PATIENCE - THE GREATEST PRAYER

A man was standing in a bus waiting station for a ride. He was getting too impatient for he thought he had waited too long. Then he saw a bus already full of people coming. He waved his hands and yelled at the driver but the bus did not stop. So he ran after the bus thinking the driver might have a second thought of giving him a hitch but was ran over by a speeding truck instead and died instantly. Momently, a new bus with few people aboard stopped at the station.

What can we take from here? Some people think waiting is a waste of time . Patience does not come innately in a person nor it can be developed instantaneously. Its just like building up a puzzle, you have to work on every pieces of it. Truly, patience is waiting but not inactively and unresponsively . That is laziness and inadequacy of self control. The art of patience is doing something else in the meanwhile to practice ones concentrated strength and prevent boredom and anger to set in. Can you just imagine if the world lives without it? Humanity will be in total chaos and anarchy will rule . One minute of patience they say is worth ten years of peace. Our world will be in total darkness if Edison lost his patience in inventing the light bulb. Would the summit of Mt. Everest be reached or the depth of the Mariana Trench fathomed? Would the English Channel be crossed or Neil Armstrong set his footsteps on the moon? Would every great dreams come true for impatient and anxious dreamers and achievers? Patience serves as a fortification against wrongs as hat do against the heat of the sun. For you wear a thicker hat on your head the heat has no power to harm you. Patience is like waiting an egg to be hatched. You cant get a chick by simply crunching the egg. Or a woman waiting for her baby who sleeps for nine months in her womb to be born. Patience is unpleasant, it is self- suffering for others, but it is a fortitude that sustains things with tranquil but mighty HOPE. Patience is the art hoping, that life is all about timing and waiting. To reach the out-of-the way, to make the unavailable obtainable, or to accomplish and conquer the unattainable. All human understanding and knowledge are summed up in two words - wait and hope and the key to patience are acceptance and faith. Take things as they are, and look sensibly and rationally at the world around us. Believe in ourselves and in the direction we have chosen. All nice things come to he who waits. If you are lured to lose patience in yourself and with others; stop and ponder how patient God has been with you and all of us. Gautama Siddharta Buddha, Hindu Prince and founder of Buddhism quoted: " The greatest prayer is patience". Patience is a virtue not found in most of us but if we can just follow our hearts through God's will, everyone can possess it and make beautiful and happy faces!

ACCEPTING REJECTION WITH KINDNESS ( The Beginning of Renaldo Lapuz Mania )

With the last remaining money in his pocket, Renaldo Lapuz on his friends' urging and motivation flew from Reno, Nevada to Dallas,Texas to audition at the 7th Season of American Idol . He was 44, and 16 years over the ceiling age limit of 28 and the contest organizers were so pleasant to let him still try it out upon knowing he had just paid a one-way ticket with his last dollar.

He knew it was like going through a pin hole to move to Hollywood because of his age but as soon as he went into the audition room attired in a dress to impress flashy silver cape, furry white embellishments, and feathery white hat that had Simon's name printed on it he was given his moment in the glare of publicity to sing his self composed contest piece " We're Brothers Forever"

Simon Cowell known for his incautiously straightforward and often provocative critiques, slurs, and witticisms about contestants and their singing abilities was unimpressed at first but later on requested Renaldo to sing anew and waved his hands as fellow judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and host Ryan Seacrest joined singing amusingly all together with Renaldo on stage.

After Renaldo's number Simon commented: "I'm going to make a prediction here. I have a horrible feeling that it's going to be a hit record. You are very entertaining. I actually like you but it's going to be 'No.'" Renaldo without second thought smiled and moved toward to Simon to shake his hand. Simon hugged him while patting his back. What can we take from here?

Some people think what Renaldo did was appalling and shameful . But few people realized what important values Renaldo have partaken to the whole world. He merely wanted to imply the lyrics of his song that we are brothers regardless of belief, race and ethnicity. When Simon eliminated him , he accepted it with grace and smile on his face and acknowledged Simon's kindness for giving him the chance to finish his song in front of millions of people watching. He said: " Simon, you are a great person. You give chance for people to sing for the whole world. You are Heaven's chosen to give chance to any talent FREE OF CHARGE . Even if there are many people who throw you negative words, there are many people who like and admire you. You are a great person Simon." Unlike other American Idol aspirants who trash talked after being rejected, Renaldo did the other way and earned the peoples' respect and admiration. Chris Tyler said : "How you react to rejection is important. It is not the rejection of others that truly affects us, the problem occurs when... that rejection by others causes us to "reject" ourselves." On Renaldo's part, whole heartedly he accepted it, showed his gratitude, kindness , humility and the courage to try . . . and he smashed it big!

DAPITHAPON NG ISANG AGILA

Sa kalawakan ng langit, malayang lumilipad ang isang nilalang na animo’y kanyang-kanya ang kawalan. Kinatatakutan ng karamihan ng mga hayop na nabubuhay sa lupa, tubig at himpapawid. Ito ang Agila. Sinasabing ang ibon na ito ay sumasagisag sa kapangyarihan at lakas. Matipuno at matikas na pangangatawan, malapad at mahabang bagwis, matutulis na tuka, matatalim na kuko, at malilinaw na mga mata. Nangangaso ito at lumalamon ng mga kauri ng kanyang laman. Angkin ang mga katangiang ito, sa mahabang panahon ay namayagpag ang agila . Naghari-harian sa kinalulunanan ng kanyang pugad at sa mga lugar na abot ng kanyang pakpak at pananaw. Nagpakabusog sa mga laman ng walang kalaban-laban na mga hayop. Nagpasasa sa kanyang sarili at sa sa kanyang mga inakay. Sa pagdaan ng panahon, unti-unti ng nangaubos ang mga hayop at ang iba’y nagpakalayu-layo na upang malayang makapamuhay ng walang takot laban sa mga kuko ng agila. Mga insektong makukupad gumalaw at mag-isip ang natira at pilit na isinasalba ang mga sarili sa anino ng panganib ng gutom na agila. Makalalayo pa kaya sila habang lalong nagngangalit ang gutom at kahayukan ng kanilang kintatakutan? O hihintayin na lang ang kapalaran na isang araw sila ay dagitin , lamunin at lulunin?

Lumipas ang maraming araw ay unti-unti na ring naubos ang mga insekto at mga kulisap. Wala ng matanaw na mga hayop ang nanlalabong paningin ng agila. Kumupas na ang dating kisig ,liksi at galing sa pandaragit. Gusto niyang lumipad at humanap ng makakain , kakayanin pa kaya ng kanyang lakas? Nag-iiyakan ang kanyang mga inakay sa gutom at uhaw. Nagdadalawang isip ang agila na lisanin ang pugad at baka hindi na siya makabalik at tuluyang lumagapak habang nasa himpapawid. Bulok na at inaamag ang mga sangang pinaglalagyan ng kanyang pugad at ang punong tinutungtungan niya ay nilalamon na rin ng mga anay. Ang mayabong na puno ay unti-unting namamatay at nangangalagas ang mga dahon. Tumingala ang Agila at nakita ang mga maliliit na ibon sa langit na malaya at masayang naglalayag sa hangin. Mahina na ang kanyang mga pakpak at hindi niya na kayang lumipad ng ganuon kataas . Humigpit ang pagkakapit ng mga kuko ng agila sa sangang kanyang kinatatyuan at sinipat ng mga mata ang papalubog na araw. Malamlam ang liwanag ngunit nakasisilaw ito sa kanyang nanlalabong pananaw.Sisikatan pa kaya siya ng liwanag kinabukasan at hahayaang mamatay sa gutom ang mga nag-iiyakang inakay? O sisilaban ang pugad at sarili upang maging abo at magharing muli bago maunahan ng kamatayan?

Ang kahihinatnan nila ay kapahamakan. Ang Diyos nila ay ang kanilang tiyan. Ang kanilang kaluwalhatian ay ang mga bagay na dapat nilang ikahiya. Ang kanilang kaisipan ay nakatuon sa mga bagay na panlupa.

Mga Taga-Filipos 3:19