Thirty four years ago, it was my last year in high school, when we had to undergo citizen's army training as requirement to graduate. I didn't have any idea about this except that my elder brother was one of the officers years before us. We didn't have choice when our section decided to join a special group within because we always moved together. All of us had to undergo the training. We supported and encouraged each other that we may all be together in it especially us girls. He was one of those who trained us with a couple of officers. Though my cousin was also one of them, he did not have time to come back for us. I was one of the cutest and petite in my class and I didn't know what we would have to do to pass this training. But I was not alone and all of us were there so I just had to go along. During our trainings that normally took place after academic hours, he was always there with the top officers to handle us. He was tall and good looking and had a peculiar smile - I would miss him when he was not there during those trainings. I don't exactly remember when and how it started but he would walk us from school after we dismiss. At the time, our class adviser would always counsel us every morning about having boyfriends - it was not the norm as we were to proceed to college. I was always with my best friend who was older than me so I felt safe and secure even though he was there. Should our teacher know about it, it was always with my bestie and me. He was charming too and it cannot be helped that other girls would have crush on him as I did. It was just that. We were all growing up and it was all part of our development stage.
But those years - innocent years - are the most memorable parts of the educational phase of our lives. As we reach the third stage, the enjoyment phase, we tend to go back to it and and we search to find out about those people there whom we have shared a bit of our high school years. No wonder it is commonly known that high school life are the happiest - because those are the years we want to go back to. The years when we were pure and not tainted with any color.
We had a few brief moments in college but we were so young and so innocent then. We lost contact soon enough and never crossed paths again. I never forgot him though and his image would brush my mind till I graduated from college.
My second phase - experience phase - was tough and adventurous as my son puts it. I was totally engrossed. I never thought I would see him again after twenty four years when I was tagged along to attend a bonfire at our alma mater as part of our grand alumni homecoming. It slipped my mind that they were the host that year. I was just beginning to gather myself again that time having just emerged from a broken relationship and child custody battle. I have just come home after my twenty years experiencing phase. I wished I didn't attend that bonfire so that he could not have seen me in that stage. But then, it was quite dark and I just hoped it didn't show. I wanted to see him again in another time so I prayed and wished deeply in my heart that he too will come to meet Jesus in his life as I just did. That way, we may connect again in the future in God's love. This I sincerely did after knowing that he had been an overseas worker all his experience phase.
Ten years after, year 2010, as I was browsing my social networking site, I saw a post by my cousin of a video of a little girl singing a song so effortlessly. It was a song I remembered from my high school years because the title was his name. Something in me was telling me to search his name in the same social networking site. I realized yes he was an overseas worker and must have a site to connect to family and friends. When I saw his profile photo, I recognized him right away. On the side, he has become a photo hobbyist. We got connected again, thank you to the world wide web. And I was so happy upon seeing his profile - somehow my wish and prayer was answered! He has entered the arch as I did six years earlier. That moment, I had known why heaven rejoices when just one soul turns to the Father through the Son. He had begun his life journey four years ago.
It was now easy for us to witness and to share because we have received the power when the Holy spirit came upon our lives separately.
Now, I just realized that God our Father's timing of events in our lives is perfect! There were things He did not allow us in the past because it was not the right time and we were not prepared for it. He had to prepare us for things that will have to happen in our lives but He can only do it when we enter the arch - His arch - because inside, we are protected by His love. Things that have happened in our lives before we entered the arch, He allowed too for us to draw ourselves to Him and learn from it.
Knowing each others' experience phase, is the most amazing experience I have had. Somehow, I have this feeling of connecting my present enjoyment phase to my educational phase that was broken by my experience phase. The latter however, makes us humble ourselves and bow down to God our Father when we can no longer do more but keep still and know that He is God in our lives.
With this, I pray that we will stay in God's arch bounded by His love together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, forever.
Meantime, let us all have a blessed day - always!...
I love these photos and the rest that I requested him to take for me because I wanted to see him happy through it all...what good photography and surely more than this in the future...thank you, Senpai!
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