God has Something Better for You

"SOMETIMES GOD'S SAYS NO"

I have been reading this book entitled ROAD TRIP by Kuya Ru Dela Torre, and last night the story is about sometimes God doesn't give what we wish for. 

~Story on page 37 to 40 of the ROAD TRIP

In 2006, Wildfire, the youth group I lead, joined the Philippines' National Youth Commission's search for the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards. It was a program aimed at recognizing and acknowledging the efforts of young people who made an impact in their communities by coming up with cutting edge projects. Our projects entry was the Manifesto Movement. it was Wildfire's signature campaign for sexual purity and a year's abstinence from boy/girl relationship. 

After filling out the forms and completing all the requirements, I went to NYC office to submit them. I prayed hard that day and asked for the favor of God. I even closed my eyes in prayer and laid my hands on the form before I turned them over to the office-in-charge. under my breath, just as I always did I whispered, "Lord, favor."

Month after month went by. We received no response from the National Youth Commission. There were no e-mails, no calls, not even a single text message from them. More months passed until finally we received a word from them.Snail mail said that we didn't make it past their initial screening.  Enter faith-killers and joy-busters. Mr. Enemy (Satan), along side his horrible crew, barges into the scene (that is, in my mind) and capitalizes on the moment. "Drain the hope, destroy the dream, defeat the faith. "These were their battle cries. it was an onslaught of mockery: a barrage of derision: a desperate attempt to snuff the faith-fire out of me.

So what happened to the favor I was asking from God? Could it be that He was asleep and He didn't hear my prayer? hat about the thing called His supply of goodness? Did it run out? Was I supposed to pay for a monthly membership fee to enjoy continued service? The answer to all these question is this: "No, not in a million lifetimes." God graciously gave me the power and the authority to overcome. Instead of giving up on the goodness of God, I held on to it more tightly--like my life depend on it. Even with that huge blow, I never stopped believing, preaching and singing about the goodness of God. I kept expecting and trusting, knowing that He is still in control. 

The following year, we received an invitation from the National Youth Commission to once gain join the TAYO Awards. We knew it was a long shot, but we decided to try anyway. Besides, we just had to fill out the forms and update some of the requirements. In the process, we realized that we were able to reach thousands more than we did the previous year. The number of schools we were able to visit tripled and the number of signatures quadrupled. In other words, even with the same project, out entry was now more competitive than it was before, beefed up with more testimonies of changed lives. Screening was tough. We were told that we had to pass five stages before we could even reach the finals. God, however, was there to assists us. We breezed through one stage after another, the toughest being the Luzon finals. After the awarding, the NYC Commission of Luzon. . On October 2007, a trophy was handed to us. 

~

After reading this story I remembered what happened to me last October 17, 2010, it was my Civil Service Exam I have been preparing for this exam for almost 3 months even though I was working as an apprentices at Supreme Court of the Philippines so that if ever I'll pass the exam I'll be ready for the job. I kept on praying as hard as I can, I even light candles every Friday and Saturday at Carmelite to offer prayers, I really had high hopes that taking the exam will be so easy for me. But when I was already at the testing area I started to feel nervous before I took the exam I still offered a prayer, and after the 3 hours exam I didn't want to talked about it and just leave everything in God's plan, the test results will be out in 3 months. Suppose to be the test results will be out by January 2011 and I was really hoping that since my birthday is January maybe it will be God's gift that I passed the exam, I attended the first Manila Episcopal Area Christmas Institute at Cavite it was really a big event almost 3,000 youth from different part came it was also my first time to attend. 

The highlight of the event was the 3 big nights and on the 2nd big night it was a drama of 5 teenagers the title of the play was Sino ba si Pray, the story was the problems of the 5 teenagers one of them was having financial problems, second was he haven't decide what to take course in college, the third one has a family problem, forth was having a love problems, and lastly it was Pray he was thinking for a solution with his friends problems and the only solution that he thought was to Pray, to asked God for help. 

And on the last night of the our stay in Cavite I received a call, it was my cousin Ley she was asking for the direction about the retainers, and she told me that she found something but she doesn't want to tell me yet but I beg her to tell, the results was already out and sadly my name wasn't their like my dream had fallen, I was so thankful that attended the institute because I handled the situation like it was just like its just God's plan not to give what I really wished for. After my 5 stay in Cavite my faith in God had really grown and I always handle things differently. 

Even though I didn't pass the exam still God gave me a present a day before my birthday I received a text from my Dad and one of his friends is looking for a secretary and I'll have an interview by tomorrow, I was so excited and happily I passed and I'm still working at Equity Homes for almost 6 months, and by next month I'm planning to take the test again and hopefully this time I'll pass. 

"God never does something that is not in response to prayer. He wants only the best for us. Praise God he says "yes" to a prayer, it means that you hit the nail right on its head. If He says "no", it means that there is something better in store. And when he says "wait" it only means that the best is still in the making"