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Holy Week 2012: Who do you call when you’re nearing death? (A Lenten reflection)

Sometime in September last year, our team was tasked to cover the highlights of Lobo Foundation celebration. Sa pagka-alala ko, may malakas na bagyo noon.

We arrived at Honey Beach Resort late, I think it was 10pm. It was frightening, the ocean was roaring. Parang tunog ng malalaking trucks ang naririnig ko at mas nakakatakot pa kasi walang ilaw at walang tao. The caretaker told us, “Nasa bayan ho ang mga tao diyan, nag-gagayak ng booth para sa trade fair.” Kaya yun, naghintay muna kami at pinilit kong sanayin ang aking pandinig sa tunog na noon ko lang napakinggan.

After a few minutes dumating na rin ang may hawak ng susi. We unloaded our things and prepared the room for a three-day and two-night stay in Lobo, Batangas.

The following day, malakas pa rin ang ulan. Salamat sa mababait na mga taga Lobo dahil sinusundo pa nila kami mula sa resort papuntang munisipyo. At dahil malakas ang pagbuhos ng ulan, ganun pa rin ang lakas ng hampas ng alon at tindi ng pag “roar” ng dagat. Pero dahil naka-set na ang lahat, tuloy lang ang programa at tuloy din ang aming trabaho.

Of course, after a day’s work, we need to take some rest. And so we all went back to the resort. At ito na, the sea was in rage again. Mas malakas, mas nakakatakot. I tried to ignore it at pinilit kong bumuo ng tulog noon. Nakatulog nga naman ako sa kabila ng ingay pero at one point nagising ako. Sakto pa na nawalan ng kuryente. Dito na ako mas natakot. Wala kasi akong makita kahit anong liwanag. I left my phone charging dun sa baba ng tinutulugan naming mga girls so i don’t have any light source. Sinabayan pa ng hagupit ng dagat na halos ilang dipa lamang mula sa room (nipa like) na aming tinutulugan. I started to worry. Paano kung magka-tidal wave or tsunami or paano kung lumakas pa ang alon at tuluyan ng di magka-kuryente? I was so nega that time, I can’t help it. I was really afraid.

Then I realized, I was repeating “Jesus, Jesus, help us.” I know it might sound OA for some kasi wala namang masamang nangyayari but with the fear I had then, which seemed to be larger than myself, I couldn’t just stay calm. I wanted to wake up Dyan and Jackie pero ayoko naman silang idamay sa takot na nararamdam ko.

When all you see is total darkeness, as in total absence of light, coupled with the ocean in rage, wind and rain at their strongest, when you are so afraid na pakiramdam mo, anytime ay katapusan mo na, sino ang tinatawag natin? It dawned on me, paano kaya ang ibang tao, halimbawa sa mga Godless country, sino kaya ang tinatawag nila kapag sobrang takot na takot na sila? Yung paborito nilang superhero? Doktor? Pulis? Ang magulang nila na maaring di naman nila kasama? I think most would ask help from Someone powerful, yung makakapagligtas -ang Tagapagligtas.

Ngayong panahon ng kwaresma, tumawag tayo sa Kanya. Humingi ng kapatawaran sa mga kasalanan, magpasalamat sa mga biyaya at ipagdasal ang mga taong nangangailagan nito. Sabi nga “Everyday you live is another day closer to your death”, kaya paano ba natin ito paghahandaan? Pano kung dumating na ito ngayon, as in now na? Naku, kailangan ready tayo mga friends, kahit ako at yung pinakamabait na taong kakilala ko, hindi rin yata nakakasiguro.

About our Lobo assignment, naging maayos naman ang lahat. Nagkakuryente rin after an hour at nakatulog rin ako ng mahimbing. Siguro ginising lang ako ni Lord noong mga oras na iyon para ipa-alala sa akin how weak and sometimes helpless people are, na kung dumating na ang oras natin o ng kapahamakan, wala tayong magagawa. Dahilang lahat lahat, mga biyaya, tulong, awa at kaligtasan ay nagmumula lamang sa Kanya.

About Publisher

JR Cantos is the Publisher of WOWBatangas.com. Some of the articles here on the website have been contributed over the years, so please just email us at help (at) wowbatangas.com if you have any concerns. Salamat!

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