The year 2020 has left us with so much pain, as we take and embrace everything it has offered us.
After going through series of family trials as we brought family members to hospital one after another, we thought that everything will start to be going smoothly and that somehow we can take some breaks from all those painful experiences.
We are almost there in our healing stage. But all of a sudden we are stormed again by not so good news forcing its way to come to hit us hard one more time before the year ends.
An aunt in her old age still has succumbed to a life threatening illness, diagnosed to having breast cancer in nearly serious stage. We are again dealing with new family challenges.
We just recovered from many pains and heart breaks. We just regained strength after we suffered from loss. We just gathered the broken pieces of us, but those broken pieces we have just gathered have been blown again in no definite direction.
We are numbed once more. We almost lost hope but not giving up. We are still holding the last card of faith, believing in God’s miracle.
In my silent time, everything that happened from the beginning of the year flashed back in my mind. I got mixed emotions. I just don’t know if I would cry or smile because despite the many trials, I can’t thank God enough for his goodness is overwhelming.
I can now close the chapter of 2020 with a smile. Everything written and in stored in it is a faith well-lived. It was not an easy journey but ended well and will always be cherished.
We look forward to another year set ahead of us with positivity. We do know what tomorrow holds but what is important is to keep the faith that is the only weapon we can have.
We have endured our own storms, of different shapes and sizes and worse of all they happened in the year of pandemic. However all these have shaped and transformed us becoming the finest warriors of life of our time.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
My family may have encountered many trials and difficulties along the way but they only strengthen our family bonds. We become a stronger family than before. Family problems gather and keep us closer to one another. Family matters most, though there is no picture of a perfect family. Family is God’s gift. We can always choose people we can be with but we cannot choose a family where we belong.
Family is love. I believe no problem is too big for a family who love and support one another.
We will leave behind everything bad in 2020 and we will carry with us everything good to face 2021 with gladness in our hearts.
Lynn Salinas
The Philippines
