Remember Gideon? :)
i don't usually think of him. But now, i can't help but feel absolutely blessed and overwhelmed like him..
In the old testament, Gideon was used by God as an instrument to save the Israelites. But he wasn't supposed to do the job of a prophet or a preacher to proclaim the God's messages. Instead, he is to lead a battle against the Midianites, their oppressors. Gideon, was unbelieving that it was he who was chosen by the Lord. But after several signs shown by God, he finally accepted God's assignment.
i actually never planned it all. Upon entering college, all i dreamed and wanted was to be an honor student. So i have to keep my grades up, limit or exclude myself from participating in extracurricular activities, and always be focused with my studies and requirements. When i joined CYA, everything changed.
CYA is unlike most of the clubs in our school. It doesn't contain lots of members. It isn't very much recognized and popular. It doesn't even look or sound cool. But amazingly, lots of lives have been changed through it.
CYA is a nationwide movement of young Filipinos who wants to evangelize the youth and proclaim the Good News! In so doing, they themselves grow to become more mature Christians, more radical, wiser, stronger, and more faithful.
i joined CYA in the second semester of my first year in college. i was shy and unsociable. every time i joined an activity, i was always in an awkward situation because i really am not a very people-person and i am not very good at making friends. Somehow, i got hooked up. There were lots of games - fun games - and i looove games! i kept coming back joining their activities. it provided me with a new and different environment apart from my academic life. i actually found life there. i started singing and practicing songs. i met new friends. i was able to share a little of myself. i even invited my classmates because i found the club really life giving! i started reaching small yet new heights. With my co-CYAers, we did random evangelizations on parks, malls, in schools - we invited total strangers! Now, that is something for a shy girl like me!
On the third year, i had a hard time balancing my academic life and my nonacademic life. i actually almost flunked my subjects. Sometimes, i felt like, "why on Earth didn't i stick to plan A????" Perhaps there's no turning back now. Because we just had few club members in school, our club president kept asking help and support from us. These events coming and going were killing me every time i helped and was not able to help. When will things get better? At the end of the year, i was even disturbed and somehow honored when our Chapter head told me that it had been decided that i would be the next CYA club president. Well, honestly, i somehow saw that coming because there were very few of us left. However when the moment comes when it actually is handed on to you, it was really unbelievable. i mean, who am i? i don't even think i'm meant to lead. i don't even know what will happen in my fourth year in school. Will the subjects be more demanding and more challenging? How would my family react to my commitments? Yet, beyond all these doubts, it is as if something tells me i should accept it for it is the right thing.
i attended club presidents' meetings, received letters inviting our club to be involved in different activities. With my co-servants, we kept the club moving, we tried to hold the club together. there were really few members. They were so few that almost all of the active members were already our appointed officers. it was so draining and discouraging to see really few participants in our club activities. There are times when i really needed to sacrifice my studies just to meet a club requirement. i felt like i could really give no more. i'm tired and yet much is still asked of me. These are the times, the critical times, when surrendering everything to God's Will leads me to the manifestation of God's greatness. Whenever it seems like there is no hope left, something comes up and keeps all of us going. The year eventually came to an end with the club gaining a small but considerable number of committed members.
Now i'm on my final year in college. And by God's grace, i have not failed any of my subjects from the previous year. i am not anymore the club president because it is another person's time to assume the role. ☺
But this story will not end just like this. Like Gideon whom God had given only 300 men to help him defeat a whole lot of Midianite armies, i was also a leader who had been given few co-servants. And yet once again, like Gideon and the 300, we won the fight for the Lord. You see, we recently received a letter congratulating Christ's Youth in Action for being recognized as a club and receiving a really cooool grade - 92.33!
Indeed, God is an expert in dealing with the unlikely and the impossible!
To God be all glory! ♥
Kay Kristo Buong Buhay, Habambuhay!
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