Lord, Teach My Heart
I was in the house for quite sometime (almost 3 days) for I was diagnosed having acute bronchitis & adviced to stay on bed for awhile. The prognosis was followed by series of antibiotic treatments & cough syrup etc..etc. The whole day was not usual, it was really a boring day and uncomfortable in the process. Since I was used to be always infront of the computer monitor, being on bed was a sad & devastating moment ( I thank God for the technology kasi kahit sa mobile nakakasilip silip pa rin ng mails ko at friends on-line, hehehe!).
During the muni muni moment, I saw a book given by a friend when I had my vacation. Since then, di ko pa rin nababasa till I realized na something is there that would be useful sa search ko. The book was inspirational compilation of thoughts from different writers.
The first chapter talks about contentment. It defines CONTENTMENT as ............He enumerated lessons to be learned out of it.
Four steps to develop contentment in your life.
1.)
Stop comparing yourself to others.
Sa tuwing may comparison ang iyong buhay sa iba, saan saan pa tutungo kondi sa discontentment pa rin. There will always be people who appear to be better off than you, but you don't know their circumstances.
I recall a moment of discouragement many years ago. I was disappointed with my weight and appearance since then. I wanted to look like somebody else. I wanted to achieve a toned medium muscular built to gain public attention. I enrolled to a gym (gymnasium ang kinalabasan kasi bulto bultong rice ang nakakain ko, ahihi!) with friends, but since the objective was not properly set, walang nangyari. My aim was to be a public figure (kalibugan baga) not for the health side purposes. Then, I came to a point na di ko naman kailangan maging katulad ni ..... para ma-gain ko respect ko sa sarili ko. Now, I learned a moral out of it "Kung kaya ng iba di ipagawa mo sa kanila", toinks!
2.)
Be grateful for who you are & what you have.
Learning to be content requires that you stop any "when & then" thinking- " When I am ______, then I'll be happy." Ang rason kung bakit tayo napapatihulog sa bitag ay....
makinig ka! Ikaw daw ay isang kakaibang nilikha ng dyos (unique). Nilikha ka ng dyos to be like nobebody else, so why would you want to be somebody else?. God is perfect, and you were his perfect choice to be you. Understanding that is a huge step towards being content with your life.
And then look at things God has given you. So often we allow what we don't have to dominate our focus that we forget the many wonderful things we already have, not only material blessing, but far more important things, such as family and friends.
3.)
Focus on things with eternal value.
Let me share a story. One time in Rome, there were tourists came to visit the monastery. A lady came in to the room of one monk and saw a single bed. She commented "I can't live here without television, fridge etc..etc." Without her knowledge the monk was standing at her back. He answered back " We live here with simplicity & temporary, and besides I can not bring those things when I am with my father."
I spent almost seven years in the kingdom. All I wanted before was to live in a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle. Since I am working & earning, I can afford to buy anything that will suffice my longing for something (electronic gadgets, etc..etc). Then, there was a time that my company decided to transfer me to another city in saudi arabia. The transfer was immediate because they need manpower in an instant. I dont have time to pack all those things and some of it was left behind. I endorsed it to my friends, but unluckily the items were left unsaved. From then on, I learned that our life abroad is temporary like our life on earth.
4.)
Give yourself to others.
To tell you honestly, I wanted to die serving the Lord in any way possible.
When I left Philippines, my priest brother (that time he was just a seminarian) told me repeatedly that everytime you meet people/friends, treat them as Jesus Christ para daw di ako mawala. I carry the mission in my heart up until today. I was once a mediator of one problematic husband & a father. And happened to be my dear friend now. I saved the marriage but the rest were his initiative.
Are you particular with St. Francis prayer? I pronounce it everyday and even sing it even at work. "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace"......
Up to now, I recieve mails from people who really wanted to keep their family intact. Di ko sila kilala personally pero they just saw my profile sa mga public friendly sites. Baka nagbabakasakali lang kasi may madre akong kasama sa pic? hehehe!
Lately, I recieved a letter from a desperate wife hoping that I will extend help to trace her husband's whereabouts. Wala na daw padala since last year pa. She was dependent na lang daw sa mga magulang nya kya nahihiya na sya. She discovered pa na may kinakasama ang asawa nya dito, anuvey yan?!!! Tinawagan ko company ng asawa nya at sa awa ng dyos ,nakuha ko din ang contact info ng tao. Umaasa ako na magiging maganda ang resulta ng usapan nilang mag-asawa.
To you misis......I am praying for the best!
If you will begin giving yourself to others, sharing what things you do have, sharing your time and your talent, you will find yourself learning to be content. Helping others will give you an appreciation for what you have and who you are, but more importantly, you will find yourself growing content. Why? Because God designed us to serve and share with others, and until we do that, we feel great discontent.
Salamat sa treat Bons!
