Hello everyone, today marks the 8th day of my Steemit journey. I know it ain't easy for week one but we are doing just fine my fellow "Noobs".
I got to say I have enjoyed my first week reading various contents, commenting on peoples awesome work and learning the ropes here on a daily basis.
If you haven't read my introduction just yet, you may read it first or you can do it later after this entry.
By the way, how did your weekend went?
Mine was a blast, simply because I was able to meet a group of very supportive Steemians. They were so kind enough to add me on their group chat.
Thank you soo much guys for making me feel welcomed, I won't be able to mention all of you here but you already know who you are.
Last Friday, I was taunting if sharing a story that I already posted few years ago on my wordpress will be beneficial for you. But I want to give it a shot and I hope you find something useful out of it.
The Wrong Move.
It was dawn of a very hot and humid month of February 2011, when I heard screams in the middle of my dream. I was gasping for air and choked myself with the thickest smoke right before my eye.
Fire!
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Five hours earlier.
It’s Valentine’s Day, and most of the tenants decided to prepare for that day in the compound. The celebration was filled with drinks, various food and in most Filipino gatherings you can never omit “karaoke”. We drank all night, and then the whole mess went!
In order to last the whole evening,I volunteered to make cups of coffee for all of us. Never thought I’d fell asleep and lit the whole dining corner right next to my bed! Screams and shouts woke me up! I had no recollection as to how I got up and was able to unplug the water heater. Thank God I managed to empty the fire extinguisher at bay to stop the fire.
We rushed my room mate Riz, who apparently did not join our celebration, to the nearest hospital due to suffocation. I thought we would lose her! She barely had a pulse. My knees were trembling, my hands were shaking! I tried so hard to convince myself that she would make it.
Coping up.
Few days after, she was released from the hospital, yet I was still on the haze of such turmoil.
I didn’t have the nerve to show up and speak to her. Sorry wouldn’t be just enough, and I perfectly know we needed space to grasp what had just happened. That incident haunted me, for days it kept me way too silent. My colleagues at work often caught me alone and in deep thought.
One day at the locker room, someone approached me and asked, ” Geri, have some lunch!”
He handed me half of his sandwich. I turned and wondered who would do such random offer. It was John, the most serious and man of few words of our training class.
I didn’t realize how famished I am, so I accepted what was offered.
Never thought that a small deed from someone I care less would fill an empty space unexpectedly.
I was surprised that for a very short span of time, we have discussed a lot of things. He asked me if I have any plans after work and when I answered "no" he invited me to accompany him on an event. At that moment, I wasn’t even thinking and just said yes.
We went to this coordinating center near SM Hyper Market in Edsa-Cubao. I didn’t ask anything, I just observed, and I was surprised of the atmosphere that welcomed me. I’m in front of the OLD Path (Ang Dating Daan) Coordinating Center.
New discovery.
There were three things that took my attention as soon as I got inside.
First, the ladies were dressed differently.
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I felt like I’m in the middle of the 18th century where women wore dresses and long skirts. You see this is just my personal assessment, I am not exaggerating things but they seem to look good and pleasing the way they carry it. Though I just can’t figure if it’ll look the same if I wear them (skirts) on. Subconsciously, I just laugh at myself realizing how at that very moment I considered to look the way they do. To be honest that is something peculiar and I haven’t seen this custom from other religious denominations I visited before.
Then there was this eye-catching quote,
“WE DO NOT ACCEPT MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-MEMBERS”?
It made me very curious and since I am not very good at asking questions, I just kept it to myself.
What’s the relevance of emphasizing such note? Don’t they have financial needs?
Photo Credits to MCGI.org
Finally, the place was jumped pack of attendees. Some of the male members were already situated on the floor, yet I never heard any complaint nor uneasiness from their faces. They care less on where they sit and were just listening intently.
For real!
They were like watching a block buster film, the only difference is that majority of them were taking notes.
The day I almost died.
Two weeks passed and I still don’t feel well and I’m having second thoughts if I should go home early later after shift. I still can’t face Mariz.
As soon as I got off from the bus, a deafening screech of tires was heard. There were women who shrieked and I fidgeted when I felt the "jeepney" passed in front of me just an inch away. I’m lucky enough to have had a step short. Yeah! I didn’t make it to next hours breaking news if not on the tabloids headlines!
“Did I just…?”, I barely moved a muscle, I shivered as fear rushed through me.
I have no idea how I manage to last that day, and I found myself took a bus. Unaware that the bus conductor has been there for a few minutes asking where I’m heading. I felt strange and I don’t know why my instinct just answered him, ” Cubao lang po”, where in fact I live in Makati.
2PM and there I was standing across the Ang Dating Daan Coordinating Center.
A lady, named Berna approached me at the door step and I asked her if I can stay there for a while. She was very pleasant, and never hesitated to offer me one of the seats. Her smile is so inviting and I felt at ease with her right away. She told me that it was a good timing for me to be there. She enthusiastically invited me to attend the first session of their mass indoctrination.
I don’t know why but I just heard myself said, “Yes!”.
Since that day I attended that mass indoctrination night after night for 2 weeks. Frankly speaking each and every session went very overwhelming. The things that took my attention the first time I visited their place were gradually answered. And what surprised me the most is that they were entirely based on what was written in the Bible.
The man on the screen presented a lot and made me hear things I wasn’t aware of before. From the very least to the massive ones in a very short time. I can't stop jotting down my notes. Pretty much the memo pad they gave to me was not enough to accommodate all the information that I had to write.
I couldn’t count the times I cried silently on my seat. All the memories came rushing and I realized how I gone mad in life. I fought so hard not to but I can’t help it! That man, named Bro Eli Soriano is not just talking but speaks. He speaks with utmost passion and I can tell his telling the truth because he reads it from the Bible. His voice is so familiar though I never heard of him before.
The things he taught to a stranger like me was soothing! It marks to my memory up to this moment when he said, ” Always remember this verse:
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
I am fully convinced that I found something, and I can’t just ignore what I have just learned. My emotional baggage’s seems to fade away because of it, and I intend to fully get rid all the grudges that held me for a long time.
A decision has been made inside of me and I am ready to embrace the journey that will be written by Someone.
Watch out for the second part of my story, Steemians! I know I have a lot of opportunities when it comes to telling stories and I would love to hear your thoughts about it.
If you liked what you read, please hit that upvote button and and if you are curious where this story goes then follow my account to catch it's Part 2.
Thank you so much for joining me on this quest. Keep on Steeming!
TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
