KNOWING DESTINY

[February 13, 2014]

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

A song from Asin reverberated in mind as we strolled under the sun. Nature was at its best anew as it whispered to me, “Masdan ang kapaligiran.” In local parlance, in an appropriate application of phraseology, they could call us last Tuesday, “Daw mga a-ti.” This was because we were marching in single file along Aguiauan rice fields and paddies with my entire family.

I was greatly surprised finding myself reaching Brgy. Aguiauan for the very first time on its religious annual food-craze (‘pista,’ ano pa?) for despite my being an incurable footloose during our golden high school days, I had never ever set foot in there during such occasion, not that I’d evade the place, but solely for economical consideration since school allowance at the time was strictly for home-school fare purposes.

What prodded me to go was the knowledge that would gather there once more were the majority of one clan of my paternal first cousins, composed of twelve siblings, as some sort of reunion thus I tagged along my entire tribe knowing that at my age now I might never find that like chance again.

Carrying on my left shoulder my three-year-old little lady with two other young wobbling boys in tow who were both often clinging on my frail body, we were huffing and puffing together on a hill heading for a cousin’s house on a prairie, thus I recalled once more some scenes from Calvary. All of a sudden I realized I was fortunate, such thought immediately gave me gigantic relief somehow. At least in my case, no Roman soldier around would whip and beat me up like a farmer does a carabao.

I was right again, when I tried to ask a local about my cousin’s house location and he did sincerely answer, “ridyan lang sa unhan,’ roughly means, ‘just over there,’ I could bet with all surety all of my riches and power (under my arm) since I was absolutely certain that the distance we still had to walk would not be less than a kilometer.

I felt pity and horrified when I saw my paled wife. I thought she would just fall by the wayside. The boys, unaccustomed to this kind of long walk, both started to show some sign of surrender in their talk.

However, as a man myself—though who lately has this craving for headband or ‘pusikat’—I knew right away what would make my boys again feel tough. In every moment like this when there’s too much hardship on what they are doing, I just tell the kids to only remember for what or where they are eventually heading: a computer game. That way, they’d be surprised they know how to ignore whatever be the pain, as they would be thinking more than anything else of that impending ‘glory’ to gain.

Looking forward to the future with unwavering faith and knowing nothing in life but good, Paul the Apostle shared with us the importance of living with such kind of attitude: unmindful of the thorns in the flesh and thistles in the spirit he was experiencing during his time because he was certain the glory to come would be in multitude.

I agree with Asin’s fading lyrics almost whispered by Lolita: “Kay sarap ng buhay lalo na’t alam mo kung saan papunta…”