COVID as Crown or My Life
BY CYNTHIA U. SANTIAGO
Chapter 3
Why We Got Healed?
LET me just first dwell on reasons people offer for my suffering.
These thoughts ran in my mind while COVID was pinning me down
on my bed…
1.Trial. There’s this notion that sickness or, for that matter, any other
misfortune, is a TRIAL that is ALLOWED by God to test one’s faith.
Sorry, I cannot, for the life of me, accept this idea.
If you tell me God gave me COVID and allowed it to happen to me, then, I am like, He was just standing by, arms akimbo, watching me gasping for breath. So, I would be like, He is the one to be blamed for my suffering.
But God is good. Nothing evil comes from Him.
Experts say environmental hazards caused COVID. Clearly, COVID is
MAN-MADE.
And why would God test me? Isn’t His love for me and you
UNCONDITIONAL?
But where does this “trial” come from?
Searching on the cause of suffering, I came upon this study which points out
Revelation 2:10:
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Emphasis mine) https://redeeminggod.com/what-is-the-crown-of-life/
This verse points out the testing comes from the devil—just like he tested,
tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11).
2.Punishment. Yes, GOD IS LOVE. Like when Adam and Eve sinned, God did not actually punish them by ejecting them away from Paradise. Tainted with sin, they could not live long in that holy place. So, He put them on this place we call Earth. And He so loved them that He sent His only Son to fetch them and their children—all of us—and bring us back to Heaven.
In the same manner, I don’t punish my children by hurting them. I give advice. Once, I lost my temper and pushed a child away from me. I regret this to this day.
No, God did not punish me for my transgressions by giving me COVID.
INSTEAD, HE HEALED ME. WHY?
1.Renewal. Way back in the early ‘80s, my sister May invited us to join the Light of Jesus faith community embracing the Charismatic Life in the Spirit way, where she was among the pioneers. We dodged her efforts until one day, our son Paolo got seriously ill. May brought LOJ friends led by Bro. Bo Sanchez to pray over Paolo.
Before praying, Bro. Bo made me promise to join LOJ if Paolo got well. I promised. Paolo got well. So, Ed and I have been LOJ members to this day– and, as the Charismatic phrase goes, giving our time, talent, and treasure to the Lord. I gave my
entire life to Jesus. At right, covering Kerygma Conference, inspirational learning event of the Light of Jesus Family. DON’T BE IMPRESSED. Not surprisingly, I fall, I sin, I offend a couple or so persons, causing them to stumble in their own faith journey. I am very much still, as another Charismatic phrase goes, God’s work in progress.
And, well, we still didn’t qualify to be in Heaven…
LESSON: God does not test us. But because He is perfect, He is also a God of Justice and Order. Like, He gives us free will. We, like Adam and Eve, have a choice to obey or disobey Him. We disobey, we choose to separate from Him, we suffer the consequences of our sin. That’s justice and universal order.
We disobey environment rules, we get COVID.
2.Mission. Since we are in media, we’ve been assigned to make online publications founded by Bro. Bo— about LOJ’s Mercy Ministries. At right, Bro. Bo with a lola beneficiary of Anawim Home for Abandoned Elderly.
Led by Bro. Hermie Morelos as chair, the Mercy Ministries serve abused girls, pregnant women in crisis so they won’t resort to abortion, street children, out-of- school youth, women in prison, cancer and leprosy patients, people emotionally and spiritually wounded needing counseling, and abandoned elderly.
Undaunted by the COVID Quarantine limits, Bro. Hermie (top row, extreme right) meets with members online to continue services of the Mercy Ministry—because beneficiaries need to be cared for—crisis or no crisis.
As for Ed and me, in the morning, when we feel lazy, not wanting to get up, we remember our beneficiaries and we simply jump out of bed.
TRUE: Para sa kanila kami bumabangon.
I guess God wanted Ed and me to continue this mission, so He let us live.
NEXT: HOW WE GOT HEALED
