pastor went with colleagues, who were eager to show off their “Bible Knowledge” to this congregation. They were greeted warmly by one minister, who mentioned something that didn’t quite agree to what the pastor and his team believed in their own church. But, the pastor didn’t say anything to refute the minister, to the dismay of his companions (eager na nga silang makipag-debate kasi e...). Later, when they asked him why he didn’t make dikdik to the minister, the pastor said that he could do just that, and quite easily, but where would LOVE be if he did just that? Tok! Tinamaan sila ng bato galing langit!

In my work here in Saudi, I handle people of different nationalities, which have a culture, and a level of common sense, very much different from our own. At first, I was easily frustrated, kasi talaga namang #!@&$!?!!!! ang mga taong ito. At one point, one Bangladeshi guy, who is considered the worst case here and who everyone would love to get rid of, really got to my nerves because of his foolishness and irresponsibility, that I issued a directive slapping him with a severe punishment. Management told me that I just say the word and they would kick him back to where he came from. I almost did it... but then I realized... why should I? And then I asked myself WWJD ( What Would Jesus Do?). So, I talked to him, and gave him another chance. He’s been improving ever since, hopefully it would continue. And he told me one time that during his Salah, or the prayers the Muslim people do, he would always pray for me.

Sometimes in our service to Him, we do things this way or that because our own human nature tells us it’s the right thing to do. Yes, I mentioned before that we should do our Sacred Duty with excellence, but if it’s done out of the context of love, then it would be better off if we did nothing at all. Do the following scenarios look familiar :

a) Sure, you delivered that talk with ease and precision and everybody was laughing and clapping their hands – but later you would say how boring and nakaka-antok the next speaker is;

b) Sure, you did a very inspiring sharing that made everyone really cry, even the bato-bato – but later on would remark how the next sharer is just making paikot-ikot and probably was not saying the truth;

c) Sure, you did an excellent number in the cluster assembly or a leadership conference where everyone was dancing and singing their hearts out – but later would remark how the next music ministry makes two much sabit in the way they play or how sintunado their lead singer is.... and so on... and so on.... and not only at our Service to Him, but in others as well.

I remember the story shared by Dondi Nakar, head of our music ministry from the previous community that I attended to. ( I was also part of the music ministry, but this incident happened before I joined ). Now, the group was really good, I mean they are really excellent, and could rival any professional group in terms of musicality, showmanship, technical know-how, equipment and what-have-you. But one time, one religious leader, who also trains music ministry groups, while listening to them perform commented that they were the worst music ministry she has ever heard! Why? Ang galing-galing naman nila a?! (There were really very good?!) It was because they were playing for themselves and not for Him. It was because the music has gone to their heads, and not to lead worship. It was because they were playing to gain praises from the people, and not because it was an outpouring of His Love in their hearts. The group later realized that.... and they had a renewal of their hearts and minds. Now, that same religious leader would listen to them and say – you’re the best there is. And I still believe so!

Let’s do the same brothers and sisters, let’s put LOVE in everything that we do. Let’s put God, who is Love, in the center of everything that we perform. Because it truly is, as Paul puts it, the most excellent way – it’s the only way.

I hope and I pray that each and everyone of you receive his/her RHEMA, or the personal message of God for you, through this letter of mine. May he help you perform your Sacred Duty, full of His presence, full of His Love. And if you received something from this, share it also to others who might need it – just pray to the Lord to inspire you and tell you who it should be. And may the Lord bless you at all times, and help you grow and mature as true Sons and Daughters of the Living God. This I ask and pray in Jesus’ mighty and powerful Name.........


Shalom,
Brod. Pete


“Letters from my Sojourn”
© 2008 by Peter Allan C. Mariano


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