GOD'S FAVORED CHILD

A friend of mine "complained" to me that I must be one of God's favorites. According to her, He gives me everything I want. I just laughed at her and thought to myself, "What a silly thought! God, who is perfect, would never have favorites!" But when I stopped to think about it, I could see why she came to that conclusion.

I have been luckier than most people. Often, when I reflect on my life (akala mo naman, napakahaba na ng buhay ko!) I am just filled with gratitude and awe at how much I feel God's love for me. Reading my really old diary and retreat entries, I always wrote that I have never felt that God was not in my life. True, there were two specific times when I was mad at Him, but my anger quickly dissipated. Fr. Desautels, my great and wise spiritual director for exactly 2 sessions, asked me seriously, "Did you say sorry to Him afterwards?" I laughed, but then realized, no, I did not say sorry to Him. But anyway, that's another story....

I realize, yes, I have actually gotten everything I have set my sights on, so far. And this job at the Department of Community Services is the latest in my granted prayer requests. True, it came later than expected, but it was granted nevertheless. And I am soooooo overwhelmed and grateful that it was given to me.

If you have been reading my blog for at least 2 months, you most probably know the drama I went through. This was coming mostly from the fact that I did not have a job, but also involved lots of other things that not every one of you can understand because it is too private to write about in a place like this. Anyway, part of the debate going on in my mind was whether I would finally humble myself and apply for a job that I was overqualified for. Noni, one of our new friends who has lived here for 25 years, advised me and Edge not to settle for anything less that what we were qualified for. Other friends told us to swallow our pride and take whatever comes along. So, I finally decided to apply for a job as a kitchen hand (meaning: taga-hugas ng pinggan) at a Thai restaurant near my house. However, because of Edge's work schedule, I couldn't commit until after January 9. That afternoon, I got the call from Community Services asking if I already had my driver's licence. The very next day, I was offered a permanent position. It's as if God was just waiting for me to humble myself.

I think I just had to go through that whole painful process. I had lessons to learn, which I could never have learned in any other way. (For those of you who have judged me based on a few blog entries and possibly have taken the situation out of context, you're entitled to your own opinion. I cannot help how closed-minded you are.). I know my getting this job at this time is THE perfect time for me to get this job. I don't know exactly why, but it is. Maybe because the kids are more secure about their place in this country now than they were 6 months ago, maybe because I now have more experience and confidence in myself, or maybe it's some reason that will only unfold in the coming months. Whatever it is, I know this is the perfect time.

Everybody I know here in Sydney tells me what a good job I have landed. My Pinoy acquaintances, who were dissuading me from taking the jobs they were offering me (packing Lindt chocolates into boxes, mushroom picking), were overjoyed upon hearing about my job. They advised me to hold on to the job "even if you end up not liking it", because if you work for the government, they say you've got it made. Well, so far, I like the job and what I think I will be doing. The job is meaningful and I get to help people and I'm sure it will bring me lots of fulfillment. The benefits are great, I've got lots of leave and all kinds of leave. We work on flexi-time, and I get 2 days off a month if I work a certain number of hours overtime. They won't give me any serious work until I have my training, which is fine with me, because I wouldn't want to do anything that would result in me getting sued! And my boss said that it is almost impossible to get fired because you have to mess up 12 times (big time) before that happens. Also, it is a job where I can see myself moving up. At Xavier, the supervisory jobs did not appeal to me. But at DoCS, I am aspiring for the higher positions, or maybe even moving into other specialties. But my endgoal is to become the Minister for Community Services. Seriously.

Again, God has taught me to just trust in Him. He will always give me what is best for me, according to His plan. His perfect plan. I failed miserably again in this test. Hopefully I will do better next time. Thanks, God!!!!