ON TRIALS

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way…



I am not a big fan of trials. I think nobody is diba? Especially those kinds that you fail to rise above from. Parang feeling mo ang tests dapat natapos na when I graduated from college. It was supposedly for gauging lang how much you learned in school. Who would’ve thought that after graduation when you’ve finally let out that big and deep sigh saying “Hay salamat wala ng exams!” eh you would be facing much harder tests or more commonly known as life trials.



It has been only two years since school ended for me but I’ve learned so much already about trials. They come in all shapes and sizes. Minsan nga di mo alam you’ve been through one na pala. Pero yung joy that you feel after conquering one ibang klase. Yung sense of fulfillment reaches a new high. You suddenly feel more mature and ready.



Here are some truths that I’ve learned about trials.



Trials are INEVITABLE


Nobody is exempted from trials. Even the most sheltered kids or the most guarded president can’t escape it. So if di maiiwasan might as well embrace it diba? Sabi nga sa 7 Habits of Highly Effective People you have to know kung ano yung asa circle of influence and circle of concern mo. Change the things that are within your circle of influence and change your attitude on your circle of concern. The trials that we face are in our circle of concern but unfortunately hindi umabot sa circle of influence. So what do we do to things that we have no control of? Change our attitude towards it. Embrace trials just like the way we embrace life. Live it! Love it!



Trials have a PURPOSE


Trials are there for a purpose. It defines who we are. It molds us to persons capable of facing life head on. It develops perseverance and endurance. Try to think of one trial that you went through lately. Then ask yourself these questions. What is it in me now that was brought about by that experience? What did I learn from it?


Plus everything happens for a reason right? Everything is part of a bigger plan that God has prepared for us. If you think of it this way it would be easier to accept trials. And if you believe that these are all part of one big plan then you’ll realize that it’s like a piece of a puzzle that fits perfectly to that wonderful picture of your life.


This is also the reason why many would advice us to not to live a life full of regrets. Kasi nga may reason naman for everything. It’s hard to live a life full of regrets. The past is part of our circle of concern lang kasi we can’t change it anymore. It happened already. And if you wake up each morning trying to regret all the things that you did, it will just make you numb. Being numb is when you refuse to feel the pain and try to replace it with anger or hardness of the heart. Don’t get me wrong. Anger really does help pero temporary lang. It is a false comfort for the hurt plus it feels good. But hardening your heart develops to bitterness. By allowing this to happen, you’ve rejected the available grace that has been given to you in times of trials. You’ve also decided not to allow yourself to learn from this experience. Bakit ba pinapalo ang bata pag may nagawang mali? Para matuto diba? Dahil matututo ka lang if nasaktan ka. How could you learn from trials and disappointments if you will choose not to feel the pain? You’ll have the tendency to just do it again kasi you cannot remember getting hurt from it.



So, how do I live in the midst of trials?


2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

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