When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

Disclaimer: There may be religious inclinations present in this post.

Finally. Two and a half weeks have past and i survived it. It wasnt easy being in a different environment away from home but I've got to say it was enriching. Contrary to many other testimonies you may hear, my experience so far has been physically challenging (yes, very.) yet very stimulating in the mind and (the best part) spiritually inspiring.

Faith grows daily. And i must say that this has been a growth spurt. Each day, my faith is confirmed and i feel the presence of the Lord more than ever. With each day that i survive, each time I feel myself being able to run faster; run longer, each muscle ache i endure as the morning greets and each new friend that i make, i experience the awe of his power.

Take today for example. My maiden book out and it wasnt all that smooth sailing. After a very ecstatic journey on penguin boat and a chartered bus to White Sands, i went to McDonald's with my new found friends and had a (much deserved) cheesecake. On the bus ride home, i felt for my military ic and you guessed it. IT WAS MISSING! I freaked out like a freak. That's the worse thing that could happen to you. I dashed home, changed and dashed right back to white sands to look for it deperately. It was definitely the lowest point of my limited time in the army so far. I was deperate. I sat at the bus stop not knowing what to do but pray. Really hard. Like nothing else mattered. And i asked for a sign that things will be alright. He gave me more than one. I went home dejectedly and reported the loss of that crucial document. Then i went to clear my emails. There was one that was strange because i never recieve emails from my aunt. But today i got one. and what it had to say was this : When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. And it rang out to me. Be still. Have faith. And true enough he opened my hands to receive something better. He let me see how things are really simple and that there is no need to worry if you lift your cares up to him.

You would never guess what happened next. After a few phone calls from a few family members asking how i could be so careless, revelation came. The door bell rung and my sister scrambled to open the door. The kind middle-aged man standing in between the door frame called out my name. I thought finally the written report for my SAT results were back. But boy was i wrong. there in his hands was that green card that was the source of my despair the entire evening. All i could say was WOW. Yes, it was in part due to my respect and gratitude towards this living saint for picking up my card and taking the trouble to come all the way to my house to return it. But most of all, i was awed by the power of prayer. He heard my desperate prayers and he answered.

He took away one piece of important document from me for a few hours to open my hands to recieve a confirmation of my faith.

The lord works in mysterious ways and i reserve all praise for him alone.

I am saved. We all are.

Amen.