In thanksgiving...

I sleep tonight with a smile on my lips and a prayer of thanks to God. Today has been a day of affirmation for me. Affirmation of God's goodness and faithfulness, affirmation of the rightness in following God's ways and timing. I slept most of this morning away, all the nights of sleeping late the past week catching up with me. Since I had already attended mass Saturday evening, I didn't need to get up early to catch mass at 11:00 A.M. Finally feeling that I have overstayed my welcome in dreamland, I got up and convinced myself to begin work on a project I had pledged myself to do. I worked steadily at my task, pausing once in a while to get up and walk about trying to jog my creative streak into high gear. Then at around 5 P.M. I called it a 'day' and decided to take a kitty nap before heading out for my dinner with brother and sisters I used to work on staff with for CYA.

We met up at Lopue's Mandalagan and went to Hayahay, a restaurant found in the compound of Lopue's Mandalagan. I was impressed with the interior, the ambiance was chic but not intimidating. The food -- sarap! I recommend it. We had two types of pizza and a tomato based soup whose name I can't quite spell at the moment :P It was a good time to chat, catch up on the events of each other's lives and what God is teaching each of us at the moment. There is really something life-giving when I am with people who have experienced God in a very personal and real way. I somehow feel that the most essential part of me is acknowledged, nourished and affirmed. I feel more like myself when I am with them.

We ended the night by giving honor to three people: April (she had left volunteer staff work at the middle of the semester last year so we were unable to thank her and affirm all the good she had done while working full time for the brothers and sisters), Michelle (who celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago) and surprise -- myself (I celebrated my birthday a month ago). Honoring is a practice we have in community where we thank the person being honored for the good that he/she has done which have made a significant impact in our lives. I believe honoring is very essential nowadays in a world that only seeks to point out one's mistakes and failures and dismisses the good that is done as being trivial and obvious. It was heart warming to hear and remember how we had in one way or another blessed the lives of others.

In thanksgiving I would like to also say thank you to God who 'ordered' me home and brought me to these men and women who have in their own personal pursuit of God have shown me the beauty, nobility, dignity and value in others and in myself. By God's grace we have been Jesus to each other. God does indeed know best. I know I was not very happy about leaving Manila to start a new life here in Bacolod. Yet God in His wisdom knew that this is where I needed to be to solidify the lessons and realizations I've had of Him and of my purpose in life. It has been my privilege to journey with these brother and sisters. My life has been enriched because they have become part of it. Thank you Lord for knowing better. Thank you also for the grace to submit to your will.