An Eon of My Journey with God

John 3:5

“ No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit”

I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior last 1977 (thanks to The Navigators in Cebu) and since then I tasted the amazing goodness and love of the living God. He is alive and His generosity cannot be outdone. From a portion of His immeasurable riches, He provided me with all of my needs. He let me pass the Chemical Engineering Board Exam in 1979. He let me have a permanent teaching job at Western Mindanao State University. He let me enjoy scholarships – which included a one-year study in Australia, a two-year masters degree, and a five-years doctoral degree.

I am also a witness to the miracles of God - when God made the impossible become possible. For instance, way back in 1986, my husband and myself were told by doctors that it was medically impossible for us to have a child. We had a complicated combination. His sperm count was very low and I have a retroverted mattress. But we saw the greatness of God as He inspired us to pray about it. We asked the Lord to give His blessings to the doctor whom we were consulting, so that the doctor will become His instrument. We prayed every night, requesting God to strengthen even just one sperm, thus this sperm could mate with my egg cell. We prayed that God will make my mattress a good haven for a child. We prayed-over all the medicines that we took, so that God will bless them. We even asked God to multiply the potency of the fertility pills three times, because instead of taking three capsules a day, we could only afford one capsule a day.

God realigned and put into order everything in my body and that of my husband – I got pregnant. The impossible thing for doctors became possible with God, and He gave us a son last January 17, 1988. Our son is now 21years old – a living witness of God’s power and grace.

Two years after the birth of my son, he contracted dengue fever. He was hospitalized with a zero blood pressure on Dec. 23 (1990). We stayed in the emergency room for six hours until his blood pressure went back to 70. His platelet count continued to decrease and his condition became more critical. God inspired me to pray over him in tongues, and while I was praying I had a vision of bursting viruses – like that of fireworks. That inspired me to claim His authority and command the virus to burst. My son’s platelet count went up and we were allowed to go home on Dec. 25. God healed my son instantaneously.

Compounded with other faith experiences, my faith grew as I became very much assured of God’s love and mercy. He loves me so much, and that nothing can separate me from His love – even trials, difficulties, and sickness.

Then came October of 2000 - when I experienced pains in all of my joints – my hands, wrist, elbows, and shoulders. By December, my knees started hurting too and I had difficulty walking. I was advised to seek medical help in Manila, and I did last January of 2001.

The sickness was a dilemma to specialists - consultant doctors at that, and they cannot identify what it is that has been ailing me. I had to be subjected to regular blood medical examinations every two weeks, until a pattern could be established.

By April, we went back for the second medical check-up. This time, I had to be confined at UST hospital for the extensive as well as intensive medical study of my sickness. Two specialists - consultants and six resident doctors scrutinized my symptoms and medical laboratory results – still they cannot put a name on the disease. My blood sample has yet to be sent and analyzed abroad - in the United States, for clearer clinical picture.

On May 31st of 2001, I received the e-mailed letter of my doctor in Manila – based on the test results from the states. The disease is Mixed Connective Tissue Disease or (MCTD) - which is an overlap of different autoimmune diseases – one of them is SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus).

The Mixed Connective Tissue Disease is a malfunction of the immune system – the so-called anti-bodies. These anti-bodies, which are supposed to protect me from diseases and infections, are now attacking my body cells as though they are the enemies.

It is a disease, which is incurable and degenerative - as the medicines prescribed me will only delay the inevitable. Being degenerative means that as the disease progresses, it will worsen, rendering my body weaker.

I sought for consolation, for guidance and enlightenment. And God spoke in John 3:5, which states.“ No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit”

Being born of the Spirit is for me to be in communion with the Spirit, breathing Him into my daily existence. This communion brings complete acceptance of the will of God, without any reservations. It is through this communion that God revealed that He allowed my suffering for the sake of His love.

I suffered both physically and emotionally, but in all these, God showed me that He is in control. This happened when we were on our way to Makati Medical Center, and all four of us - Daddy, my son Paul, my niece Maricris, and myself – were sleeping. Suddenly, I was awakened and saw in the front mirror that our driver is also closing his eyes. Automatically – I shouted “Hala” – and he woke-up in time to swerve the taxi and thereby evading a collision. God woke me up just in time to see the sleeping driver. We did not meet an accident for His timing is incredibly perfect.

As I reflected on this incident, I saw some parallelisms. We were sleeping and were oblivious of what was happening; just as the disease that has been bothering me has no known cure – as though it is sleeping. Yet, God showed that there is a waking-up time – whenever it is, His time will be most perfect and appropriate.

Oh yes, there were times when I prayed the same prayer that Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, when He said – “Lord, take away this cup – but not my will Lord, but your will be done.” Indeed, His will prevails. My acceptance and obedience brought peace, joy, and thankfulness. As what is written in Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful”. I have peace in my heart for I know that my God is with me. I have joy in my heart, for He allowed me to know His wisdom, and even in sickness, God helped me to accept and obey Him.

I am still on medication, vitamins and mineral supplements, and my pains are already minimal. I am up about with my everyday activities, seeking always to glorify Him in all that I do, thankful that each day God is giving me the gift of life. I am thankful too that God is using me in the Catholic Charismatic Movement here in Claret. He is also using my testimony to inspire and build the faith of people who are sick, so that they will look on the greatness of our God.

I really do not worry as to the outcome of this sickness, this is NOT mine, and I know it will just pass.

As it is written in I Peter 1:6-8. “In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”.

It is for God’s glory, honor and praise that everything comes to pass. Praise the Lord.