Indeed, God gave miracles. For four glorious years with World Vision, I never felt I am with the organization that long already. The days passed on swiftly and there are times that I wish the days were longer. What makes everyday so fresh and new when I am just doing the same thing? What keep me content even if my tasks would demand for lesser times allotted for breaks? Maybe you do wonder; I will tell you why.
Prayer and faith keep my hopes high as I start my day at work. What we do is a complex task. The real essence of it is about connecting people; it is about touching lives. It is like being the bridge that keeps the kind hearts of people able to reach out, and keep the hope of a child alive. Everyday, as I go on with my task, I am not just doing a job; I am really witnessing how kindness and love flows in each people’s lives.
Every situation has taught me more about appreciation, humility and patience; it made me see things in a different light; with compassion and understanding. My heart delights in every shared story that somehow makes other people lives better; and it makes me appreciate life even more. Difficult situations could be a way to test my patience, and taught me what humility is all about. It made me reach out for guidance and wisdom. Indeed, every moment spent in my day is spent with God.
I am most happy when reading letters either from the sponsor or from the children. Scrawled letters from a child obviously learning how to write, trying to convey deep gratitude in a few lines; or from sponsors sharing painful or triumphant situations that happened in their lives and their families could bring tears to my eyes. These letters are the windows where I can peek on these people’s lives. In every word, in very artwork, every line, in these letters, I can feel the love that binds them.
There had been moments wherein I can give comfort as sponsors share their sorrows and painful stories about a tragedy, or a situation that they are coping up with, about struggles and sometimes, happy ones too. I treasure these precious moments. It is always a joy to be able to say comforting words, to say a little prayer for them; as I know that sometimes, just by having someone to listen would somehow make them feel better.
Most of all, I am not just witnessing lives being touched; my own life is being transformed and touched in the process. The tasks I do allow me some “on-the-job” training on many things; and the experience itself is my wise teacher. It allows me to realize the value of sharing one’s life, the joy of doing things for others. Slowly, the prideful ways I had has been tamed and put in its proper place as humility and understanding takes over; my tasks had taught me that reasons must be manage not in a selfish way but in understanding people.
Truly, God has the perfect way of teaching us. Only in listening with a humble heart would we be able to learn, as faith requires total surrender to His ways. In addition, when that happens, everything just falls into its proper place. I finally realized one thing. Everything that each person is seeking and longing for is present; it is just covered and veiled sometimes with our personal goals for greater glory or recognition, possessions, or power; these keep us from seeing. Only when we begin to listen and ask for God’s directions would we find that happiness, in knowing that we are pleasing God with the way we live our lives. Our existence is for the glory of God, not to create our own pedestal.
I am most thankful for the chance to witness “everyday miracles” whether great or small for having done a small share when God pours out His love for people through other people’s kindness. It reminds me about what Jesus means when referring to “children”; that, I think I know now. It is the unadulterated innocence of each one of us, the pureness of our delight and disappointments, our dependency on God’s grace. It means recognizing his power over our lives. Recognizing our limits and inadequacies as compared to His greatness; so that in our accomplishments we would honor him; in our triumphs we would know that He is the one who makes it possible.
Note: I wrote this article while I was still working with World Vision-Philippines
©2007leofinajanegalleta
Leofina Jane
Touching Lives..
March 4, 2008 — Leofina JaneIndeed, God gave miracles. For four glorious years with World Vision, I never felt I am with the organization that long already. The days passed on swiftly and there are times that I wish the days were longer. What makes everyday so fresh and new when I am just doing the same thing? What keep me content even if my tasks would demand for lesser times allotted for breaks? Maybe you do wonder; I will tell you why.
Prayer and faith keep my hopes high as I start my day at work. What we do is a complex task. The real essence of it is about connecting people; it is about touching lives. It is like being the bridge that keeps the kind hearts of people able to reach out, and keep the hope of a child alive. Everyday, as I go on with my task, I am not just doing a job; I am really witnessing how kindness and love flows in each people’s lives.
Every situation has taught me more about appreciation, humility and patience; it made me see things in a different light; with compassion and understanding. My heart delights in every shared story that somehow makes other people lives better; and it makes me appreciate life even more. Difficult situations could be a way to test my patience, and taught me what humility is all about. It made me reach out for guidance and wisdom. Indeed, every moment spent in my day is spent with God.
I am most happy when reading letters either from the sponsor or from the children. Scrawled letters from a child obviously learning how to write, trying to convey deep gratitude in a few lines; or from sponsors sharing painful or triumphant situations that happened in their lives and their families could bring tears to my eyes. These letters are the windows where I can peek on these people’s lives. In every word, in very artwork, every line, in these letters, I can feel the love that binds them.
There had been moments wherein I can give comfort as sponsors share their sorrows and painful stories about a tragedy, or a situation that they are coping up with, about struggles and sometimes, happy ones too. I treasure these precious moments. It is always a joy to be able to say comforting words, to say a little prayer for them; as I know that sometimes, just by having someone to listen would somehow make them feel better.
Most of all, I am not just witnessing lives being touched; my own life is being transformed and touched in the process. The tasks I do allow me some “on-the-job” training on many things; and the experience itself is my wise teacher. It allows me to realize the value of sharing one’s life, the joy of doing things for others. Slowly, the prideful ways I had has been tamed and put in its proper place as humility and understanding takes over; my tasks had taught me that reasons must be manage not in a selfish way but in understanding people.
Truly, God has the perfect way of teaching us. Only in listening with a humble heart would we be able to learn, as faith requires total surrender to His ways. In addition, when that happens, everything just falls into its proper place. I finally realized one thing. Everything that each person is seeking and longing for is present; it is just covered and veiled sometimes with our personal goals for greater glory or recognition, possessions, or power; these keep us from seeing. Only when we begin to listen and ask for God’s directions would we find that happiness, in knowing that we are pleasing God with the way we live our lives. Our existence is for the glory of God, not to create our own pedestal.
I am most thankful for the chance to witness “everyday miracles” whether great or small for having done a small share when God pours out His love for people through other people’s kindness. It reminds me about what Jesus means when referring to “children”; that, I think I know now. It is the unadulterated innocence of each one of us, the pureness of our delight and disappointments, our dependency on God’s grace. It means recognizing his power over our lives. Recognizing our limits and inadequacies as compared to His greatness; so that in our accomplishments we would honor him; in our triumphs we would know that He is the one who makes it possible.
Note: I wrote this article while I was still working with World Vision-Philippines
©2007leofinajanegalleta