LIFE’S LESSONS
By Henrylito D. Tacio
“I am not questioning God’s power! It is God who gave us reason and circumspection! It is God we serve by exercising prudence!” – Dan Brown, Angels and Demons
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Most Filipinos, especially today’s generation, may have never heard of Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. Some tennis players may probably know him.
Ashe was an American professional tennis player who started to play tennis at six years old. He became the first African-American to win the NCAA singles title (for the University of California at Los Angeles in 1975). His professional career featured 33 titles, including the 1968 US Open, the 1970 Australian Open, and the 1975 Wimbledon.
Despite his peak physical condition as a professional athlete, Ashe did not escape the grasp of cardiovascular disease. In fact, he was biologically predisposed to cardiovascular disease as it ran in his family. Both his parents suffered related illnesses.
In 1983, he contracted the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through infected blood administered during heart surgery. When people learned about it, a lot of his fans wrote him letters.
When he was confined in the hospital, he received a letter that struck him. It had this question: “Why did God have to choose you for such a horrible illness?”
He once described his life as “a succession of fortunate circumstances.” And so, Ashe replied with a very long explanation. It’s worth sharing here:
“Many years ago, about 50 million children started playing tennis, and one of them was me. Five million really learned to play tennis, 500,000 learned professional tennis, 50,000 arrived at the circuit, 5,000 reached the grand slam, 50 arrived at Wimbledon, 4 reached the semi-final, and two reached the final and one of two was me.
“When I was celebrating the victory with the cup in my hand, it never crossed my mind to ask God, ‘Why me?’ So, now that I’m in pain, how can I ask God, ‘Why me?’”
The said anecdote is being shared in social media. One author even wrote an insightful thought about it. “Happiness keeps you sweet. Trials keep you strong. Pain keeps you human. Failure keeps you humble. Success keeps you glowing. But only faith keeps you going.”
The unknown author further said, “Sometimes, you are not satisfied with your life, while many people in this world dream to have your life. A kid on a farm sees a plane flying over him and dreams of flying. But the pilot on that plane, flies over the farm and dreams of coming home.”
Life is what we make, so goes a saying. Enjoy whatever you are experiencing right now. Life is not always a bed of roses; it goes up and down. Sadness and happiness happen but they don’t stay forever. Both have endings.
“If wealth was the secret to happiness, the rich should be dancing in the streets. But only poor kids do that,” the unknown author penned. “If power ensured security, important people should walk without bodyguards. But only those who live humbly, dream quietly. If beauty and fame attract ideal relationships, celebrities should have the best marriages and it’s not.”
Don’t be envious of what others have accomplished or what they possess. You may have wished for what they have without knowing that they also wish what you have. Listen to this advice from Og Mandino, author of The Greatest Salesman of the World:
“I will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek for they are divine. I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; I will love the poor for they are so many. I will love the young for the faith they hold; I will love the old for the wisdom they share. I will love the beautiful for their eyes of sadness; I will love the ugly for their souls of peace.”
There are good days and there are bad days. Both are there for you to learn and adjust. Again, here’s Mandino: “I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.”
Do the best not because you want to impress others but because that’s what God wants you to do. As Martin Luther King, Jr. puts it: “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”
Again, have you ever questioned God before? You may find a consolation for these words of wisdom from Matie Stepanek: “I never question God. Sometimes, I say, ‘Why me? Why do I have such a hard life? Why do I have this disease? Why do I have siblings who died? But then I think and say, ‘Why not me?’”
Someone said, “If you are unwilling to question your beliefs, you will never know if you are following the truth or lies.”
Pundits say that in relation to God, we need to ask the following: 1) that His name will be honored, 2) that His kingdom will come, and 3) that His will should be done.
In relation to ourselves, we have to ask: 1) that God will provide what we need, 2) that God will forgive our sins, and 3) that God will deliver us from evil. – ###
