Tag: Joy

Young woman seated by lamp reading the Holy Bible with magical castle vision
Answered Prayer, Christian Walk, Faith, God, Prayer, Reflections, Testimony, True Story

More than Wonderful

rebekahhime

Life in the UAE was not what I had imagined. I arrived in this country filled with hope and expectations, only to be confronted by the harsh realities of this world.

It is not all glitz and glamour.

I was humbled.

I never imagined I would experience such terrible living conditions. I left a country that offered me a “good and easy life,” thinking that life in Dubai would be better.

The things I had hoped for and expected were not realised.

My tears fell as I prepared to sleep, having traded my king-size bed for a tiny bunk bed.

Like most large urban cities, rent is quite expensive. As a newcomer with a modest salary, I found it difficult to afford even a rental space, let alone the prospect of purchasing a property.

I was renting a “bed space”. I cannot express much of the struggle in such a living condition but I had quite a few uncomfortable experiences which made me realise that the world we live in corrupted.

On the brighter side, as a bed spacer, I get to know many people and learn their walks of life that sometimes you can still say to yourself that you are still blessed.

Because of this, I really look forward to long weekends or long school breaks when my relatives invite me to their place. They rent their own flat, which means fewer people in the flat—just their family of four!

You know, I consider this a true luxury, especially when living in a room shared with 18 other people. I’m not joking. During my stay at a villa with multiple rooms, our accommodation happened to be the master bedroom, which featured six bunk beds. You might think it could comfortably accommodate 12 people at full capacity, right? Surprisingly, it housed even more because couples occupied the lower bunks. Just picture a standard-sized bunk bed where the lower level is shared by two individuals. I simply can’t wrap my head around it! But that’s how it was. Just imagine what you can envision.

Anyway, so that’s why I love it when it is holiday that I get to take a break from my “bedspacer” life. One day, during my stay with my relatives, I was contemplating.

I found myself wondering how long I would continue living like this; how I wish I could have my own place as well.

I have a habit of talking to God whenever I feel lonely and self-pity begins to sink in, allowing me to vent my frustrations. So, I prayed and shared with Him my difficulties and the challenges I am facing. Finally, I asked Him, “Lord, could you please give me a house?”

After praying, I opened my Bible and came across the verse in John where Jesus said,

“In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

You know, I was so amazed to realise that God speaks through me through His word, the Bible; in that very moment, He led me to His word, which promises me good things. He indeed has spoken to me through His word, and I had goosebumps. I was in awe.

I was astonished because that verse gave me something to look forward to; God is granting me more than I could have ever asked for. I requested a house, but He is blessing me with a mansion—one where I won’t have to pay rent, deal with bed bugs, experience electrical disruptions, or face eviction from the Baladiya due to illegal housing rentals.

Of course, I still long for a home on this earth during my lifetime, but God has envisioned a future for me that far surpasses anything I can imagine.

Can you imagine a mansion created by God Himself? It would undoubtedly be more than wonderful!

Faith, God, Testimony, True Story, Uncategorized

Left Alone in a Screening Facility

rebekahhime

One Thursday night, it was the 30th of July, our family was traveling from Dubai to Abu Dhabi to send our parents to the airport. At the border of Abu Dhabi, there was a stop for Covid-19 screening. My brother, sister-in-law, and I had gone for testing except for my niece, and nephew who were below 10 years old. My parents were exempted as well because they were on visit visas.

The result came out, and among the three of us, only my brother and sister-in-law were both permitted to pass the border. It was unfortunate that I was the only one who didn’t make it. I was left behind because I was given the result of “NOT PERMITTED” [to cross the border]. I asked some Filipinos who were at the screening facility about my result. I thought I was positive. The staff told me that it didn’t mean that I had a virus. He further added that, it was just detected that I had an immune response similar to those who contracted Covid-19. In UAE, if you failed the rapid test, it is mandatory to do a swab test. And so, I did. It is to make sure if you are infected or not. I had to wait for my swab test result after 24 hours.

It was time for my family to head to the airport. For the last time, my mom wanted to hug me, but I stopped her thinking that I might have the virus. I might get her infected. I couldn’t help but cry seeing them off. I was just sitting alone crying. I remembered Paul and Silas who were singing hymns in prison. So, I decided to sing as well to make myself feel better. I sang to myself the song called ‘Just as I am’. The song reminded me about how precious I am in God’s sight that His blood was shed for me. After some time, my brother phoned me, and my father was telling me to have faith. He tried to comfort me by saying that I didn’t have Covid-19 because I didn’t have a fever or any symptoms. I responded to my father and said, “I have faith, papa. God has a plan and I trust GOD.” Despite uttering those words, the feeling of being left alone made me cry. My brother asked me to recall all the sermons that I’ve heard. My mom was crying in the background. My niece was also crying. The mobile phone was then given to her so that she could talk to me and would know that I was alright. My family told me that she was crying the whole time! Though I was stressed myself because of the unprecedented circumstance, I ended up comforting my niece who was more frustrated than me. Poor child. I told her not to cry then added, “Don’t cry Dafni. Our God is Almighty! He will take care of me.”

My family in the airport. I was not able to join them.

I didn’t know what specific sermon to recall at that time but, I believed that the Holy Spirit impressed me to think of Hannah—she was crying but, with the Lord. And, I also recalled the teaching about guarding your aloneness or alone time just like Daniel in Babylon and John on the island of Patmos. After that, I stopped crying. I prayed in my mind and surrendered it all to GOD. After all, my life is in HIS hands. My brother, together with his family came back from Abu Dhabi. I was waiting for them outside the screening facility. They fetched me and we headed home together.

I was quarantined in their room for 24 hours. The result came. It was flat out NEGATIVE! I was relieved. When my family knew the result of my swab test, my 7-year-old niece and my 1-year-old nephew went inside the room to hug me. Out of joy, I shouted, “Praise the LORD! Thank you, Jesus!” And all of us were praising GOD. When I saw my family after the 24-hour quarantine and got ‘reunited’ with them, I imagined the similarity to the second coming of Jesus Christ when the dead will be resurrected and be reunited with their loved ones in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet sound.

When I was in distress, God’s promises comforted me. I thank and praise the Holy Spirit for reminding me about God’s Word. I also praise the Lord for the lessons that I learned through our Bible study group called The Final Herald, which is being led by Sister Ruth Paul and our speaker Dr. Ronald Robin. Moreover, I praise God for those people who are willing to be used for the glory of God.

And lastly, I wanted to leave you a message from the book of Jeremiah 33:3,6 which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Verse 6, “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” That is why it is said in Habakkuk 3:18 that,

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Habakkuk 3:18

Let’s always remember that whatever we may be facing right now, we should not fear nor lose hope for God is always with us. Let’s just put our trust in Him.