The Philippines, my beloved country is now having what they call a monsoon rain that caused flood in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. According to PAGASA, this rain will continue til Thursday and if it doesn't stop until that day a weather forecaster predicted that a part of Metro Manila will sink like Marikina City, may God forbid it. In the midst of this calamity, my Facebook news feeds was full of photos of the flooded places and even prayers of hope for the rain to stop. Facebook has also been a way to connect with loved-ones who is unreachable through telephones. There are also some people posting what's on their mind regarding this downpour, comparing it to the flood during Noah's time, saying that this is God's punishment. They also connect this disaster as God's wrath to the Reproductive Health Bill. But then I thought that the Philippines is a tropical country, seven thousand one hundred and eight islands surrounded by water that is why it is also called Philippine Archipelago. It's not unusual for it to have rains, so who's to blame with the flood? Is this God's punishment or a man-made disaster?
As I watch the news through GMA Pinoy TV, this is what the experts said: First was the amount of rainfall. Most of the dams have reached it's critical level and inevitably the waters overflowed to the rivers and surrounding communities. Another reason is that there are areas in the Philippines that are below sea level especially in Metro Manila. Flood control systems are weak because of solid, non-biodegradable wastes clogged the drainage systems, improper waste disposal causes this because of human negligence and lastly the absorptive capacity of the Philippine mountains ranges has weakened over time because of consistent illegal logging and mining. And in addition to these, I also stumble upon Richard Gutierrez Fan Page and read his status and he quoted:
I couldn't agree more, these could also be a part of the global climate change which we can blame to human greed. This disaster should not be considered as God's wrath or punishment. It's only reaping what we sow. God would never allow such thing to us as it is written:
Genesis 9:13-15-Behold, I establish My covenant or pledge with you and with your descendants after you. And with every living creature that is with you--whether the birds, the livestock, or the wild beasts of the earth along with you, as many as came out of the ark--every animal of the earth.I will establish My covenant or pledge with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood; neither shall there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth and make it corrupt.And God said, This is the token of the covenant (solemn pledge) which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:I set My bow [rainbow] in the cloud, and it shall be a token or sign of a covenant or solemn pledge between Me and the earth.
It says in in verse 12, "this is a token of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations", so this covenant covers not only Noah but also us. What a wonderful promise! God has given us instructions in the bible that we can use in our everyday life but we keep on doing what we only think is good for us, we humans are the ones who cause our destruction. God has made this world sufficient but we humans corrupt it. Part of loving our God is taking care of our mother-Earth. And it's not only the Government who should do this, we can start by ourselves by disposing our waste properly. Let us all unite in making our country a better place to live in by managing earth's resources well. This is for the future generation which is our children. Discipline is the key, let's help our government and not just whine and complain. Never consider this kind of disaster as God's wrath because our God is a good and loving God. We can always seek Him in this time of trouble and He will be our refuge.
Psalm 46:1-3-God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.Selah
Random acts of kindness. Strangers caring for others. There is hope. Feel it. God is among us-Tweet byIvan Mayrina
One of the earthly possessions that I cherish the most are my books. Whenever I go home in the Philippines, I would always go to bookstores, especially Christian bookstores, to find any book that would interest me. I just love collecting books that I will not go back to the Middle East without a book in my baggage.
Last November 2008, my family and I had our annual vacation. I had the chance to visit the nearest bookstore in our place which is "The Vineyard in Sta Lucia Mall". I found this book entitled "The Women of the Bible". It's a one year Devotional Study of Women of the Scriptures. This is different from the devotional books I've bought before because it focuses on the lives of each women in the bible and what makes it unique is that in each topic, you will spend 5 consecutive days that encourages reading, reflection, study, worship and prayer. I started reading the first topic which is about Eve, on my next blog I would share on what God had revealed to me in my one week of study regarding the life of Eve. I don't know when but I'm just excited to share it. The only thing that keeps me busy is because I'm A mom of 2 children, one 4 year old girl and an 8 month old bay boy, a wife of wonderful man and a Physiotherapist in PSRC 8 hours a day. Lucky day for me to have time to write this one in the middle of the night....hohum till next blogging.
