Past 12 noon, mudra arrived from an overnight work. We were having our usual "catch up" time when she asked how long does a service last in the church I attend to. "One and a half hours," I answered. "Ang haba pala," she said as their church's only lasts an hour. To my surprise, when I asked her to come with me, she said,"Okay." Praise God!
My mom attended CCF several times before but all of them were English services and I remember that she once told me that she prefers Tagalog. So I texted Ate Fifi if Pastor Bong's going to preach. She said she's not sure since an author of a book preached in the morning though she saw Pastor Bong. I told myself, "Bahala na si God." So we took a cab.
It was raining and I was hoping to catch the praise and worship then just drop her there. In my mind I was looking forward to join my dgroup in a mall nearby then pick her up after. But God has other plans. Because of the weather, traffic has gotten worse that we arrived quarter to 3. We missed the praise and worship and got to the part when Pastor Bong led the prayer then said in vernacular something like "for those who would like to catch Stuart Briscoe tell your friends that he'll be back in the evening." Upon hearing that I was like, "Praise God! Rock na to Lord."
As usual 5th floor's full. Mudra was the one who suggested that we go upstairs like where we used to sit. When we got to 6th floor, I was the only one that the usher saw so he was pointing me to a seat for one then he saw my mom and led us to the front with TWO SEATS! It felt like God told me to join my mom as ithere were two seats given. So I texted Ate Carol, my discpler, and apologized that I won't be able to make it as I need to accompany my mom. All throughout Pastor Bong's preaching, I was observing my mom. I felt like a judge in a Manny Pacquiao fight as I took note of her reactions. Every time she laughs, keeps quiet, claps, moves I took note. I started texting some of my sisters in Christ to pray for my mom that her heart will be open to God's word today. And I had been receiving replies from them full of encouragements. In the end, the prayer of acceptance was led by Pastor Bong. I bowed my head not to peek if my mom will raise her hand. I'm leaving it to God to touch her heart so it's between them but wait, I can hear my mom's voice loud and clear enough for me to hear through my left ear...SHE WAS REPEATING THE ACCEPTANCE PRAYER after Pastor Bong. And I was like, "Lord totoo po ba to? Is my mom really accepting Jesus?" And I heard God talking to me saying, "Since you allowed me to be magnified in your last night's gig, here's another answered prayer Prex."
Upon realizing that, I can't help but sing the response song loud with matching tears of joy. "To your will, To your ways, To your purpose Lord, Everyday of life Lord I'm living for you." And before my mom react to me that I'm crying after the song I said, "Grabe, peyborit song ko pa naiyak tuloy ako. Tara na ma." Hahaha!
And when she went away to the comfort room, I called my two drgoup leaders to tell them the good news and again tears keep flowing out of my eyes.
I had been praying for my mom's salvation since I heard the good news. Like the old me, she knew God but in a different way. As Jesus said, "Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people" in Mark 1:17, to me this is one big fish for a catch Lord! And now that she came, I know (and I'm claiming it) that God will lead my mom for her to follow Jesus too. This is just a point in my mom's Christian life, the next route will be challenging for her as the enemy will try to win her back but I won't stop praying until we see each other in heaven. Like in the parables of the lost coin, lost sheep and lost son and today, God made me a part of that heavenly party with the angels. To God be all the glory.
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