Meron isang langaw na nagpupumilit lumabas. She did everything to bang the window glass, but it’s not working. She keeps falling down. She tries again and falls again. Nakikita niya marahil ang ibang mga langaw na nasa labas, masaya at naglalaro. She tried her best again and again and again. She fell many times. I made a cup of coffee and came back to check on the fly after an hour. I found her dead. I noticed that our door is widely opened. I told myself that if only that fly saw the bigger door opened, she would not have died.

Most people are like a fly (langaw), who died in banging itself on a glass window. The fly never realized that on the other side, there is an open door. Minsan hindi natin alam na talaga palang nakatakda na mawala ang tao minahal natin, or mawala ang trabaho natin, or mawala ang isang bagay na mahalaga sa atin, that no matter what we do, things will not work out because it is meant to be. But if we keep in good faith, we will soon realize that things will work together for good, and much better than it was. Simply because God opened a door for us, so we can be better than we were before.

The good thing is, hindi tayo mga langaw. God created us to think, improve and be progressive. Meron tayong kanya-kanyang lakas, galing at talino upang maabot ang ating mga pangarap. You know deep inside you what you are capable of and what you are made of.

Ang problema ng langaw kaya siya nabigo ay walang nagsabi sa kanya na hindi siya magtatagumpay dahil bumabangga siya sa isang matibay na salamin na kahit anong gawin niya, hindi siya makakalabas. But we are not a langaw. We are human beings. We have people around us who knows what we can and cannot do. They tell us which opportunity and connection can help us. Of course, I am not saying to limit ourselves by what others say but what let us not be conceited by not taking into account what they say. Minsan hindi masama na tayo ay humarap sa salamin baka nga tama ang sinasabi nila na we have to improve on this and in that department, so to speak. Remember, we cannot see our back, others can. Whether it’s constructive criticism or not, see if you can rise above those comments to become a better person.

There is the fine line that divides: faith and foolishness. Faith is about believing that God would do what He said will do. Foolishness is acting out on complete stupidity or ignorance. Are we acting faith or are we just being stupid thinking that we can do a thing on our own even to the point of us hurting ourselves and the people around us?

In Mark 2:4, Jesus met a very unusual paralytic man. The scripture says: “The paralytic was brought to Him, carried by four men. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”…

Sometimes in life, it will not always easy to get through, and we may need “four men” to bring us up to the roof and “dig a hole through the roof” because there is no way. We may see a closed window, but maybe it is an opportunity to find another route for us to get to our destination.

The paralytic man was so desperate or maybe the “four men” who was carrying him but was very driven to the point of “digging a hole through the roof” out of desperation to see this paralytic well and able to walk. The Bible is saying that Jesus was their faith and this man received his healing.

Unlike that fly (langaw), we have the power to choose to find alternatives to the closed glass window that stops us from where we are going. There are many other ways to get there. It all else fail, maybe that is not meant to be. If there is no way through the crowd, just what the four men did, they thought out of the box: “the roof”. Even Jesus was moved and saw their faith, not the faith of the paralytic but “their” faith. There are times when we must appreciate the people that care for us. Without their struggles and determination, we will not be to a place where we are right now. They found a way when everybody was standing to see Jesus and complaining or maybe some of them went home out of frustration.

As a young boy, I always wanted to study in the top universities in the Philippines. But due to poverty, my parents could only send me to not-so-top university. But I wanted to study at a prestigious De La Salle University in Manila. I tried and failed terribly on  Admissions Test. I did not qualify. But something inside was telling me to try again. But this time, not at La Salle but at Ateneo De Manila University. I reviewed harder and focused. In 2001, I graduated and successfully completed my Masters in Business that qualified me to take a doctoral degree in the University of Sto Tomas, Manila and made me one of the young  professors in Letran. I thought there was no way but God taught me to find another way. Maybe La Salle’s window was closed for me, but Ateneo’s door opened up –the same top university. I thanked God for that closed opportunities because I know He has something much better.

Don’t go through life being an ordinary person. You are created by the Almighty God to excel and to touch the world. Get rid of low expectations. Quit making excuses to settle where you are because a window is closed. Take steps of faith and believe that a door is opening for you. The power is within you to succeed and to accomplish your dreams.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for close windows in my life. I know you have something better for me and you are opening doors of opportunities for me. I don’t want to be anywhere where you don’t want to be. Lord, bless me so I could be a blessing. Take me to a place you choose for me so I become the person you created me to be. Amen.