The little girl

Seventeen years ago, a little girl was born in the midst of April where the flowers bloom and the heat from the sun kisses the skin of everyone. She was given a chance to see the great works of the Lord and she is surely a blessing to her parents. Being the first child, she is filled with so much love she received from everyone that surrounds her.
She is a silent one and she is practically the shy-type of girl for she wouldn’t talk to you unless you talk to her. She wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth – in that, she doesn’t always get what she wants. She was taught of being contented with what is given her and she was thankful for that.
But things changed when her father had to go to Saudi Arabia when their sari-sari store got bankrupt and her mother had to go under a cesarean session for her younger sister. At first, it was hard because she never imagined that she will grow up without her dad by her side but God is so good because He made her realize that not because her father is away means she wouldn’t get to receive his love. Until one day, she just woke up with the thought that what her father was doing is for her and her sister to have a better life.
Since then, she learned how to cherish every moment she had with her family, for God made her understand how important time is. If before her father left the country, she would play along with other kids in their neighborhood, when her father left, she just helped her mom to take care of her younger sister. At a young age, her eyes were already opened to see those things a kid wouldn’t understand. She didn’t live a carefree life but she is so much happier that she made time for her family, making them her priority. And every time his father goes home, she makes sure that she will live that moment with him.
Things ran well until she reached the 10th grade. She was told that her father’s company has gone bankrupt and that he wasn’t paid his salary so he didn’t have any money to send to her mom for their daily expenses. On top of that, her grandma got severely sick and it saddened her that she wasn’t able to do something for her. She was devastated and her faith surely went into a state of slump. She asked God as to why it should be her when she was His faithful server. She asked Him, why did it have to be her family when she is doing her best to stay faithful to Him. Of all people, she thought, why did it have to be her? But one thing she realized, why can’t it be her? After all, we are all humans and just like a wheel, we all have our ups and downs. And she unexpectedly thanked God for everything that happened with her life. She realized that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, and she is surely stronger and better now.
God provided her strength physically, emotionally and spiritually. She didn’t feel that she is alone. She got through everything with help of God and her family and friends that God has sent to her. Her faith to Him made her bullet-proof – in that, as long as she is with God, she can get through everything without feeling lonely and weak.
God made her understand that in life, it’s not always what we perceive it to be. She was thankful for the bad things that happened to her because she learned how to open her eyes to see the little things she wasn’t paying attention to before. Because that is life – we look at the things that we ask from God that He did not give us. But we do not see the things that God gave us that we did not ask from Him.
She might not have the riches in this world, but her God is great and He is enough to provide her everything she needs. Maybe, what she was asking for is not what God is planning for her. And she learned to accept those things.
Now, her father is with them and her grandma is still alive. Despite her father not having a job, she is still happy because he is with them now. And with God’s grace, they now have a sari-sari store, not that big nor that small, but is enough to cover all the financial needs of her family. I am Lance Dungca Visaya, and that is – my story.