I Take off the MASK!

“We admire each other for our strengths, but we care for each other most for our vulnerabilities.” – Jocelyn Soriano

It is our vulnerabilities that help us to love each other more. They give us a chance to offer something for another, to protect our beloved, even to suffer with someone else’s pain. With our vulnerabilities, we easily pass from pride and pretense towards the heart of a person, a heart that needs to be loved.

Who has not understood a person better after he has seen her at her most vulnerable? Who has not known another better after that person has taken of her mask of invincibility?

God Himself became vulnerable for us. For us He became a vulnerable child, willing to be fed and taken care of. For us He became man, subject to the same hunger and temptations we go through. For us, He experienced suffering, and even death.

God has no need for anything, but He allowed Himself to become vulnerable to give us the chance to love Him even more.

“…for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.” – Matthew 25, WEB

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”– C.S. Lewis

“More than eyes that see our tears, we need hearts that trust our courage!” – Jocelyn Soriano

I can choose to see your frailty and doubt life’s worth. I can choose to see your broken dreams and fail to form any of my own. I can choose to see only your pain and fall into despair. I can choose to see your tears and forget all memories of happiness.

But I can also choose to see the strength of your soul that goes on fighting though the body is weak. I can choose to see how many more dreams you can dare to dream again. I can choose to hope and to go on believing. I can choose to gather your memories of joy that could overcome all fleeting tears.

Indeed, I can see you for who you really are, not for how you appear to be. And I can see you as God sees you, for God is beyond time or space, beyond our passing troubles and fears.

How do I see you? I see you for the best that you can become. I see you for the dreams you are to reach. And I see you basking in the light you are soon to find.

I see you now, joyful and beautiful. I see you in the arms of my God and your God who loves us most. I see you healed and strong, away from all these suffering and pain. I see you finally knowing and fully believing that you are loved, yes, loved with no possible measure or end, loved beyond all your yearnings and imaginings. I see you blessed and glorious in His love and I am fully satisifed. This is the peace that passes all understanding and soothes all of my fleeting griefs. This is my unshakeable hope. This is my unwavering joy!

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar,my great army, which I sent among you.
You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.
– Joel 2:25-26 (WEB)

Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
– Proverbs 3:9-10 (WEB)

He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor. – Proverbs 22:9 (WEB)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this, says Yahweh of Armies, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for.- Malachi 3:10 (WEB)

But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.– Matthew 6:33 (WEB)

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you. – Luke 6:38 (WEB)

Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
– Luke 12 (WEB)

Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.
II Corinthians 9:6-8 (WEB)

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 4:19 (WEB)

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.– Hebrews 13:5 (WEB)

Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.
– Psalm 23 (WEB)

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous.
Yahweh knows the days of the perfect. Their inheritance shall be forever.
They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
– Psalm 37 (WEB)

For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. – Psalm 84:11 (WEB)

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“Let no momentary storm, no matter how strong, ever darken your hope.” – Jocelyn Soriano

Within every human heart is a thirst for happiness. This thirst is so deep that it propels us either consciously or subconsciously to do the things that we do and to dream the dreams that we dream. We spend every waking hour trying to find it in all things, though in time, we seem to learn that the more we seek it, the more it could not be found. In a world filled with all sorts of shortcomings and imperfections, can we really find happiness?

I have come to believe, that in this life, there are two kinds of happiness. One kind is that happiness you actually and fully possess. Another kind is that happiness you are able to have through hope.

While things are not yet perfect, we are happy in the hope that they shall be. While not every suffering can be ended right away, we are happy in the hope that one day, all suffering shall cease to give way to joy.

We can be happy for all the things that God blesses us with each day – for the sun and rain, for the food that we eat, for friends and family who warms our hearts with love. And yes, we can still be happy despite all the pain and anguish we face. We can be happy because we have hope. Hope that things will turn out better. Hope that we could overcome our problems and turn even obtacles into opportunities for greater victory. Hope that we have a God in heaven who loves us and who will not let all the darkness in the world defeat the light and happiness He has predestined for His children.

‘Happy the poor in spirit — because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
‘Happy the mourning — because they shall be comforted.
‘Happy the meek — because they shall inherit the land.
‘Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness — because they shall be filled.
‘Happy the kind — because they shall find kindness.
‘Happy the clean in heart — because they shall see God.
‘Happy the peacemakers — because they shall be called Sons of God.
‘Happy those persecuted for righteousness’ sake — because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
‘Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake — rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward [is] great in the heavens…’
-Matthew 5, YLT

“Before we see a beautiful rainbow, we must first suffer the clouds and the pouring rain.” – Jocelyn Soriano

I often panic when things get out of hand. For how would things turn out then after all the chaos? Could I still expect to see the fruits I wanted to see?

What I must remember is that though things seem out of ‘my’ control for a moment, they are never truly out of GOD’S CONTROL. Like a seed that gets buried beneath the ground, I may be in the dark, but that doesn’t mean I could no longer find the path towards the light. In a miraculous way, the seed grows and finds its way to blossom into the world, often without us knowing when and how.

I must BELIEVE then that there is a path that only God knows, and that eventually, amidst all the obstacles that I see, good things shall find their way and all things shall fall into place as God would have them to. It may not necessarily be in accordance with my plan, but I could stake my life on it that it would be far better than my greatest dreams.

God is my hope when I have no hope, my faith when I have no faith, my love when every trace of love has vanished in my darkest hour. God penetrates the thickest fog and warms the coldest of my days. He alone stands when all else falls. His love alone endures when all else fails. God is my joy, a joy that could never be taken away from me. In Him is my all, my forever, my life. With Him, every fear shall fade, and every tear shall be wiped away. I care not how dark the night may be, His Light will always shine and lead me to that blessed day where He is.

“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into light.” – Helen Keller