The celebration of the Yuletide season has been gloriously long and, as a consequence, joyous because of the many opportunities laid before you to be able to do things which may have passed you by in ordinary days.
A number of nongovernment organizations, higher education institutions, and other business establishments have very conveniently declared a respite from work, thus, affording the populace to fully enjoy Christmas and the New Year.
One of the more inspiring articles I had read this Christmas spoke well of almost anyone’s search for meaning in this otherwise humdrum existence called life. As we rejoiced over the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we also ponder on the angst some people may be experiencing in their search for a father, whether it is for real or to fill in the shoes of a real father.
The article, written by actress Princess Punzalan (now Mrs. Field), evoked ambivalent feelings which I would like to share with our readers as we reflect on the true meaning of the season of joy and love. Princess is an offspring of media, after all, being the daughter of the late veteran TV personality Helen Vela and topnotch broadcaster Orly Punzalan. Truly, she is her parents’ daughter as we empathize with her “search for a father.” The following excerpt comes from her own words:
“When my father stopped coming home when I was about three years old, I often saw my mother cry. I kept asking her when Papa was coming home, but she could not give me an answer. I would cry with her and feel so helpless. One time, Mama recorded my voice as I was begging for Papa to come home. I was choking in between sobs as I was making the appeal. I waited for a long time, but he never came.
“How I saw my parents affected my view about God. I felt like they were too busy for me, so maybe God was also too busy to answer my prayers. At the age of seven, I would read the gospel through the tracts I got from the jeepney ride to school. Then a neighbor took my brother and me to Sunday school. I started to watch televangelists every Sunday.
“I was very young, but I felt that God was the only One who could fix my life and my heart. I prayed the prayer on the gospel tracts; I prayed the sinner’s prayer with the televangelist many, many times. I was aware of the existence of a real God, who is my Father in heaven, but I didn’t really grow spiritually. I remained insecure, with a poor self-image for a long time. I believed He could do a miracle for somebody else, but not for me.
“After 13 years of absence, my father suddenly reappeared. It had been so long that I had forgotten what he looked like. He came to visit me at the hospital when news broke out that I was mauled. That started our long journey towards rediscovering one another and building a new relationship. His presence in my life made me feel secure and protected. My prayers were being answered. God was restoring my relationship with my father.
“Little did I know that at the time, God was also beginning to restore my relationship with Him. It took me about 20 years to get to know my Papa well. It also took me a long time to grow in my relationship with God.
“During that time, I lived a life motivated by fear, insecurity, neediness, and frustration, when I got to know Papa better and better, my view of God also changed. When I saw in my Papa’s eyes how much he really loved me, I also started to see how my Father in heaven really sees me. I didn’t have to beg for His love, I didn’t have to perform or do things to be accepted by Him. He just loves me – PERIOD. A new era in my life had emerged.
“I thank God for helping me see that I needed to be forgiven for my sins and I thank Jesus for paying the penalty for them. Because I was forgiven, I learned how to forgive.
“I thank God that He brought reconciliation to my family. I appreciate the sad life I used to have because the pain I went through drew me closer to God. I have been set free from living in fear, for now I am overwhelmed with joy. I realize now that life is not hopeless because we have a God Who loves us, Who never will abandon us, and Who only wants the best for us.”
We may see a little of ourselves in Princess Punzalan who also gained prominence as the ex-wife of entertainer Willie Revillame who, at this point in his career, needs no further introduction. Truly, despite our endless search for what is elusive – be it a person, a material want, or something spiritual – there is always an assurance that God will accept us for who we are because He is our Father.
May the abundance and blessedness of the New Year find us all in the best of health as we hope and pray for better things to come in the grace of God’s unconditional love. Happy New Year to all our readers! | NWI
