How to Deal with the Storms of Life

Amidst Storms of Life

It’s really a hot day today. You can’t stay inside the house. Electric fans are of no avail. You need to go outside and sit under the tree to feel the fresh air. The children are playing. They make so much noise but it’s nice to hear them that way. My house’ front yard is the only place where they can play even in a very hot weather for it is surrounded by many different trees that give shade for those who want to have relaxation. I put a long bamboo chair under it. It’s always filled with children sitting while they play.

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As I’m watching the children of my neighbors playing, I remember my childhood memories. The laughter, the tears, the pain, the fighting, the winning and the losing, when playing with my childhood friends. How we laugh at our mistakes, how we cry for just a turn to play. We fight because of a close friend hurt by another friend. The way we bear the heat of the sun. When we play under the rain. The spank of our parents for pretending not to hear when they call. We don’t care about the hunger we feel just to play, and play, and play even in the middle of the day.  

All the character traits are being buildup during these early years, so to speak. The way we deal with mean friends, careless neighbors, cheaters, liars, kind, cheerful, the mournful, the bad ones, the good, the best and the worst, and even a thief. How you become a friend to them and how they become a friend to you. You can be an influence to them and they can be an influence to you. These are the things you need to take into consideration.

And then suddenly, I remembered the most unforgettable experience I had when my friends and I went to the mountain to find some fruits. We found mango trees which were owned by somebody. We tried to stone it to let the fruit fall down and we could eat. While we were doing it and had some fun, the owner came angrily. He looked like he wanted to eat us all. He tried to draw his bolo from his side and waved it and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Mga magnanakaw!(Thieves!)”

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One of my friends was on the highest branch of a Java plum tree, which is approximately 30 feet tall) beside a mango tree. When he heard the voice of the owner of mango trees and probably the owner of the Java plum tree too, he jumped off and fell on his hips. And never was able to stand up anymore. It broke his hip bone! All of us went away and tried to see in the distance how the old man, in his 70’s, would punish our friend, Ronnie, not knowing that he’s in a critical condition. Though we are far from the place where we left Ronnie but still we could hear his painful cry while the old man helped him getting up. We all felt the conscience blaming us while looking at each other. I could see how their eyes wide-open with jerking hands and feet. I even could hear their heartbeats. I don’t know if it’s because they are scared or because of had happened with Ronnie. And then the old man called us all to help him take Ronnie to the hospital. We tried to read his mind and where the bolo is now. And when we saw that everything is ok, we hurriedly came to take him and left, forgetting what has just happened just to save our friend.

Unfortunately, Ronnie is ok but he could not walk anymore. The accident really made him paralyzed. And we were all sad to see him how he struggles with the result of our foolishness. Now he has a shoe shop to provide his needs. He uses his hands to walk and do his jobs to survive. His feet are too small but his hands have huge muscles. We seldom see him because he lives in the city. But he’s really tough for he never begs money to provide his personal needs but rather finds ways to live amidst the tragic result he experiences. He still thanks the Lord Jesus for all the things happened in his life. It’s an object lesson for me how I need not forget to thank Him in all my ups and downs I have been through. “For all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

What we have experienced in life then and now are the results of sin. If it’s not our choice, it can be the choice of others. The things we suffer now are not part of God’s plan when He created this beautiful world. Though we can see and experience the thorns of life but we have to see with the eyes of faith the flowers around it.

There are no such experiences that can compare with my childhood memories. What about you? Do you have wonderful childhood memories, too?