HOW FAMILY UNITES TOGETHER IN PRAYER TO OVERCOME THE GREATEST TEST OF FAITH IN THEIR LIVES DESPITE DISTANCE THAT BARRED THEM PHYSICALLY.
REFLECTION ON THE SICKNESS OF INDAY LIA:
DATE: June 25, 2003
BACKGROUND;
Vic-vic, my brother texted to Ana in the afternoon of Wednesday (June 25, 2003) afternoon while we were at work. Ana received the message with Vic-vic expressing a melancholic tune about Inday Lia being sent to ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for the convulsive seizure she had on the night of stay in Velles Hospital. The text message so impacted me because the last one I saw and attended in the ICU was my Father last 1993. I just couldn’t believe having my young sister at the age of 34 rushed into the ICU for a blood clot in her brain and a seizure so strong that made her vomit all the time.REFLECTION:
While I was walking away from Nortel heading the bus station at Falconridge Blvd. I tried controlling my tears as I pondered the younger years I had with Inday Lia. I remembered the times when we prayed the Rosary together and run around and play games while enjoying the life as kids. With the pondering of those yester years I turned to God and uttered silent prayers .
As I arrived home I called up Vic-vic to check the status of Inday Lia in the Hospital. I am very far away from the Philippines and the only way I could unite myself with my family is through phone and prayers.
Vic-vic was sobbing when he narrated what had happened with Inday Lia. As I listened him I was also holding my breath to control my emotion so that I could strengthen my brother while he was conveying the message of why Inday Lia got the life threatening condition. He explained that Inday Lia for the first time in her life was able to land the job she was seeking for as a Nurse with a very competitive salary she never have before when she worked as Nurse in Velles, as Nurse in Saudi Arabia, as Taxi facilitator at Intan and as Computer Assistant. CIT (Cebu Institute of Technology), a very well known and outstanding School in Cebu offered her a nursing job in the School with a starting salary of 8,000 pesos a month. The sudden excitement with the take off of her career had raised her emotional level so high. This intense emotional feeling was hightened all the more when she was asked by CIT to take an Examination. The exam as what she said was hard. She must have forced all her effort to get her mental acuity very strong in answering those questions which also in turned triggered so much stress into her mind. Plus, the fact she did not take her breakfast and lunch and just as she finished her exam she proceeded right away to her computer assistant work. When she got back home after work she complained of a headache which she thought was just plain migraine that she refused to take the advise of Vic-vic of taking the medicine. As the headache persisted throughout the whole day and night Rey, her husband finally decided to bring her to the hospital. She was then confined in the hospital still having the headache accompanied with vomiting of whatever she is going to eat. The night when she was confined Rey called up Vic-vic to rush in the Hospital because Inday Lia had a very convulsive seizure with her eyes dilating and calling the name of Noy Tony (our half brother in the first children of Papa who is also a doctor and a close one to the second family of Papa). They were so shocked to see Inday Lia reverberating her body with so much pain, that they cried they might lost Inday Lia.
Vic-vic then turned to me while crying: “Manoy please do anything to help Manang Lia. I really pity her so much, she is still very young and her 4 kids are very young too. I couldn’t believe why this happened to her. She was supposed to work already yesterday with her new found job but then unlucky fate befall on her. She had always been unlucky despite her hard work and zealousness. Now she was just about to get something new and then something blocked her luck again. I would like to ask God to give her third life, just as He gave her second life when she almost died also in a rollover accident of their ambulance in Saudi Arabia. Manoy, please pray for her. Help us also here in Philippines for we do not have any money for the expenses in the Hospital. ICU alone will cost us P3,000 a day. Please do anything Manoy.”
As I listened the narration of Vic-vic my heart was in agony as well. I kept holding my breath and never to voice my emotion as I might not comfort my brother on the other end of the phone. While I tried to calm him down I scribbled with tears coming down from my eyes this simple prayer on a scratch paper on top of my computer desk: “Lord Please help Inday Lia. Heal her O’ Lord I beg you. My heart is crushed in sorrow as I make this plea. Please O’ Lord hear the sound of my cry.”
I do not know how I could comfort my brother at that point in time. I just happened to remember my long gone Papa Jaming telling us a story about an American pilot in World War II whose right wing had been hit the gunning of the Japanese fighter plane. The pilot thought that it will be his last second as the plane started to roll speeding downward to earth. The only sentence he was able to say at that instance was: “Lord help me out of this!” And all of a sudden his plane straightened up as if their was still the right wing to balance the other wing until he was able to land safely. A little kid hearing a story like this will just be amazed about the story but never associate the essence of the incident in his real life. That was me before. Now it dawned into my mind that we are but like the pilot getting hit by the guns of despair in the incident that happened with our sister. We really feared we might lost our sister and it’s so disheartening to consider. I stummered every words to rekindle to my brother the memory of Papa telling us that story. Pause after pause was what I did just to break the pressure I felt in my heart as I told Vic-vic: “Remember this story when Papa was still alive? We will pray to God like the pilot did so that we can also land the plane of infirmity to safety”. The old man used to tell us all the time the words of Jesus Christ:
“If you have faith just like the size of a mustard seed, you can move that mountain.” And he always add his favorite adage: “Faith in yourself and faith in God transmutate your human spirit into the divine.” I guess, the gravity of these words we just realized how important they are only in this event that our faith is also tested. This is the time perhaps God is asking ask to go back to him in prayers. This is the time where in like a Father he wanted his children to cling again to his might and power.My eyes are all red and I couldn’t go at once to the main floor from my basement to greet my Korean boarder Chun who just called up my name as he walked in from school. I couldn’t answer his call since I was fixed before the picture of Papa and my family as I told Papa Jaming: “Papa please do not take Inday Lia yet, she is still very young and her kids are still very young too. She still has a lot of things to do here. Please help her to survive and ask God to heal her from her infirmity. Papa please intercede for us.” Just as these words came out from my mouth I touched her picture and the picture of Inday Lia and bowed before him on the ground.
Communication between the three Brothers (Jerome, Vic-vic and Jovi) through E-mail concerning the illness of Inday Lia.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jovi Noel [mailto:jovinoel@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 8:01 PM
To: Noel, Jerome [WNW:W857:EXCH]
Subject: Re: Park Battalion
Hello Manoy
Musta naman ka dinha i am so worried about nag lias status i just kmow when i call them lats time in pto. cabello that is venezuela but right now we are here now in colombia. We are very fortunate for we are going to stay here for 4 days kay waiting for cargo, we are here in cartagena colombia nanawag ko didto yesterday morning nya mao nay akong nahibaloan shocking kaayo but we got nothing to do except to help her financialy and spiritualy looy kaayo siya but i told her not to worry to much for the money kay it is easy to find a money than a better health..... So i told her that she must be strong and try to help herself to recover fast and not to worry about the money.. Naggool man gud sya about the payment and also to her 3 kids just in case what will happen next........ Sometimes i told myself manoy that nevermind for the money the most important is na malipayon ta even for the simple way of life na wala unta magkasakit or magantos piro si nang lia naningkamot pa! g.ayo to halp herfamily and try to save every peny in her pocket but what happen is more than a peny she is going to use for this.... What happen this time is a test for us all we need to help each one of us coz nobody else except us brothers and sisters,,,,,,,, Manoy i even thought that i can save this time but nevermind nalang kay i have to help also wala may lain tang source of income except you,me and vic2..... Any thats all for this time just dont worry about me in here i can manage everything and also i already saw your latest picture and sorry for the delayed in response.
Bye.Bye,,,
Dong Jovi..
-----Original Message-----
From: Noel, Jerome [WNW:W857:EXCH]
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2003 10:23 AM
To: Jovi Noel [mailto:jovinoel@yahoo.com]
cc: Victor Noel [mailto:vnoel@lexmark.com]
Subject: Spare Inday/Nang Lia a chance O’ Lord
Jerome’s message:
Hello Jov,
Yah, it was quite a depressing thought when I received the news that Inday Lia at her young age got this cerebral venous thrombosis. I could not imagine why she got it and how she got it. Maybe she had been very stressed at one point in her life and at the moment she was about to grab the opportunity that somehow give her the chance for a change, she busted one of her veins for the last stretch she did when she had the exam in CIT. It was really pitiful. But contemplating the incident that had happened with her, somehow God is asking us to go back to Him in prayers as a family which for a long time we haven't done. It must have been His ways to unite us all to Him through her once again. He made her, His instrument and bearer of his power. For through her God will show to us his might and Fatherliness. We just have to believed Him, just as Papa used to tell us: "Belief in yourself and belief in God transmutate your human spirit into the divine. If you have faith just like a mustard seed, you can move that mountain." These words has risen with meaning in our lives now as we are touched by the incident that fell to your Nang Lia.I was talking one time with my Korean boarder about what he learned one day from a beggar in downtown of Calgary. He told me that he learned a new English sentence that day. It's : "Spare me a change please." That was his first time to hear that phrase and he was very delighted to learn a new English sentence. I told him too that in life we learn things not just from the teachers we have in the school but from the experience and people we come in contact in our day to day affair. "This day, the beggar was your greatest teacher" as I pointed out to him.
Since he told me that his Dad got also a crisis at the time when your Nang Lia was in the Hospital I tried to appease him by telling him about the phrase he learned. So I spoke to him saying that: "You could also make use of this phrase to God. Think of yourself that at this instance you are the beggar and the Lord is the by passer who might spare you His change. Instead of uttering 'Spare me some change', you could say 'Spare me a chance O' Lord'. At that instant I had Inday Lia in my thought and the right phrase for me is to beg to God: "Spare a chance to Inday Lia O' Lord." Jov. please say this to God too: "Spare Nang Lia a chance O' Lord."
Jov. here's a simple prayer I made for you Nang Lia, you may use it as well.
My heart is crushed in sorrow O' Lord with this incident that happened to Inday/Nang Lia.
Please show your mercy upon her and heal her from her infirmities.
Look upon her with pity and the kids she is still going to nurture.
This I beg of you O' Lord.
Just as you listen to the weeping of the poor,
listen then the sound and cry of my heart.
Heal her O' Lord, O' Please I beg you.
Spare Inday Lia a chance.
I do not know if you remember the story that papa used to narrate us concerning one American pilot who had been gunned by a Japanese kamikazi during World War II. The American's plane got hit on it's right wing and lost the balance of maneuver making his plane to roll mid-air and plunge into the earth. He thought he might die at that horrible instance. At the moment he was in the state of shock the only words that he was able to say was: "Help me out of this O' Lord." Those simple words uttered sincerely made him to land safely, for the plane managed to balance again until he reached the ground.
In the same way, we are but like the pilot, we got hit by the guns of adversity and all we need to say to God is: "Help us out of this O' Lord". With the hope and faith in these words we pray that your nang Lia's plane of health will be able to land safely.
Somehow, I also imagined the miracle that Jesus did when He calmed down the storm while he was with his apostles in a fishing boat. The disciples were really perturbed by the relentless gush of the winds and harshed whipping of the waves which they so feared will capsize their boat. They were adamant to wake up their Master Jesus who despite of the troubled trip was so sound asleep. When Jesus woke up seeing the fear displayed in the eyes of His apostles He told them: "Do not be afraid." After saying those words he then commanded the waves and the storm to calm down. And there was complete calmness. I guess by the same token, we are like the disciples who were traveling with Jesus. The waves and storm of illness rushed before us to surprise and shake us. All the while that we are in trouble the Lord is with us but He is sound asleep. It's just a matter of waking Him up now and asking Him to bring down this calamity into stillness. A test of faith. A test of Faith. and this is what God wants us to do: to believe in Him with great faith.
Let's pray together to God for your nang Lia: "Spare her a chance O' Lord!"
Just like how Vic-vic would say it: "I'll ask God for her 3rd Life, He gave her second life from the roll-over crush of an ambulance in Saudi Arabia. Now I'll ask Him for her 3rd one."
Let's unite together to pitition God for this request. "Spare Inday/Nang Lia a chance O' Lord."
Manoy Jerome
Home: (403)244-4261
Work: (403)769-2635
Jovi’s answer:
-----Original Message-----
From: Jovi Noel [mailto:jovinoel@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2003 8:52 PM
To: Noel, Jerome [WNW:W857:EXCH]
cc: Victor Noel [mailto:vnoel@lexmark.com]
Subject: YES WE ARE INDEED
DEAR MANOY & VIC,
YES WE ARE INDEED GIVEN A NEW TRIALS IN LIFE AND THAT IS NANG LIA, GOD SHOW US A NEW REMINDER IF WE ARE STILL BE FAITHFULL TO HIM AND HE WANTED US TO GO BACK WHAT WE ARE STARTED BEFORE WHILE PAPA WAS STILL AROUND TO WALK WITH CHRIST ALL THE TIME AND FOLLOW HIS RIGHTEOUS RULES. It just so happen that we are to busy in our life our daily activities that most of the time we forgoten our obligation to HIM thou sometimes we pray but that is not enough, we've been a lot of trials in life but still we took it for granted for we think that we can solve it by our own however it is a big mistake coz we didnt realize that there is still lacking and that is the real faith in ourselves and a real faith to God. Maybe we're just thinking too much for the money and we're not able to balance everything our carreer, family, and most of all God. We forgot to put God in the center for everything thats why He show us some reminder or a test. Yes you both right this is the time that we go back to Him not just for this reason but for He is the source of everything. All we can do for this time is to hope and pray that God will give nang lia another chance a chance for everything that she can still serve her family and her 3 little kids. For it is not so easy to be like this....... I will do all my best to help and i will use also this prayer you send me to reunite our family again to return under Gods love and walk with Him all the time, I still believe that everythings gonna be alright and that nang lia can pass this storm in her life and to our family all we need is time, strong faith and once again let us back into oneness because as what we have learn from our 3rd grade NA ANG USA KA TOKOG DILI MAKALIMPYO SA DAGHANG SAGBOT KINAHANGLAN KINI UG DAGHANG TOKOG PARA MAHIMONG SILHIG PARA SAYON MAKAKOHA OG DALI PAGLIMPYO SA MGA SAGBOT. oK thats all for this time for the foreman of the company going to use the computer.
Bye Jovi
GOD BLESS US ALL...... LOVE YOU ALL
Vic-vic’s Share:
-----Original Message-----
From: Victor Noel [mailto:vnoel@lexmark.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2003 12:46 PM
To: Noel, Jerome [WNW:W857:EXCH]
cc: Jovi Noel [mailto:jovinoel@yahoo.com]
Subject: YES WE ARE INDEED
Dear Manoy and Jovi,
As I read the passage of your e-mail I was not able to hold my tears. Yes Jesus has touched us again to call and gather to him the same way we used to do when Papa was still alive. Siguro gusto niya e-remind nato ang panultion ni Papa nga the Family that prays together stays together. "A test of faith" mao sad ni among nasimbahan ni Mama regarding the apostles na nanagat, naka at peace sad ni nako manoy. Pareho bitaw sa istorya "gisugo siya sa iyang Papa sa pagpatugway sa baka pero bisag unsaon niya ug bira dili man gyud musonod ang baka nya gamay raman siya dili gyud niya mapiug ug bira.Mao nga gipangutana siya sa iyang papa kun unsay problema. Niingon ang bata nga dili gyud niya mapiug ug bira ang baka, gahi kaayo, dili siya kadaug. Mao nga gipangutana siya kung gibuhat ba niya ang tanan. Niingon ang bata O gibuhat na nako ang tanan. Niingon ang iyang Amahan, kung gibuhat pa nimo ang tanan wala man lagi ko nimo sangpita nga unta naa raman ko sa duol para akoy mubira lang sa baka" From this we should ask andtrust him bacause he is the powerful one. Manoy I will print this simple prayer and I will show this to everybody so we could be one family in asking for this petition for Nang Lia.
So far today Nang Lia is getting better.Naa lay diperensya sa iyang pagsulti ug memory, naa siayay gustong isulti pero dili sa kabalo sa word usahay dugay siya makahinumdom. Gipalingkod siya sa Doctor para kuno ang pressure sa iyang utok/ulo manaug dili magpundo sa iyang ulo. Then ganiha nakakalibang nasad siya. Ipa refrain lang niya ang pag hilak ug utong in any kind. So rest lang gyud sa siya. Well just continue to pray hard for
her quick and complete recovery. By the way Manoy, we got the money already, worth $800. Magkuyog lang unyami ni Mama adto ug Don Bosco para ihatag ang money.
Jov, si boson Dalangin wala pa miabot kay na change kuno iyang flight, ugma pa kuno ingon Mark kay na istorya man niya taga office.Gilang tanan gipanugon nimo akong paningkamotan nga mapadala tanan.
Sige pahuway sako gamay, ugma nalang pud.Ayoayo mo diha Manoy ug Jov, amping lang ta kanunay. May God Bless Nang Lia.
best regards,
Vic2
Published by: NOEL JEROME Q. NOEL
http://byteinstead.blogspot.com
If you have experienced a Test of Faith in your Family please send them to us at noeljltd@hotmail.com Or contact Noel Jerome at (403)244-4261. We will feature them in the site for other people to see. People who will be touched especially those who suffered will find peace in the healing power of God and people who see with the charity in their hearts will pray for those who suffered, thereby uniting everyone in prayer and petition to the Almighty for the healing of the infirmed and consolation of the family that surrounds the sick. Let’s pray together as family. “A family that prays together, stays together.” “One stick cannot take a dirt out but put all the sticks together to form a broom a tiny dirt is but an ease to sweep.”
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