Spirituality Guide

I perched myself on an old chair and sat by the window. Outside, the world looked gray and old. It rained cats and dogs. It would have been a perfect April Sunday. But the rain marred what would otherwise been a perfect day. My wandering mind couldn’t keep still. I was restless. I wanted to go out. But given the situation, I deemed it best to stay inside the house.

I was stuck in the house, wondering what to do. Feeling resigned to my fate, I took a chair, put it in front of the window and sat there. I watched the almost empty road in front of the house. Thoughts rushed through my mind as swiftly as the pouring rain. Boredom had set in. I heaved out a sigh.

I looked out of the window again. This time I was no longer alone. A lonely, old man stood by the side of the road. Somehow, his very presence eased my loneliness just a bit. At least, there was another human being within my range of vision.

Egged on by curiosity about the unknown visitor, I stared at him albeit hesitantly. His back was turned to me, so he was probably not aware of my presence. If he was, he certainly did not show any indication. The welcome company seemed to invite me to observe him some more (which I must say gave me an unfair advantage).

The old person carried an umbrella to protect himself from the rain. He wore a dark coat. But I saw him shivered. He clutched his coat tighter around him. He must be cold. ‘What could be his business in this gloomy April day? What could he be doing alone, in the middle of the rain? Doesn’t he have kids? How about his wife? Where is she?’ I asked myself all these questions and more.

Someone like him should not risk walking in the rain. Let’s face it; an old person has no business walking in the rain. It was a dangerous situation for him given the delicacy of his frail body. It could be slippery. He could catch cold. He could be stuck in mud. The worst scenario ran through my mind. Despite the fact that whatever concern I felt for the old person seemed lost on him. He was too focused on what he was doing to even give a glance in my direction. How different it must be, to be alone with nary a care in the world.

Somehow the lonely figure intrigued me all the more. There was no escaping him. But the more I asked, the more frustrated I became. There was simply no way I could get answers to those questions. I realized my helplessness somehow. And I began to wonder what the point of this whole exercise was. It did not seem to lead me anywhere.

He crossed the street and continued to walk. This gave me an ample view of his face. The old person was probably in his sixties. The white hairs on top of his head were prominent. His gaunt face looked refined by age. His gait was slow yet purposeful. He looked anxious, hence, the self-absorption. His worries occupied him more than his surroundings. More than the bothersome rain.

Somehow I envied him. Here I was, young and healthy, yet I dared not venture outside. Trapped in my own hesitations, I am imprisoned in this lonely house. While he, who ought to stay home, was outside braving the rain, looking more ardent in his pursuit. Upon closer examination, it seemed pretty clear that I was the one wearied by the world. I was afraid of risks, afraid of its consequences. Unlike him. I’m young in years, but old in heart. Now, who was the old man?

Struck by this sudden realization, I tried to make peace with myself. Life has a way of passing us by. In years I would be an old person too. Whatever risks or obstacles I need to face, I need to face them NOW. Just like the old man, under the pouring rain. Not later when the sun came shining out. And right there, I understood. I understood the old person. I understood his predicament. There was no time to waste. Advanced in age, he did not have the luxury of time.

I smiled. For the first time, I saw a ray of light under the pouring rain. How lovely could rain be? I turned to look again at where the old person was. Lost in my own thoughts, I forgot about the old man. But he was almost out of my range of vision. In few strides, I would not be able to see him. Goodbye lonely stranger! Goodbye my nameless friend!

Gratefully, I watched as his lonely silhouette faded in the distance.

This is a true story.

The kid looked drained. He was barely seven years old and here he was struck by dengue. It has been a week since he felt the fever. But the mother did not have the money…..

The hospital’s Intensive Care Unit was in utter chaos! The seven-year-old boy was on the verge of life-and-death. The two attending physicians were in a quandary. They could not find an IV site! And the little boy was getting weaker by the minute. The doctors and nurses stared helplessly as they tried in vain to search for an IV site to inject the dextrose with. There was none!

The young boy’s life was quickly ebbing away right before the physicians’ eyes. His precious young life depended on them. Yet they knew if they couldn’t attach the dextrose soon….

Then out of nowhere, a voice broke the deadly silence. It was the doctor trying to sing a few lines of Don Moen’s song ‘God will make a Way’. Out of the stillness of the early morn, his first tentative lines rang out clearly in the ICU…

‘God will make away,
Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see….’

The other doctor, a resident phsyician, sensing what her friend was trying to do joined in the singing. In times of trouble only God can find a way indeed. It was a long shot…But it might work. Before long the entire staff present at the ICU joined in the singing too.

“He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength
For each new day
He will make away
He will make a way

By a roadway in the wilderness
He’ll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today.”

They finished the song and miraculously they were able to find two IV sites right after. Immediately, the dextrose was safely tucked in place. And if that wasn’t enough…two days later the little boy got completely cured of dengue. And was released from the hospital.

“When we rely on God…all is not lost.”

(The resident physician of the little boy, who is now a full-fledged pediatrician, is my sister, Dr. Lyndin Cuizon. )

Life itself is a source of mystery - an enigma that could not be deciphered despite all its underlying subtleties. The powers of mind may lend itself useless against the frailties of the human body. Human beings are limited as their capabilities but boundless as their visions. It’s the imagination that sets us apart from the primate. That merges our soul with the divine and completes the mystery.

The subtleties of this enigma may escape the grasps of the conscious mind. But it does leave imprints at the very core – in the heart and soul.

We are human- part and parcel of the Highest Being, our God. What is there left to know?

*pardon the musings of a curious mind…..

I remember one time I got sick, and this friend paid me a visit.
She stayed by my side, talked about her own ailments and how she overcame them. One thing particularly stood out of my mind. She said that ‘when you are down on your back, you have nowhere to look but up’.

This made me appreciate her friendship more and more. Here she was, she could have talked about petty things. Or, criticized people behind their backs but she opted to talk of something positive. Something helpful and would cheer me up.

I realized that in life, we always appreciate those people. They are the ones whose friendship we treasure the most. They offer us stability and sincerity. We seek them out, the way we seek for gold. They are rare and precious. Unlike others, they don’t give out negative vibes or inject our minds with poison or hang-ups. They encourage you to be better. They are angels personified.

And because of them, our lives will never be the same again.

A friend called me the other night because she felt utterly sad. She asked me why do bad people seem to get away with being bad? They seemed to be happier, more successful, popular and moneyed than godly people.

Ah! The age-old question that did not seem to wane thru time. I wracked my brains for an answer. But came up with none coz this proved to be a puzzle for me too. I’ve seen people who did ghastly acts yet they seemed to prosper some more. Godly people, on the other hand, who would not compromise principles seemed to be less blessed materially or in social status.

So I ponder on this for awhile. Trying to come up with something- anything. Then out of nowhere an idea struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Bad people indeed seemed to have it all - wine, women and song. While godly people scraped for the morsels, these ‘bad people’ seemed to have everything in excess (not that all rich people are bad!)

You see the operative word is seemed. They seemed to have it all. What seems to be does not necessarily mean what is real. And that’s the world they lived in - unreal.

Yes, it’s true they drove fast cars, go out with fast women and lead a fast life. And all of that is real. None of it is imagined. But what they failed to see is that life on earth is but temporary.
Nothing lasts.

We are all here to prepare for eternal life. And what we do here could spell the difference between eternal damnation or eternal bliss!

Yes, in plain terms - hell or heaven!

Ungodly people may seemed more successful because they are driven by worldly desires. They want the here and now regardless of the consequences. And in the process reaped all the worldly pleasures - only.

Godly people, on the other hand, know that everything we see here is not only temporary but also a test for our souls. A test that enables only the deserving to reap heaven.
What you sow, you reap.

So what’s seeming success in the long run isn’t success after all. Real success is in pleasing God and spending not just a lifetime but an eternity with Him.

Faith is sublime…
Leads us to see what’s beyond.
Hope rejuvenates,
Keeps the flames in our hearts burning.
But Love….Love is divine,
Makes us all a part of God!

“I love you not because of who you are,
But who I BECOME when I am with you….�?
I never believe in coincidences.
I believe God puts in our paths
the people He meant us to meet,
HE has a way of bridging the gap
between strangers.
Of letting their paths cross
in the most unexpected places.
In that infinitesimal moment
our lives touch
deep bond forms
that changes us for the better.
Such is the beauty of friendship.
Friends are genuine souls
that unfailingly reflect what we value in ourselves.
The instant we lay eyes on them
We know that we belong.
It is the heart calling out to another heart.
The one who answers
become our heart’s keeper.
Kindred spirits.
Friends.
We love them
because we know that beyond the cold exterior
or the enchanting facade
one can’t disguise the Goodness of their hearts.
Truth and goodnesss
will irresistibly draw us to our Friends.
And these things
will make the friendship last.

To love and be loved is probably the greatest and most rewarding experience one can have in life. Love is a mystery that defies definition. They say it is never good to define love. Once you define it, you’ve set boundaries to its meaning. And the real essence of love is stripped away.

In the dating sites I’ve visited, I often read in people’s profile that all they want is to find the “One”. Now, this is no easy task. Looking for the One could be downright confusing not to mention Impossible. How on earth will we know we’ve found the “One”? There are 6 billion people out there and counting. Finding just One would tantamount to looking for a needle in haystack.

My aunt used to tell me that if you found someone who makes your heart skip a beat and puts a smile on your face then you should hold on to him for as long as you can. And if he feels the same way and cares for you as much then you have definitely found the One.

Maybe that’s the yardstick to use. Maybe not. Who knows? But when I found the one who will make my heart skip a beat - then, for me, the search is over.

Creative people, it is said, must suffer, must know anguish and despair before their art can take on depth, strength, universal appeal and the powerful impact of simplicity.” - Great Lives, Great Deeds-

A broken spirit makes a person susceptible to learning. To not merely see but perceive. Not only hear but listen. Not only experience but savor. And not only exist but live.

‘Broken-ness’ is a cruel requirement. But in most cases it proved to be true. It is the spur that wrench the truth from the heart and forced a person to search deeper, to see beyond what is evident.

It is apparent in the case of Rembrandt- as his burdens in debts grew, his art grew greater. Marie Curie lost Pierre in an accident and went on to discover radium. Albert Einstein had a divorce when he formulated the Theory of Relativity. Harriet Beecher Stowe was fighting for slavery when she penned the phenomenal ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’. The book was hailed as the single greatest influence that propelled Abraham Lincoln to wage war against slavery. So on and so forth.

Every creative people’s lives is a testimony to the power of ‘broken-ness’. Of its ability to drive the human spirit beyond saturation point and make them rise up to the occasion. ‘Broken-ness’. A very cruel requirement, I know. But ‘being broken’ serves its purpose. “Those who never tasted the bitterest of life’s bitter will never appreciate the sweetest of life’s sweets.”

So, if you are ‘broken’, you are in the midst of a huge opportunity. Use it well.

Leo Tolstoy, the renowned writer, was once asked what was the thing he considered the most important. And without batting an eyelash, he answered, “The most important thing is my relationship with God.”

People probably expected him to say that fame or money or power or his writings were the most important. But he went against the grain by proclaiming that his personal relationship with God weighed above all else.

Perhaps these few words summed up the entirety of our existence . ‘Put God First’ is our first and foremost duty as creatures of a loving God. Tolstoy humbly acknowledged this fact despite his superior status. He was wise enough to admit that all that he had achieved came from God.

This is the essence of human life. Of inner peace. Put God above all. And you will find unadulterated perfect happiness. Everything else comes secondary. God is the force that will guide us through life. It is but only proper that we pay tribute to the force first, over and above all other influences.