IT’S TIME

When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen. – Isaiah 60:22

This picture was taken during the wedding of one of our sisters in Christ on January 18, 2020. We were in the reception and part of the decorations were Bible verses written in plywood. I took a picture of my best friend and her husband at the verse, “I have found the one whom my soul loves. – Song of Solomon 3:4 Since she’s been very supportive, she asked me to pose at the verse “When the time is right, I, the Lord will make it happen. – Isaiah 60:22 I moved towards my right, held the “wand-like” stick that will be used to welcome the newly wed, placed it on my temple, looked away, and showed a wide smile. There were two (2) messages from these gestures – one is a question and the other is a statement:

When could be the right time?

I am looking forward to the right time.

The Waiting Room

I prayed and waited for God to bless me with the right one. He answered my prayer in 2019 when I met Rod during one of my classes in graduate school. He swept me off my feet and I knew he was the one! However, God put me in the waiting room again to discern His will in our relationship. I was 27 years old then, and in the Filipino culture, it is when the PRESSURE IS ON! I will attend weddings, baptisms, and yes, children’s parties, and be labeled as “Ninang ng Bayan”, or the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride”.

Rod and I will always discuss marriage which we agreed to do once we complete our degree in graduate school.  I keep on bringing this up to him and sometimes I would feel disappointment whenever I would not feel assurance. It’s quite stressful! Things changed after a meeting with my former officemates in Smart.

I brought my concern up to the group and God spoke to my heart through my former boss. She reminded me to just relax, enjoy the moment, and avoid putting pressure on Rod. Let all things happen naturally. At that moment, I was reminded that it was the Lord who instructed Rod to pursue me and I claim that God will do it again. He will whisper to him once again to say, “it’s time”. I prayed, “Lord, ayoko nang stress-in ang sarili ko. Kayo na lang dalawa ang bahalang mag-usap”. After that, I felt at peace. Little did I know that God is already working in the background.

A new beginning

Rod asked for my hand on our first anniversary while we were on a trip in Japan. I didn’t have a clue nor expected that it would happen in Japan because he is a very private person. Apparently, he proposed in a place where a number of people pass by.

I thought that had not God spoken through my former boss (soon-to-be our Ninang), if I stayed impatient, Rod’s proposal would not be as beautiful and magical as it is. The lesson that I got from it was, to allow God to take the wheel, work on my behalf, and allow him to surprise me. His ways are far better than my ways, and in everything, I just have to “be still”.

What God has for me is FOR ME. We cannot outdone His generosity and so He will give us more than we asked for. All He needs from us is to trust His plan and timing.

Pruning and trimming

Allow me to share these things which I believe can inspire us in discerning for our vocation in life:

📌 The Lord knows what’s best for us. He is faithful to His promises. Unahin Sya lagi. Yes, His ways are far different from ours, but He promised that all things will work for the good (Romans 8:28).

📌 Focus on yourself. You need to love yourself and be WHOLE, FIRST! I realized that love is a union of two whole people. Rod and I do things on our own. We can eat alone, shop on our own, we have different preferences! But it is never an issue. We respect each other and compromise as needed. I can say that for the last two years, we grew and matured together.

📌 Mag-ayos ka lagi! Be sure na presentable ka ALL THE TIME especially for singles. Totoo yun! Darating ang tamang tao sa panahong di mo inaasahan. Si Lord lang ang nakakaalam ‘pag ready ka na/kayo.

📌 Always remember, even at your best you will never be right for the wrong person. But even at your worst, the right person will always remind you of your worth. You will be amazed how the right person can accept your imperfections naturally. He/she will accept you as you are, and will find you beautiful in every single way. Lesson learned: Kung di ka tina-trato ng tama, kung hindi ka nire-respeto at minamahal katulad ng pagmamahal ni Lord sa’yo, ‘wag mo nang ipilit para hindi na masaktan.

📌 Love is a choice. Love starts when you’ve seen the best and worst of the person but you chose to stay. He/she is imperfect, and SO ARE YOU! Is he/she worth keeping for? Will you be able to handle his/her imperfections for the rest of your life? Ok lang advance mag-isip dahil future nyo ang pinag-uusapan.

📌 Be open to God’s will for your life. Pray unceasingly. He will fulfill His promise that whoever asks shall receive, those who seek shall find, and whoever knocks door shall be opened. God moves when you surrender, not when you complain. He will fight for you! Battle ni Lord yan! Relax ka lang! In the end, you will realize that a relationship is not about the two of you. It’s all about the LORD!

It was in 2017 when I felt I was being called to a religious life – BECOME A NUN. But after careful discernment and prayer time together with my then prayer partner, Tita Josie, God’s answer was, “wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” — Psalm 27:14. That answer was affirmed by my desire to get married after witnessing my friend’s wedding and by being accepted in UP Diliman to pursue my master’s degree. And the rest was history….. hindi ko  lang pala makakamtan ang “sablay” (UP graduation sash), matatagpuan ko rin pala ang “forever” ❤️🌻

Indeed, beautiful things happen when God says IT’S TIME.