Precious Junk Finds New Home

(This was originally written in my journal on June 15, 2014. My upper back and neck pain has prevented me from typing and staying too long in front of the computer. Thus, I was able to type it only today.)

Happy Father’s Day To All Dads out there, especially to God, Our Father who takes care of us and provides for all our needs;  to my husband Roy Siplon,  the dad of mi precioso hijo unico (my precious only son) Roy Joseph and my father, Romulo Tamayo who passed away a few years back and whom I believe is now in heaven ; and last but not the least my brother, Father John Tamayo, a Salesian missionary priest who serves among the blind in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

This week and the past have been has been very special to me.  Last Sunday, the 8^th was the feast of the Pentecost or the coming of the Holy Spirit on the disciples and the Blessed Virgin Mary.  It has also been called the birthday of the Catholic Church.  Today, June 15, Catholics all over the world are celebrating the feast of the Holy Trinity.  It is a mystery wherein God is three persons in one, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I, myself don’t fully understand this doctrine, yet I delight that we have a God—our Father or Tatay (in Tagalog) who takes care of us; Jesus, our brother and friend who walks with us, and the Holy Spirit, the giver of gifts like wisdom, knowledge and fortitude to sustain us in our life journey. In the light of these two church events, the Pentecost and the Holy Trinity, I would like to share with you my  story of how the Holy Trinity made their Presence felt to me and my family this past week.

It was Monday at around 6:30 p.m., June 9^th, the day after Pentecost Sunday when I saw this 2 piece cocktail table standing on the left entrance of our driveway.  I had just parked my teal Nissan Altima while talking on my cellphone to my dear friend Yza when this thing in the driveway caught my eye.  “A piece of junk,” was how my friend Yza described it.  I agreed. My husband would accept anything other folks wanted to get rid of. Because of this, some of our furnitures are a mismatch. Good thing, I can still find a common color to somehow make them themed.  On different occasions he would also  bring home ladies hats, used baby clothes, Pyrex cookware,  used women’s clothes , towels, used men’s clothing, used boy’s clothing, used  women’s shoes, wall decorations, and used faded bed sheets. Ok.  Not all are junk. Most of the time, I would go through all the stuff and would find something useful like the  plush brand new looking Egyptian towels or men’s shirts that I picked, but I also end up driving to donation centers or to charity institutions to bring bags and bags or boxes upon boxes of reusables. So, I can’t help it to look at them as sources of blessing and/or extra work.

As soon as I opened our front door while holding on to my purse, Anahaw pamaymay (Philippine traditional fan made from coconut leaves) and travel luggage (which holds all my teacher paraphernalia), my son welcomed me with “Mom, did you see the table outside?”

“Yes.”

“I picked it up from our next door neighbor.  They are moving. Can I bring it inside?”

My mind thought “OMG, you’ve become like your dad!” But instead I blurted out, “Wait, wait, wait!” while putting my stuff on the floor and then looking outside with a squint with the door half open. “You have to clean it first. The last time we put something inside the house from a neighbor, I didn’t stop coughing and sneezing until after a month from cleaning it.”

“I’ll clean it mom. “ Roy came running towards the kitchen and in a few seconds came walking back with the Windex spray in his hand while heading outside.

“My son has just become like his dad.” I thought to myself.

After a few minutes, my son came back and carefully put a piece of the table on our front door entrance. After that he came back with the second piece.  The two attachments were heavy.  The tops were made of glass and the legs were made from metallic silver. My husband told me later that the table was expensive.  I searched for it on the internet and found one similar to it on Rooms to Go.  It is a Landmark 2 pc table set and it sells for $239.98.

My son and I brought the two pieces separately up the stairs into the play area and then attached the two together. After a minute or two, he said “God answered my prayers. I asked for a table and I got it.” Honestly, I was taken aback. He seemed so exuberant sharing the message.

“When did you ask for a table?” I asked.

“About 2-3 weeks ago.”

“Wow! Amazing faith!” I thought to myself. God must be cooking up something. Here I am suddenly being inspired by my own son to ask and seek for what I want. I want a new job that will allow me to have more spare time devoted to writing about the Lord through ordinary, everyday events.  What will the future bring? And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. (Luke 17:6 New American Standard Bible)

The following day, curious and excited about my encounter with the Lord through a piece of furniture, I shared my story with my co-worker, Sr. Beth Henken of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity. I drew on the white board the shapes of the two interconnected tables. One was in the shape of a circle with a wheel at its bottom so it can be moved and the stationary one was in the shape of a triangle.

“What do you think?” I enthusiastically asked.

“The circle, that’s the Alpha and Omega and the 3 points —the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Sr. Beth confirmed what was in my heart. She also added that threes are a biggie for them.  “We even knock three times on doors.”

As I go through my job search, I often go back to what Sr. Beth told me.  “You will know if it is from God by its fruits.”  So what are these fruits? These “are the observable behaviors of people who have allowed the grace of the Holy Spirit to be effective in them” (http://www.loyolapress.com/fruits-of-the-holy-spirit.htm). The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, modesty, self-control and chastity (See Galatians 5:22-23). I try to always keep in mind the fruits of the Spirit because I want to be happy as I serve my family and serve God.  I want to keep a balance between work and family life because I know I will not be happy prioritizing work over family. I also want to be more obedient to God.

The table which is a reminder of God’s presence in our family’s life is still in our upper room. I call it upper room because once, a group of Christian Catholics gathered in our second floor play area to study, praise and listen to God’s Word.  Truly, God is making His presence more felt on some days and on some days, He is just as quiet as a mouse. But nevertheless, I know that He is always there. With a pen and a paper or a computer, He asks me to put on paper our stories and I bet more stories of other people, just like when I was just beginning to write in San Miguel Corporation. But that is another story. (Let’s reserve that for some other day! J )

Prayer: Thank you Lord, for the chance to write about you.  This is one way that I can pray to you.  You’ve been so kind to me.  I truly feel delighted sharing you with others and letting others see how the ordinary can be marvelous, how a piece of junk meant your Presence to others. Lord, please guide me always into the right path and please come and stay in my heart.  Please bless all who read my articles that they in turn will see you and feel your Presence in the everyday and share you with others. In the name of the Holy Trinity and our dear Mother Mary, Amen.