A grateful heart

*image is a wall decor for sale at etsy.com*

While browsing online and through my Facebook updates earlier today, I came across two things that made me think of how blessed I am in spite of the hardships that I am encountering right now...that I am still lucky that I don't have the same problem as they do....Although a voice inside tells me I shouldn't be that way, feel lucky just because someone else is stuck with a worse problem than I am. Tama ba yun?! (Uhm! Isang batok sa sarili! haha!) Still, I feel blessed and grateful. It felt like God talked to me and said, "See? Other people have their own cross, too, but they chose to carry it and show their resilience and faith. You should, too!" That was a lot, huh?!

Trying to be a good Christian, I always try to be grateful of the blessings I have received and am still receiving...one time, while eating I told my Yaya, we're still lucky coz we can eat good food at least 3-5 times a day, some people don't get to eat even once a day. I try to always count my blessings...My other posts are always trying to be grateful, trying to be positive. Did you take NOTE of how many times I used the word "try"? Yes! I TRY because it is not natural for me. Or should I say not natural for anyone who's undergoing something not so ideal or not so good. I know you understand what I am saying. Most of the time, it is more natural for us to complain and not see the good in things, in others, or in our lives. Ang hirap 'di ba?!?! It's very difficult for us to say "thank you" if we want something so hard, but not getting it..if we have a big problem..or if we're not feeling well..or if we feel that we don't have enough. Mas madali para sa 'tin ang magcomplain...Guilty? :-p

Also, a lot of times, I worry about tomorrow, about things, bills, etc...But the Bible also says (I already posted this earlier in this blog but I guess it's worth sharing again), 

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

~ Matthew 6:25-34

The Lord tells us, Do NOT worry. Another hard feat! I am thankful for those people -- friends and family, who have helped us. They have been instruments of God to help us through whatever challenges that we are facing. They are there to support us financially, emotionally, and most important of all, spiritually. I told one of my closest friends that this period in my life feels like one of the lowest times in my life. One of ha! Hindi naman lowest. But still, most of the time my prayers and desperate pleads would sound like: "Lord, please please, sana matapos na 'tong challenge na binigay N'yo." Or "Lord, please grant my prayer request", and a lot of times "Lord, please give me ________." 

When I was in school, we were taught the 5 parts of a prayer: first, PRAISE, that is glorifying the Lord and His name; second, THANKS, thanking God before asking for more; third, FORGIVENESS, like in "The Lord's Prayer" -- "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us.."; fourth, ASKING, this is where our petitions and prayer requests come in; and fifth, LISTENING for the answers to our prayers and to what God wants to tell us. But most of the time, my prayers start and end with the 4th -- ASKING. Boink! Sorry po, Lord! :-/

I felt ashamed that this 15-yr old girl who, while she was battling leukemia (AML), had a more positive outlook and faith than I do. She's an angel. I wished I could have helped her. Now, I could only pray for her soul. A message that she wrote before she went to be with the Lord:

*from A wish for Nikki*

May she rest in peace and may perpetual light shine upon her...I am sure she is in a better place right now where there's no pain and sickness. Thank you, Nikki, for being an inspiration!

I know there will still be times that I might feel hopeless, discouraged, and down..hey, I am only human! :-p But I believe that the important thing is we keep on trying to stand up again and never give up, right? As Nikki has shared, LIFE is our greatest blessing and we shouldn't waste it. To NOT be miserable amidst hardships and pains. And most important is to keep the faith and be grateful to the Lord for all His blessings!

So dear friends, 

Have a blessed day and may we always have a grateful heart! :)

God bless us all!

<3 <3 <3