Slaving Away

“Tell me, what does a college undergrad, who has worked for more than ten years of his life without a single penny in savings to show for himself, and by all standards is getting a little too old and sickly for the fast-paced call center lifestyle, going to do when he finally puts down and retires his headset?”

A colleague wrote this on his blog and I can’t help but react to his post. You see I, also, am a college undergrad. I haven’t worked for more than 10 years but I’m getting there. The longest I’ve stayed working in a company is about 2 years. Like my friend, I also have episodes where I question life in terms what it has for my career.

Fresh Insight

Have you ever had a strong craving for something? You crave for it so bad, you go to great lengths just to find that exact flavor. That exquisite taste you think will suit your palate? Only to find out that you don’t like it anymore? And then you end up throwing away the food you bought? This is kind of like that. Only this is not about food.

I scoured all my posts again. Yep! I read all my post from the start, up to the latest one. I found a few posts that I am not happy to see any more, or simply do not agree with any longer. I put the check mark on the tick box, set it to drop permanently, and then hit the apply button. I realize that I ruined the chronology of my posts but what the hey. I don’t want this online diary to contain those pages any longer. Like any notebook, some notes are not worth keeping. I’ve torn a few pages I don’t believe in any longer.

I remember back when I was in high school, when girls my age would scream at even a remote hint of mentioning the name “Devon Sawa”. Ask them now, and I assure you that they won’t even nudge even when the said actor is right in their face.  Boys back in high school would consider you cool if you sport a haircut called  “GQ”, “Under-cut”, or “Keempee”.  I dare you to try to even suggest these hairstyles to any of the men of today and you’ll get a smirk, at least – a punch in the nose, at best (or worst).

In the past we all crave for the wrong things. Even going to deepest depth to quench our thirst for these things. There were long pages in our life book that we just want to tear out and burn. There are people that we once needed in our lives and now we don’t. There are passions we do in the past that we’ve lost the drive to do. If back then we do not have fellowship with God; We should see change as evidence by all now that we have a relationship with Him. (If it wasn’t clear enough, I’m talking to all of us who claim ourselves to be called Christians – Yes! including me.)

I ask the modern Christian:

“So… what’s new?

~~~

Romans 12:1-2

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Hunger And Thirst

“Where’s your mom?” I asked the kid.
She smiled wide and said: “My mom’s away for now. She’s begging for food so we could eat on time.”
“What’s your name?” I said.
“Marie. That’s my name.” She said.

The kid’s haircut makes her look like a boy. She’s looks very different from the usual homeless people we see on the streets. She looks clean save from the worn out t-shirt she is wearing. She even wears a G-Shock watch albeit non-working. Surprisingly, Marie looks very healthy. She looks, for the lack of a better term, stable. Although she barely had formal education, she is able to talk to people with great esteem. Confident enough to answer personal questions from a stranger like me. She looked hungry at the time so I went home to get crackers and cookies. When I got back, Marie’s mother was there with her. Today was a smooth day for them. Marie’s mother brought noodle soup, rice and even a bottle of soft drinks.

“What’s your name ma’am?” I asked the lady politely. She looked away, contemplating if she was going to answer my question. “Jing-Jing.”, She said. “What brought you here?” I asked. She elaborated a story that could make you assume that it was from a television series.

According to her, they ended up in the streets because she was hearing voices where they lived before. They tried to escape from those voices only to find out that it found a way to follow them. She still hears the voices when she sees lightning strike. She claims that people call her “holy father”. I think it was only brought by the stress of having to think day by day, worrying about how they are going to live until the next day.

They need help, that’s for sure. Their immediate need is clothing, food and shelter. Medication for the mom. Education for the kid. Ultimately, a source of income, so they could resume living on their own. I am not so sure what to do to help them. I could only write their story. If you have an idea to help them, please do leave a comment below.

~~~
(Matthew 25:35-36,40)

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.