I met Mae and Rency almost two
years ago when I decided to follow God’s leading in my life to stay in Batac
for a while. It’s amazing how God has been opening my eyes to the bigger
picture of why I had to help out in teaching high school during that time
(which I will write about the next time). Another reason is for me to meet
these two amazing women, establish friendship with them, and walk the Christian
walk with them.
Yesterday was definitely disenthralling
for me and so I want to write it down for me to be able to remember it for the
rest of my life. For a while now, I told them to stop calling me ate. Ate, in our culture and norm, is a
sign of respect to a woman older by some years. However, it can also be a stumbling
block in a growing friendship as it establishes a position of authority and
seniority. I didn’t want that to get in the way and I was ready and willing for
these women, younger than me, to openly rebuke and correct me without
inhibitions.
I saw them struggle with removing
the ate in our daily conversations.
They would correct themselves in the middle of their sentences, say sorry
because of it, then continue or start over their story. It was a funny yet beautiful
transition, which to me, came to full bloom yesterday.
It’s never easy to open your
secret chest to anybody, not even to your close friends. It was particularly
hard for me to open mine for these two to see because I was afraid that it
would cause them to stop looking up to me and think differently of me already. But
yesterday, the ball was already in my court. It was my turn to put the lack of “seniority”
in our relationship from theory to practice.
The result was, as I said,
liberating. My secrets, pretenses, and weakness were laid on the table; I was
left vulnerable, but Mae and Rency sat down there and (really) listened to me. No judgment was uttered. There was just grace,
compassion, and love.
And so I also write this to honor
them. Rency and Mae proved me that respect goes beyond how you call each other.
I am humbled to learn Lordship and heavenly living from these people who are
younger than me. Their lives speak nothing but who Jesus is. How they live out
their freedom and obedience to God in every area – finances, relationship, calling,
name it – blesses my heart, and I know it blesses God’s heart more. The two of
them are definitely my adings in age, but their spiritual maturity goes beyond
my years Tell me, who should call ate who
now?
I am forever grateful because
they are my friends. Actually, scratch that. I am eternally grateful because they
are my faithful friends. Faithful
friends will always have a special place in my heart. It is the kind of
friendship that grows despite the distance because it is founded in nothing
less than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
