Storms in Life

I met someone today. I was walking on my way home from Katipunan when I met a familiar face. I knew it was he, a friend of mine way back in college. We were together during our Pax Romana days: our organization when we were in college, doing some religious work, outreach and community work. I remembered our old antics and we ended up laughing. I applaud this person, he was religious, honest, intelligent… truly a man for others. It must have been five years since the last time we’ve met.

But he was far different from the last time I saw him. He was so thin, he wears faded pants, slippers and a t-shirt (he was so formal when it comes to outfit: black pants, collared shirt and shoes). But most of it all his face was a little bit old; he was not the jolly guy whom I knew before. I could sense fatigue and exhaustion and most of all sadness in his face.

I invited to him to eat with me in the nearest fast-food. I know I have a lot of catching up to do; I was out of touch for the last couple of years. I am dying to meet some of my old friends. I told him about me, how I’ve been doing for the past years, my life now and what I am up to lately. And we exchange memories of past, the people we knew, the places we’ve been, and our life way back then. Then I asked him: “so how are you now?” He looked outside and gave me a sigh.

“You know Ryan” he said, “I am glad to see you… I haven’t talked to someone for so long. For the past years, my life was a mess…” Then he recounted his life.

He had a very colorful career. He still continues what we have been doing in our college days which is serving other people. However, storms of life came to his path. His father died 3 years ago, and his mother become sick and he was the eldest, he solely took the responsibility. He has to send his two other siblings to school, and pay for all the hospital bills and all the utility bills. All his savings were gone. His girlfriend left him for another man, and the most painful was… his mother passed away and he lost his job. It was the first time I saw him crying, when were together we just laugh it all, but now it seems he is lost, exhausted, confused and broken. I want to say something comforting, but I opted not. I was there just listening to his agony, to his pain, to his confusion.

“Pards, hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko…” he said to me.

“Minsan titanong ko ang sarili ko, nasaan ang Diyos sa lahat ng ito? But I hold on to what we have believe in to… that God is real, matter what we feel.”

I pat him at his shoulder, without saying anything. Then he sobbed. Somehow I could feel his pain, his sorrow, his anguish. And I think somehow he got my message. We will never be alone.

“Please pray for me… hindi ko alam kung kaya ko pa. Pero naniniwala ako na pag-subok lang ito. That this storm too shall pass…” he said

“I promise, I will.” I answered. Then we got up, embraced each other and said goodbye.

Many of us have experienced those storms ourselves. And isn't puzzling that we have many good friends, those kind-hearted and God fearing friends who seem to be the very ones who suffer from anxieties and burden in their lives. Our hearts crushed helpless when we hear their stories because we know they are such good people. They serve God by being active in church, in communities; they love the poor and involve themselves in making their lives better. They honestly earn their keep, even they themselves can hardly make both ends meet yet they are the ones who suffer greatly. The one’s buffeted by strong winds and torn apart by rain.

Sometimes they cannot help but wonder, if the Lord might be sleeping through the storm. Yet in spite of all these our friends hold out. They hold out courageously and perseveringly like the out rigors of a poor fisherman’s boat tossed by raging waves. They hold out, pulled together against buffeting wind and tearing rain like a make shift sail of a poor fisherman’s boat tossed by raging waves. When the storm is over, they are the one who most deeply realize that the Lord has not been sleeping after all. The Lord in fact was on the same boat with them. The boat upon He actually stood up to address the winds be quiet, and the waves be still.