Lifeline

          I was recently reminded to finish my lifeline. It was an assignment given by my boss a year ago. I've subconsciously tried to set it aside, wanting to reserve sentimentality for the last part of vacation. -- And for another reason that secretly I was quite uncomfortable with having to do it. However, work came in knocking again and so I responded.
          The instruction was to simply remember all the significant highlights of my life, whether good or bad, leading me to who and where I am now. The instruction was to take note as far as I can remember. I have to rate whether these incidents are low points or high points of my life - connecting a line to each of these points. 

          It was hard to start from the day that I was born so I decided to simply back track. I started writing incidents one by one and saw how my life simply see-sawed from a definite high to an ultimate low. On some situations, I found it difficult to rate because the past along with its healing has allowed me to see the good and bad side of things. There were some that elated me and some that made my heart twitch as I tried to remember. 


As I did so, I realized these things that I keep in my heart 


1) Never conclude your future based on your present.
            Because only God knows its every detail and its very ending. I saw how persons came    
    into my life, how some stayed and how others left. I saw how responsibilities were given to
    me by God at the most painful times and how I was unexpectedly able to deliver with His     
    grace. I saw how I took many things for granted and how God brought me back to realizing      
    its own value. Blessings, gifts, or joyful situations in our life should never bring us to
    the complacency that they will be here forever. It should brings us to complete 
    gratitude and cherishing -- knowing that any moment God can take it away.  Painful 
    situations are not the end. These are simply the beginning of a happy ending about to occur. 
    There is so much that awaits for us if we only but look forward to the promises that the Lord    
    has made for us. We have a God of endless possibilities and His power always goes 
    beyond any moment that we are in. There is a plan and we simply have to follow it.


2) God will always be faithful.
               Situations of my life have been very painful because of people leaving. It was during 
    those times that I felt I couldn't survive. As I was trying to move on, I had the mentality 
    that I was learning to live again on my own --- when in fact, I was actually living my 
    life solely in God's arms. These desolate instances were God's secret ways of making me 
    strong and  anchored fully on Him. Happy moments were moments I celebrated with Him. 
    Painful moments were the times I cried myself to sleep in His arms. Fearful moments were   
    moments that I held His hand as I moved towards it. At any given moment of my life, He 
    was simply there, helping, guiding, and loving me. The Lord has never left me, despite my 
    sins, shortcomings, and weaknesses. His sincere faithfulness brings me to tears of joy and  
    comfort.


3) Dream and Live Fearlessly.
             I have this secret fear. -- I am completely paranoid that the past will simply repeat 
    itself. It takes so much trust and surrender to God to make my fears go away. This fear has    
    crippled me so much, hindering me to be my best, not wanting to take risks, making me 
    indecisive. I have a lot of fears -- too many that it has robbed me out of that great amazing 
    life that God has planned. Why not try being fearless and faithful this time? Why not take a 
    risk and allow God to guide you through it? Why not trust -- because He is the most 
    trustworthy person that anyone can ever have? However, it's not about being freewheeling, 
    carefree and lack of concern for anything. To be fearless is to live your life in FULL 
    TRUST and CONFIDENCE in the One that holds it. 


           My lifeline is still growing -- and I'd like to believe that my dreams are slowly within my reach, carefully blossoming into its fullness. God has a way of making everything work according to His plan and promise. Though I don't know what goes beyond this day or this hour, I know that I have a God that cares so much, wanting nothing but the best for me. -- and He is there waiting at the end of everything.