HiStory

Every people has different stories to tell. This week, I am amazed of my classmates' conversion stories. God indeed is an author who is not boring. He really planned every plot and details in our lives. I have just realized that whenever we share our conversion stories or our life stories and certain stories in life, I can see
God's goodness and grace working each in the lives of every people. God is so amazing!

This time, I want to share with you my life story.

I grew up seeing and knowing that my father was a drug addict. My mother worked in a club as a Guest Relation Officer just to sustain and feed us. I have one older sister. My parents quarreled a lot. No days I can share that our home was not a chaos. Every day, I have seen how my father maltreated my mother. At that moment, I hate my father so much. That early, I learned to put an anger and hatred in my heart. I am an ongoing grade 3 student when my mother left us. I, with my sister was left with my father and his relatives. Since then, I lived with and grew up on my aunt's (my father's younger sister) house. I became timid and shy and I guess that's because of my experiences in life. There in my aunt's house, I was loved and treated well. There were times that I envy my cousins for having such wonderful family - a family who follows God. Every Sunday I go with them in the church. Though my parents were Catholic but gladly I was living with my aunt, I go with them in a Christian church which in the Mandaue City Baptist Church. Also, I was a sponsored child in Compassion before that probably contributed a lot of who

I am today. Going back to the story, ever since my mother left us, I lived with my aunt's house until I was 4th year high school. I transferred only when the time that my sister got pregnant. At first, she was staying with me in our aunt's house but then since she was a woman who liked to go out at night, she cannot bear the rules in my aunt's house. We have curfew and because of that she transferred to my grandmother and grandfather's house who was just a walking distance with where I lived. My sister got pregnant at the age of 17 and now she has 2 daughters already. She's now 25 years old. Anyway, after I graduated high school I went to college at Cebu Technological University took up BS Hospitality Management. But then I stopped due to financial reasons. My mother could not sustain my schooling anymore. I just studied there for a year. After a year, I worked on an internet cafe. I was 17 years old at that time. When I turned 18, I applied call center and I got hired. I worked for a year. I was the one who work for the daughter of my sister since she stopped working by the time she gave birth to her 2nd daughter. I was the acting mother of my two beautiful nieces. At an early age, I learned to budget my salary and share it with my family. It was a nice experience. I love to treasure those moments. It made me mature though I was deprived of having what I want. Since then,I wanted

to do things for my family. Nevertheless, there came a point in my life that I wanted to study in Bible School. I was involved in the ministry since the day that I accepted the Lord. So, I stopped working though it's hard for me because I am the one providing for my family's needs already. But then there was an urge inside me to study in bible school. But at first I considered going back to CTU, my former school or else transfer to Cebu Normal University since their tuition is way cheaper than the other schools here in Cebu. Obviously, I ended up studying here in Baptist Theological College. I am happy. I am glad. I learned a lot from this school not just academically but in every aspects of life. Now, I am a graduating student and I have seen God's faithfulness in sustaining and providing my daily needs. Every year was an exciting year since I experienced different things in a way that I am mold through those experiences.

My point on sharing my story is that, the Author and Writer of my story is my Heavenly Father. I cannot put into details the things happened in my life because it will be too long. But I am sure that the Lord is the one who is molding me throughout this year. The Lord has blessed me so much in a way that I can be a blessing to others as well. Yes it is my story, but in reality, it is His Story being portrayed in my life. In sharing this, I am aiming and hoping that people might see God's working in my life. I have been abandoned with many people in the past but there's someone who won't ever leave me nor forsake me (Deut. 31:6). Pain, hurt and tears are part of my life and I appreciate those because it made me stronger and closer to my God. One thing is for sure, the Lord is always with us and every circumstances that we are facing, though we are broken, the Lord will make us whole again.

In relation to church history, the historians has their own stories to tell. Clement, Ignatius, Calvin, Arminius, Justin, and those people we have discussed and tackled in class I'm sure has their own stories to tell. Though the motive is bad but the Lord has His reasons and purpose in which it will end up seeing the whole picture that He, working in the lives of every people on earth just to declare His glory and might!

To end this up, I am encouraging every one not to be shy of our past but instead see the other picture that God might be glorified in our lives. The very purpose we are here is to give glory to our Father and we ought to do that.