Our Father’s love and ticking time bombs
My daughters will all be here in Cebu at one time or another during the month of August. The first one will arrive on Aug. 8 and the rest will be coming in waves and they will also be leaving separately. Three are living outside of Cebu City while the other two are here.
It only took one of them to start the travel bug rolling when she suggested, “Let’s all visit Mommy together. She will be 80 soon. At least she is still alive!”
When our phones started criss-crossing the oceans and the mountains, we all had a good laugh because the phrase “ticking time bombs” are often thrown at us senior citizens when we are granted our bonus years. So, if I’m absent from some of my apostolic activities from Aug. 8 to 28, it simply means that I’m out having a great time with them.
What about my column? I shall bring my laptop with me. Even my youngest grandson is computer literate. One of my grandchildren will encode my article for me.
There is much to be said about our heavenly Father’s love. The gospel last Sunday reminded us of a generous and loving Father.
In Luke 11:1-13 we are told, “What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you who are wicked know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” All we need to do is ask! God’s answer will depend on what is best for us.
Senior citizens prepare our lives so that when the ticking time bomb is due to explode, we are ready to meet our God.
Actually, all of us are ticking time bombs from the day we were born. There is no guarantee that the old will die first. Our young have not been spared from terminal ailments, from accidents, from bullets coming from crazy people. All one has to do is read the papers and we know that death’s scythe can cut one’s life anytime.
We are blessed in the Philippines because the family, for the true Filipino, is still our number one priority.
We all do not know when we will be called home but there is absolutely no reason to be scared when the time comes. The Beatitudes can be our guide to happy living and genuine discipleship.
We, parents, have been told often to spend time with our children, to savor their beaming smiles, their shrieks of joy and their grubby hands as they pat our faces with tenderness and love.
Our children have been told by teachers and by authors of psychology books to look at their aging parents, to savor their loving care, their worried concerns for the young’s safety and to respond to their over generous love. Aging often takes a great toll on the elder’s physical strength.
Husbands and wives are told at the start of their marriage that the bonds of love should be for “better or for worse, in sickness and in health.” One day, one may have to go home ahead. Two of my close friends left me so suddenly because both did not have time to say “goodbye.”
When the late Cherry Muntuerto suddenly left us, her chair at our Thursday Bible class was called Cherry’s chair. When the late Cynthia Ramas Mann left us, the first Tuesday after her burial, those of us who are members of the Pink Sisters Adoration group felt so empty as we entered the adoration chapel.
We still have so much to learn about life, about our loving Heavenly Father and our relationships with one another. Our heavenly Father has never stopped loving us or caring for us. All we have to do is stop for a while, go to our inner room and reflect on God’s love.
What about the members of our family and the people we care for? Do we stop to look at them or to listen intently to what they have to say or to place our children on our laps from time to time and to whisper, “I love you so much?”
Ticking time bombs notwithstanding, we who are still around should be able to spread lots and lots of love to go around. We should also be able to live happily each day. We should never allow anyone to scare us into worrying that at any moment the bomb may just go off. All we need is to trust in our Father’s great love for us.