GULONG🛞 -o- MANIBELA🥘?

When life hits a bumpy road, our first instinct is to look to the passengers riding with us. For me, my husband is my first port of call for any issue involving other people. If he happens to be the irritant, my go-to person is my sister. However, there are times when I want to distance myself from both, leaving me with no one to whom I can vent my sighs and sentiments.

I soon realized that the traffic jam in my life wasn't caused by anyone else, the real problem was me. To de-stress, most people go shopping, watch a movie, or eat. But as an introvert, locking myself inside my room, my so-called comfort zone, is how I spend my alone time. For a long time, I insisted on being the solo driver of everything, just "I, me, and myself" driven entirely by selfish desires, I care for no one.

Ako lang ng ako. Ako ang dapat mahalin, ako ang dapat unawain, ako ang dapat intindihin at asikasuhin. Ito ang gusto ko, ako ang dapat masunod. Kung di ako pagbibigyan, magagalit ako. At kapag nagalit ako, dapat akong amuhin, hikayatin, at suyuin. Isn't it pathetic? In reality, focusing only on oneself is utterly exhausting. No matter how quickly you fix one breakdown, another issue always pops up, turning life into a draining, never-ending loop of a mess. Who could keep their sanity when confronted with daily trials: things, people, and circumstances that threaten their emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being?

The answer is simple: The person who prays constantly and genuinely is the one who keeps a clear head amidst all challenges and daily struggles.

I must admit, I am not naturally a prayerful person. Whenever I go through a rough patch, I don't automatically think of God. I used to pray shallowly with my mouth, not my heart and spirit, because God wasn't truly in my system. Furthermore, as a housewife and mother of two, I serve my family as a helper, driver, tutor, cook, and cleaner, which reduces my time to meditate. These daily demands often push prayer to the bottom of my list.

Only when my concerns became too heavy to bear, and all other options failed, would I feel driven to pray. And it felt like a chore or an obligation rather than a deep longing. Prayer for me was nothing more than a spare tire, something I only pulled out of the trunk during an emergency.

In 2017, God revealed to me the true essence of praying. I realized it is fundamentally more significant than eating or drinking; since it is our direct line to the Supreme Being who provides for and sustains us. Now, I am learning to weave prayer into the very fabric of my day. I want talking to God to become as natural as breathing, wherever I go, and in everything I do.

Prayer is incredibly liberating. When I talk to God, there is no fear of rejection, criticism, or condemnation. While sharing our worries with others often leaves us anxious and misunderstood, God offers a safe harbor. Glory to Him, because He listens intently to every word whether it’s a silent thought or a spoken cry, He reassures us of His constant presence and grants us true peace that surpasses all understanding.

I was once invincible. When I still don't have that kind of deep personal relationship with Jesus, my prayer life is dead, and the clutch and gears of my life are within my control. I make decisions based on my prerogative. And Jesus? He was just a passive passenger at the time, a stranger in my car called life. Yes, I may already know Him, but I was still half-hearted about handing over the keys to the steering wheel of my life to Him. Eventually, I recognized that He was the missing piece to fix my character defects. And so, recently, I decided to move out of the driver's seat and let Him take the lead.

Feeling overwhelmed or discouraged because things aren't going as planned? Instead of leaning on human help, since we all carry our own heavy crosses, run to God. Through Jesus, we have direct access to a Father who holds our future. He is fully in control, knows your pain, and always desires what is best for you. His promises are unbreakable, and His plans for you are meant for good, giving you a bright tomorrow (Jeremiah 29:11). Rest easy knowing that Jesus will faithfully finish the beautiful work He started in you (Philippians 1:6).

Now, it's no longer "I, me, and myself," but Christ living in me (Galatians 2:20). What was once just an emergency spare tire has now become my daily steering wheel!

Ikaw naman, Kapatid? What do Jesus and prayer mean to you? Are they your steering wheel, or just a spare tire?

God be praised, from whom all wisdom comes🙏