Motherly Love, Healing Love

By RIZA G. GALVEZ

TODAY, I am very happy to celebrate with our Jeremiah 33 Foundation as we mark our Ninth Founding Anniversary this November 27, 2012. Yes, I say “our” because I am blessed to be serving as House Mother in our Jeremiah shelter where we take care of sexually abused girls.

Jeremiah 33 Foundation is anchored on God’s promise: Behold… I will heal them and reveal to them abundance and prosperity. I will restore their fortunes… — Jeremiah 33: 6-7

So, this promise happens for our beneficiaries as we provide them with their basic needs, make sure they are healthy, train them with livelihood skills so that when the time comes for them to go on their own, they will have a job or business and be able to fend for themselves.

Yes, we have various rehabilitation programs for them. But bottom line, we try to give what they really need—someone who would listen to them, give them a shoulder to cry on as they deal with the trauma of their dark past. And I feel so blessed to be their House Mother. For motherly love is healing love for them. I am simply there to comfort them, help them with spiritual nourishment that they may learn to lay their burdens to the Lord and trust in Him.

Here are our Jeremiah girls, their T-shirt defining them as they look far away to a life of dignity.

God Cares

Indeed, you know, as I take care of our Jeremiah girls, God takes good care of me and my own needs—especially during this COVID Pandemic.

I remember very well that the Pandemic began on March 11, 2020. That’s because it was just seven days before my birthday on March 18, 2020!

I usually celebrate my birthday at my sister’s big house in Molino, Cavite. But because of the Pandemic and the subsequent quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID, I could not at all go out of my house.

So, on March 18, I made a Birthday video to somehow make me happy. I set up a little Birthday feast—ready-to-eat food on my table (right). And then I sang the Happy Birthday song to myself. At the end of the song, I almost cried.

Anyway, as the days wore on, I got used to this dire situation. As God blessed me with my needs one day at a time.

First, a Quarantine pass. I live in an apartment I share with my friend Cynthia. Following Quarantine protocols, we could not go out. But our landlady, the owner of the apartment, got me a Quarantine pass from our municipality. So, I was authorized to go out for my basic needs.

Second, electric power. One night, we lost electrical power. Cynthia and I didn’t have dinner yet. We didn’t have a flashlight, not even candles. So, I walked to a nearby store to buy some–but alas, they were out of stock.

So, I decided to just buy dinner at a fastfood store. But along the way, I saw a coffee shop, so I thought I’d just buy what they have–milkshake, pasta, or sandwiches. But would you believe—they were all sold out! And the coffee shop was about to close already.

Then, workers in the shop, seeing my predicament, gave me a package, and to my pleasant surprise, it contained sandwiches plus arroz caldo with boiled eggs!

I said a million Thank You’s and happily, I started for home. But then I saw another store and I stopped to see if they had flashlights. They did!

These material stuff may be miniscule compared to the big blessings, miracles you read in this Blessings section. But for me, my experience that night manifested God’s wonderful ways– especially for me. He has immensely blessed me to be of service to our Jeremiah girls, letting them feel His Loving Presence through me as humbly, their House Mother. And in turn, He is ever Present to me through simple stuff like coffee-shop dinner and a flashlight.

Yes, God satisfies my hunger and He lights may life!