Isang tanyag at sikat na detergent (sabon panlaba) company sa England, UK ang nagsagawa ng survey dahil marami daw mga kabataan ngayon ang nawawalan ng pagkakataon na maging isang bata. They said that, “We are concerned that many children today are missing out on the simple pleasures of childhood because their mothers don’t want them to get dirty.” Their campaign is called, “Dirt Is Good.” They began the survey focused on children. They have a list of questions of what they wanted to do before their 10th birthday. Ang nanguna ay ang, (1) Magpagulong-gulong sa damuhan, (2) gumawa ng mud pie or cake na gawa sa putik!

There are times when we camouflage ourselves to avoid being criticized by others so what they only see on us is just that “fake” smile when the truth is: ‘we are deeply wounded.’ We maintain status quo symbol, a reputation of being clean as if never been dirty at all or has been clean all throughout your life. But this is being misunderstood by others that isolate us into a loneliness, dahil ikaw lang nakakaalam nang buhay mo. You are the only one who knows what pains and struggles you are dealing with.

I heard and like Gary Valenciano’s song entitled: “The Warrior Is A Child.” which says:

Lately I’ve been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I’m amazing
I’m strong beyond my years
But they don’t see inside of me
I’m hiding all the tears

They don’t know that I come running home when I fall down
They don’t know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while

Kaya minsan mahirap humusga sa mali at kasalanan ng iba dahil hindi natin alam ang totoong nangyari bakit nagawa ang mga bagay na ginawa nila. I want to remind you that the Lord knows where you have been and what you’ve been through. You may be hiding your tears because nobody sees the inside of you. But God is wiping your tears away. Remind yourself what God told Moses: “Now you see them, but soon you will never see them again.” In the same way, now you feel the pain, but soon it will be over and you will never be there once again.

An American proverb says: “Don’t judge a man until you walked a mile in his shoes.”

I saw once a post that says this:

• Yung batang buntis na nakita mo sa kalsada na sinabihan mong ang agang lumandi, na-rape pala siya.
• Yung lalaking tinawag mong baduy, working student pala at wala siyang pambili ng bagong damit.
• Yung nakatabi mo sa jeep na sinabi mong mabaho, construction worker siya at dali-daling umuwi dahil may sakit ang asawa niya. Sinusuportahan niya ang pamilya niya at di pa siya naghahapunan.
• Yung sinabihan mo ng masakit na salita noong nakaraan, di mo alam na sa bahay palang discouraged na siya at hindi na siya masaya.
• Tinawag mong mataba yung babae, hindi na kumakain ngayon sa sobrang hiya at pressure na mameet ang standards mo sa ganda.
• Yung lalaking tinatawanan mo kase bulol magsalita, natrauma pala nung bata pa siya.
• Yung kaklase mong maraming beses umabsent at sinabihan mong tamad, araw-araw niyang hinahanap ang pamasahe niya.
• Yung crew ng fast-food chain na tinarayan mo dahil hindi ka masyado narinig sa ingay a loob ng lugar, ay working student at pangalawang duty na niya ngayong para lang matustusan ang pang matrikula nya.
• Yung ale na binarat barat mo sa palengke para sa isang kilong gulay at sinabihan mong madamot, dose kilometro pala ang nilakad pagpuntang palengke para makapagtrabaho lang ng marangal.
• Yung mga batang maiingay at nangugulo, kagagaling lang pala nila sa hospital dahil namatay ang nanay nila

In the book of Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”…

Let us not compare ourselves to others because we do not have any idea what their journey is all about. And there are many people who show strength because they win their personal battles we know nothing about.

Minsan may isang bulag na nakita si Hesus. Sinabi ng lalake na gusto niyang makakita. Dumura si Hesus sa lupa at lumikha ng putik at pagkatapos ay itinapal Niya sa mata ng lalake. Kung titingnan mo ang pangyayari ay maaaring magtaka ka, bakit putik pa ang inilagay sa mata ng lalake ay bulag na nga? Jesus told the man to wash himself in the pool of Siloam. The man went and came back seeing. Dirt is good.

If that man refused to do what Jesus asked him to do, he would have missed the miracle of sight. Pwede siyang maging sarcastic or magreklamo dahil nagkadumi ang mata niya. But it was Jesus, the God Himself who spat on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to his eyes. He received what he wanted but it began when God used dirt to heal him.

Do we complain a lot when there are things we need to do or God was asking us to do? Do we protect our “cleanliness”, avoiding dirt that we miss the big things in life? Ang naging puhunan ng lalakeng ito ay ang kanyang pagsunod lamang. He simply did it. After all, he’s got nothing to lose. Minsan kase marami sa atin, we never start new things in life because of fear of failure and rejection. We want to keep up our appearance that stops us from becoming who God wanted us to be.

Whatever happens to you, God has a reason. Minsan tinanong siya ng kanyang mga disciples in the book of John chapter 9:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Naalala nyo yung dalawang timba na iniigib ng isang lalake patungo sa kanyang panginoon or amo. Habang naglalakad ang lalaki, tinutuya ng timbang nasa kanan ang timba na nasa kaliwa.

“hahaha…nakakahiya ka. May butas ka! Kaya ang boss natin pagod na pagod wala kang awa. Pag dumarating tayo sa ating panginoon halos wala ka ng laman.

Narinig ng lalaki ang kanilang pagtatalo at nagsabi: “Ginawa ko talagang may butas ang isa sa inyo. Kahapon pinuri ako ng aking panginoon sa ganda ng hardin ng kanyang tahanan. Ito ay dahil sa bawat patak ng tubig sa butas na timba ay nadidiligan ang mga halaman na aking dinadaanan.”

I am telling you today, na kahit may butas ka at tinatawanan ka ng iba, this happened so the works of God might be displayed in your life. Dati kang sira, ngunit ngayon ay maayos na. Once blind but now you can see.

Do you know one thing that if you do it, you will succeed? Just do it! There was a big book retailer which name is Waterstone’s. The business was failing so what the company did was to remove the apostrophe and simply re-wrote the brand to Waterstones. Few months after, I read “No apostrophe, no catastrophe.” The business took off and gained success once again.

Little hinges swing big doors. The Bible said in Zechariah chapter four: “Don’t underestimate small beginnings for the Lord rejoices when the work begins.” Big and mighty trees start from small seeds. I saw one superstore whose marketing philosophy is: “Every little helps.” There was a proverb that says: “From small beginnings come great things.” Don’t be scared to try because you never know what life brings. Do it so yourself can have a sense of achievement and pride. It may be difficult to start because it is small stuff, just do it anyway.  Don’t settle where you are. It may be a lowly job and it gets you dirty but the best days of your life is coming.

I like what Paul said in the book of Philippians chapter three verse twelve:  “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” We may suffer defeat and loss, but let no “dirt” stop you. Pintasan ka man nila dahil sa nakaraan mo at sabihin man ng iba na galing ka sa putik, but one touch of God’s favour and you will see your life turns around!

Minsan if we only do that “one thing” it will make a big difference. Yes, it may get us dirty, smelly and ugly because expect to fall at times and trip over during the process, that’s what growing is all about. You crawl then you walk, then you run. But sometimes you fall in between, you get dirty, you get wounded, you get hurt, you get mocked and ridiculed…tatawanan ka dahil bumagsak ka. But keep going. Paul said, “Forget what is behind.” Forget your past failures. Just do it. It may keep knocking on your door, but do not open up your heart for it anymore. What happened may be ugly, malicious and intentional, but you must learn to forget. Just do it. Forget it.

“Straining toward what is ahead.” Keep your eye on the prize. Never get sidetracked. This is the reason why horses install “blinders” so their eyes remain focused on their destination. Most appliances now are by “horsepower.” They have this principle of straining toward what is ahead, determined to overcome every obstacle along the way. Go forward.

“Press on toward the goal.” You have goals. You cannot reach the finishing line if you keep carrying that baggage of negativity, hurts, and pains. Those are heavy and may be unbearable. Just like Jonah, he was thrown out of the boat. As soon as he is out, storm stops and peace occurs. This was just an analogy to Jonah as he is the man of God. But what I want to emphasize a point, that we need to press on toward the goal. Life is too short to make alibis and excuses. Just do it. Press on.

Minsan may isang Police General ang tinanong ano-ano ang kahulugan ng mga “simbolo” na nakapin sa kanyang uniporme. Ipinaliwanag niya na ang bawat simbolo ay ang mga giyera at laban na napuntahan niya at nakabalik siya ng buhay.

It was Elbert Hubbard who said:

God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars.

Ikaw? Saan ka galing? Anong mga madilim na kahapon ang ayaw mo ng maalala? Tandaan ko ang isang awit: “Kailan ka iniwan ng Diyos? Anong sakit ang hindi niya pinagaling, anong problema ang hindi Niya binigyan nya ng katugunan…wag kang mabahala, hindi tayo kelanman bibiguin at hindi pababayaan ng Diyos.”

You may have had an unforgettable experience. You got dirty because you fell, you have scars that prove you are stronger than whatever tried to hurt you. Each scar has the lesson to teach you. There are scars we don’t see which is the most difficult to heal. Turn your scars into stars. Your scars mean you survived.

You suffered in agony. Sometimes, there is a time that nobody knows your struggles daily, that you’re winning them all. You can tell the world, which regardless of what happened to you, you are still here. You were wounded, but you are still here. You got shot, but you are still here. You have been spat at, but you are still here. You’ve been through hell, but you came back to life and are still here. Your family told you, you cannot make it, but you are still here. You may get dirt in your eye now, but go and wash in your “Siloam” and come back healed, blessed and prospered and delivered. Dirt is good.