Ang Garapon at ang mga Daliri ni Tatay

a tribute post for
Mr. Bernabe A. Rosario
on his 75th Birthday


Tulad ng ibang mga bata, maliliit pa ang aking mga daliri noon. May mga pagkakataon na sa higpit ng pagkakapihit sa takip ng garapon ng asukal, hindi ko ito kayang buksan. Buti na lang nandun si Tatay. Kukunin niya ang garapon at bubuksan para sa akin.

Higit sa sapat ang lakas ng mga daliri niya upang buksan ang garapon:

• Iyon ang mga daliring nagtrabaho sa sakahan na siyang nagtustos sa amin ng bigas: para sa aming araw-araw na pangangailangan at maging sa carinderia ni Nanay.
• Noong hindi pa uso ang mga catering services, ang mga daliring iyon ang hanap ng mga magpapabinyag o magpapakasal. Gaano man kalaki ang baboy o baka, bahala na ang mga daliri ng punong kusinero diyan.
• Wans-a-pan-a-taym, ang mga daliring iyon ay bahagi ng mga kamaong kinatatakutan sa mga suntukan sa kalye. Pero ayon nga sa patotoo ni Ginoong Raymundo Ambanloc sa Golden Anniversary ng aking mga magulang, nagkaroon ng vision si Bernabe matapos niyang pakasalan si Emeliana. Ang mga kamaong dating mahilig sa basag-ulo, nabaling sa paggawa ng mga upuang kawayan.

May isang pagyayari na hindi ko malilimutan. Ako ay isang munting bata, nakaupo sa isang mababang bagay. May isang baboy na mabilis ang takbo. Natangay ng tali ng tumatakbong baboy ang isang mahabang kawayan. Ang kawayang hila-hila ng baboy ay tumusok sa aking singit. Kung iyon ay tumagal, mahihila rin ako at maaaring bumaon sa akin ang kawayan. Maaaring ikamatay iyon ng sinumang bata.

Subalit mabilis at maagap ang aking ama. Naroon siya agad. Mabilis na isip; matulin na mga paa, malakas na mga bisig at siyempre hindi paiiwan ang mga daliri sa kanyang mga kamay upang iligtas ang batang nasa bingit ng kamatayan. Ilang sandali lang, napaghiwalay na ang bata at ang kawayan.

Sa maagang bahagi ng taong 2012, magtitimpla na  ng kape si Tatay. Dinampot niya ang garapon, subalit mahigpit ang takip nito. Hindi kinayang pihitin ng kanyang mga daliri ang takip ng garapon. Ang dating munting bata ay malaki na ngayon. Kinuha ko ang garapon at binuksan. Ipinagpatuloy ni Tatay ang pagtimpla ng kanyang kape. Sa sandaling iyon ay aking napagtanto, kumukupas na nga ang lakas ng mga daliring matagal ko nang pinakikinabangan.


 
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UPDATE: Pumanaw po ang aking tatay pitong araw paglipas ng kanyang ika-75 kaarawan sa loob ng Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ng isang ospital dito sa San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

When Your Son Asks...

In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders--great and terrible--upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness. (Deu. 6:20-25 NIV 1984)

In Deuteronomy 6, Moses gave a set of instructions in anticipation of the nation's entry into the Promised Land. His primary concern is the preservation of the faith for the succeeding generations. In summary, this set of instructions consists of the following:

1. They should carefully observe the Lord's law while living in the land.

2. Their loyalty should be to YHWH alone. The Shema in verse 4 is not just an affirmation of monotheism; it is also a confession of allegiance to the One True God. And so immediately after the Shema, we read: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (verse 5)

3. The Word of God must be diligently taught to the younger ones in every opportunity and in every possible means. (verses 6-9)

4. Know that there will be bitter consequences for disobedience (verse 15)

When this whole-hearted devotion is observed at home, the children will be puzzled. They may begin to wonder, "What's all the fuss about these dos and don'ts in the law that we are meticulously  observing?"
"Why are we so loyal to YHWH? What makes him different from the gods of the neigboring countries?"
"All my classmates are free to view this film, why can't I?"

When the child could no longer keep it in, he will approach his parents and ask them about it (verse 20). Thankfully, God himself prepared an answer for the parents long before the children ask (21-25)
 

• Israeli parents were to tell their offspring about their miserable condition before salvation came. "We were slaves my Son, we were weak and miserable slaves, but God set us free." In the same manner, contemporary Christian parents must say, "My son, we have never been enslaved by human tyrants but we were miserable slaves to sin until the Lord broke the bondage"(Romans 6:20).
   
• Israeli parents were to tell the child, "My son, God rescued us by doing miraculous deeds proving He is the true God and not the gods of Egypt." Likewise, contemporary Christian parents ought to tell the younger ones, "The God who has done miraculous deeds in the past is the same God who saved us by his power. We were formerly serving false gods, but now we were given the privilege to worship the One True God." (1 Thess. 1:9)
   
• Israeli parents were to tell the child, "We were not only emancipated from slavery; we were also placed in this land flowing with milk and honey." Contemporary Christian parents ought to tell the kids, "We were not only delivered from the power of sin, we were also granted every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Eph. 1:3)
   
• Israeli parents were to say, "My son, other nations may be stronger than us; their armed forces are larger and more powerful than ours, but as long as we are faithful to the Lord, we'll be safe and sound in this place." So contemporary Christian parents ought to say, "Son, there may be so many threats to our well-being: poverty, famine, persecution, sickness, criminals, terrorists, wars... but as long as we are in God's loving arms, we are eternally safe." (Romans 8:35-39)
   
• The fifth one will keep us Christ-centered and cross-centered. For an Israeli parent then would  say "if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness." Yet the New Testament reveals that no one has ever achieved that righteousness by perfectly obeying the law. As a result, the entire human race is under a curse (Gal.3:10). This is the very reason why Christ died, that he may grant us the righteousness we are unable to attain from the law (Gal.2:21). In Christ, we are righteous before God (2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Cor. 1:30). So Christ-centered and cross-centered contemporary Christian parents, you know what to say :) 

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Books on Christian Parenting:

Gospel-Powered Parenting (by William Farley)

Shepherding a Child's Heart (by Ted Tripp)

Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens (by Paul David Tripp)

How to love your son without walking in the path of Marlene Aguilar -Pollard

In one of her recent interviews, she was crying heavily as she was saying this:

"I'm still traumatized. I have not slept. I have not eaten. My heart breaks beyond words. My son is fighting for his life, and if he dies I accept that with all humility. But I want everyone to know that no matter what my son did I love him with all my heart and soul."

She was also crying heavily infront of a TV camera two months ago as she pleads her fugitive son to surrender himself to the authorities and face the charges of murder.

Then in December, she reports to the authorities that his son is overseas.

Yet last Monday, a team of NBI agents finally arrested Jason Ivler after an exchange of bullets in the basement of her mother's house. In another interview, she insists that she was unaware of the fugitive's presence inside because "the house is too big". Some lies stink so much that you don't have to be a trial court judge to sort out falsehood from truth.

It is by no means exhaustive but I have a few items here I want to share on how to love to your son without walking in the path of Marlene Aguilar-Pollard.

1. You have to teach your son the concept of retribution. Teach him that justice demands that the offender must pay for the evil he has done.He cannot steal his younger brother's marbles and get away with it. He cannot destroy his sister's doll without getting spanked. "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him" (Proverbs 13:24). Tell him that a person who disobeys traffic rules must be fined. Make it clear that Antonio Margarito deserves the suspension sanctioned on him for using illegal hand wraps. Murder somebody else's son and be ready for Reclusión perpetua.

2. Teach your son to respect civil authorities.. They may not stand behind pulpits but in a sense, they are ministers-- ministers of God in executing his wrath against evil. As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 13:4, "... He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer ." So respect them. Teach your son to submit themselves to the authorities if a warrant of arrest is issued against him. When they come to arrest you, do not engage an exchange of bullets.Teach your son that if he rebels against civil authorities, he is rebelling against what God has instituted (Romans 13:2).

3. Teach your son that the guilty cannot evade justice for all eternity. You can hide in the basement, in thick forests or even in Antartica until you turn 70. But God will not let the guilty go unpunished. Evil doers will be punished with everlasting destruction in what is commonly known as hell (2 Thess.1:8-9). Mothers who are liars and sons who are murderers shall surely go there unless they repent and embrace the gospel.
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Sa Lahat ng mga Parents at Nangangarap Maging Parents: Reviewing Mohler's HOW NOT TO RAISE A PAGAN

This exposition of Deuteronomy 6 was delivered by the SBTS president to students of another seminary, SEBTS. Albert Mohler, being an expert on cultural and contemporary issues begins with a lament that by the time American students leave high school, they also leave the Christian home. And when they do, they manifest that they think not as Christians but as pagans.

He also observes that the media repaganizes not just the culture but the church as well. What is happening in the church is similar to Israel's experience of paganization-- that is when they imitated their pagan neighbors in religious practices such as idol worship .

Mohler reminds us that since the family is God's gift, it must be ordered with biblical priorities. And if we will not heed the word of the Lord, we would raise pagans by default.

From Deut. 6, he draws three points:
1. Doctrine
2. Diligence
3. Discipline

1. DOCTRINE- Deut 6:7 "and you must teach them to your children" (ESV)
The first priority for parents who do not want to raise pagans. The particular mode of teaching in view here is Didactive teaching-- one that has doctrinal content. The Shema of verse 4 is not just a declaration of monotheism but a declaration of monotheism as a matter of allegiance to draw them away from the gods of their pagan neighbors.

2. DILIGENCE- Deut 6:7-9 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Biblical teaching for our children is not a once a year thing (Vacation Bible School); it is not a once-a-week thing (Sunday School). Parents should make the most of every oppurtunity to tech their children. If parents will not be diligent, other voices (TV, Internet, friends) will teach them.

3. DISCIPLINE- Deut 6:24 "And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day."
We must teach our children that violation of biblical teaching requires punishment.

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Other interesting things Mohler brought up is are:
i. the trans generational responsibility of a Patriach- a father must not not stop with his wife, children and grandchildren. Rather, they must look forward for the generations to come. If we will get it wrong in this generation, there will be devastating consequences for the generations that follow.

ii. When we will live differently from our non-Christian neighbors, our children will eventually ask why. We should tell them that we are different because we are a people that belongs to someone. We have been redeemed. He will judge our neighbors but we will be spared-- not because we are better than them but because we are saved by grace.

You can find the video here.
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