This is the Story of My Mom

This is the story of my Mom, a witness proving that we have to walk with the word of God. She told me the very basic way to know God is to Ask, Seek, and Knock to someone that knows His word, someone that has pure intentions to provide the word as it is written.

Back in her school days, she attended Loreto Catholic School. She started the very basic steps she knew by asking her religion teachers who taught them this fundamental way to know God. She was not satisfied or was not filled with the result, she felt like something was missing, so she started seeking an answer to that feeling of emptiness, and she was hungry to learn more about God.

 She started knocking on somebody by asking the older people that would come to their house, aside from her mother, who first told her about God until this time, she remembered, “Do not do bad things  God will get mad,” the fear 0f God in other words.

With my experience of the word of God, I know from the very start of this conversation that she asked, sought, and knocked on the wrong tree. I believe that in the early 20th century, we lacked knowledge of God’s word.

This reminds me of the story when my wife and her family were once the wealthiest families in their town because of their agricultural land, residential land, you name it. However, they lost it all by donating it to the church. You will see Heaven when you give more, that word alone made much Catholic Church at that time very rich.

Many years in my life passed and I never asked her why she went to church every day. I assumed at my ignorance that it is the way to be a devoted Catholic. She had a business that operated very well and owned land where she lived.

As I mentioned, she went to church every day except for Mondays. I thought that was her seventh day of rest as, like our God, He rested on the seventh day after creating heaven and earth.

I had that in my mind before, before this testimony happened. I sat down with my mother on her 90th birthday and asked her many questions, almost as if I was interrogating her.

She answered all my questions to the fullest extent of her memory. She was still sharp and a gifted woman. On Tuesdays, she went to St. Anthony’s Church; Wednesdays, she went to Mother of Perpetual Help, Baclaran, Paranaque; Thursdays to St Jude; Fridays to Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila; Saturdays to Lourdes Church in Malate, Manila; and Sundays and Mondays (which I previously thought was her day of rest) she went to San Jose Church in Sampaloc, Manila.

She said with a little smile, “I do not know who the Saint is on Mondays.” She uses to walk with her knee from the front door of the church up to the altar and then fall in line in the statute of the Black Nazarene to kiss and wipe her feet with her handkerchief.

She fed the feast band yearly and handed out prizes during the festivity. I realized that she had started on the wrong footing because the foundation in which she learned the gifts of God was wrong.

If only she had a good start. I assure every reader that she will be a Saint. So righteous that the only mistake she made was excessive love for her husband, if you can call it a mistake.

She lost her business, properties, and five of her children, some at very early ages, almost one after the other. Three children and the youngest were still in the womb; the eldest was lost in his early 20s. Despite all this, her faith in the Almighty God never put her in darkness, and she never perished nor lessened.

She stayed on the same level of faith and never blamed God for what happened; she only blamed herself for letting it happen. This time on her 90th birthday, I asked her, what did she ask God to give her for all those years she walks with Him? I was really surprised that she answered me with one word after those 70 some-odd years. The answer was—nothing.

She did not ask God for anything, for she believes God knows what she wanted. She was misinformed for all those years. So I evangelized her and told her about what I know about God. God is a God of order, faithful to His word, a God that never lies, and a God of love. I told her it is a misfortune that she was misguided.

When I mentioned to Her John 7:7, she was astounded that it is in the bible and we go further in the teaching I  mentioned Hebrews 11:6, which is related to the topic, and then Philippians 4:6. She responded to that one with a question, “That is why I did not get want I wanted cause I did not ask?” And she added that all those mail asking for a donation is telling me to ask something to the Lord, and they will pray for me to receive it.

She told me, too, that she taught that when she prayed, it was understood that she would receive it, for God knows what is in your mind and thoughts. I replied you are correct in that sense, but you have to ask.

You did not receive it because you did not let God know it; I reminded her again that God is God of order. The answer to your prayer is already there, but you must pray for it correctly.

As scripture says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” Philippians 4:6.

She lost her business, her properties, and some of her children but never stumble and patiently waiting and waiting for that one request, that request she never made known to God for decades due to ignorance on the word.

Miracles do happen

In the last few years of my Dad’s day on Earth, he came back and lived with my mom. He was a born again Christian and an ordained Bishop when he went home to be with the Lord in 1998.

My Mom was really happy to hear the word of God and according to her, she already accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior. For a long period of time, in early childhood, she tried to convert, but she said she will just remain a Catholic.

It is not easy to convert a Filipino to embrace the reality of eternal life through a born again doctrine. They will just stay where they are rooted.

My advice to the Catholics, I have been a Catholic for more than 50 years. I just read the bible and tried to understand its translations by myself, and if I have any questions I am not embarrassed to ask any born again Christian around me. If it is happening to you now about any doubt or confusion you can email me your questions and I assure you of your enrichment to the word of God.

Behind me are groups of ministers of the Faith Restoration Center including our Titular Bishop that will be happy to assist you in seeking the Kingdom of God.

She said that it is not enough that you learned from school how to pray, to hear from someone that God exist because we already know that.  God knows what is in your mind, that God exist everywhere, knows everything with undisputed power. You have to seek His kingdom.

The mistake that my Mom made: She never asked God what she wishes. For 65 years she never asked, she just kept on praying. She believed God knows it and never have to ask, and He will give it to you.

Many wasted years have passed with pain and suffering but the beauty of it, her spirit never departs from God. She respects God and she will not offend Him. She received what she requested after many decades and she was not excited anymore. If God gave what she requested earlier maybe she will still feel the same. God knows her heart and she was better without my father. We have to learn the word of God to be in line with His will and we have to let it be known to Him what we are asking when we pray.

What she proved to me is the strength of her faith.

God is involved in our lives through His Spirit. He knows when and how to answer our prayer request. My Dad becomes a born again Christian and was ordained Bishop before he was taken up for a great welcome celebration with the Father and the Son.

My Mom asked me before we rest: Why Catholics make the sign of the cross every time they pass by a church?

My answer: Because of fear.

My Mom’s response: She just smiled, walked towards her room and said, “You are right. Goodnight.”