Today, I got to thinking about what Papa has in store for this city and for its people. And Papa, being the awesome Father that He is and knowing my fascination for names, revealed to me a simple truth about this city's name. The original name for Manila was “MayNilad,” which means ‘where the blossoming water plants grow’. Beautiful, huh?! I believe it is a sweet testimony to the identity of my people here and the tranformation that is occurring within the nation in Papa's hands.
Water lily. That was the first thing that came to mind when I thought 'blossoming flower,'
The visual is just so enchanting–a flower sitting daintily above water held in place by a stout underground stem with roots that anchor the plant in the soil deep below. I have such an affinity for this creation…and if I had to compare the Filipino people to a flower, it would be the water lily—beautiful and resilient.
Number 1: We are a beautiful race. I'm not even gonna try to be modest about it. Papa says so! So why would I try to hide it?! Our outward beauty (ie. milky, brown skin and our musicality/dancicality) comes from an inner beauty that lies in our strength and our capacity to love. Filipinos are just so darn loving and hospitable. We are all about the pamilya. Our foundation is built on the values of respect, support, and trust. And no matter how difficult the circumstance or how dire the need, we can smile because we find peace and joy in our loved ones.
Numero dos: We are resilient people deeply rooted in faith. Naturally, we are very spiritual people, especially because of our Catholic roots. But there is a certain intimacy that Papa is calling forth. He is wooing us and we are coming of age and "blossoming" gracefully into a culture that is learning how to pray with our hearts, first and foremost, not only our minds. Random tangent: Marian means “star of the sea” and “grace” in Latin and Hebrew, respectively. And my second name, Bridgette, means power, strength, vigor, virtue and exalted one. Do you see the similarity between Maynilad and my name? The image of water?? And of life?! Totally grade school giddy right now!! I'm a dork. I know.
I just think it's so ironic how my spiritual journey has been like "Manila"–a place for slow, but continual blossoming. The last 21 years of my life, I had a strong sense of faith but I didn’t know what it truly was until I stepped outside of myself. I had to learn how to pray within the Spirit and not within a formulated prayer within my head. And I am still learning… But these past 8 months I have been graced with instruments and signs and wonders that have helped pull me out of the mud and in to the sunlight.
It is no coincidence that I am on team Fuego de Dios, which means “fire of God.” And what is more, we are paired up with team Nikao, which means “to overcome, to conquer, to be victorious.” So together we form a wonderful force called, Nikao de Dios! We truly are a group that is victorious through God and He sent our teams specifically to Manila to cultivate, nurture, and harvest the seeds that He has placed in these people. I am in awe at the work that Papa has already been doing in our lives and in the children/families that we have been ministering to. *More details to come in the next few blogs*
Papa, You do not call the qualified, but You qualify the called. Thank you, Papa, for qualifying us World Racers and for using us as a vessel of your love for the nations. You have called us each by name, Papa. You know who we were, who we are, and who we are meant to be and you love us just the same. Thank you for valuing my identity and for calling me out and shepherding me into the Marian that you know I can be. LOVE YOU, PAPA! <3
