When I was growing up, I thought the world of my little hometown, Angeles. I thought it was an awesome place, possible the best one in the world, to grow up in. I was quite ready and resigned to the fact that I would be spending my whole life there. Never did I think nor believe that I would eventually come to live in an American environment, very much like the environment of the near-by Clark Air Base in the community I grew up in.
When I was a boy of about ten, I had a dream that I would meet a very beautiful girl with long black tresses and soulful eyes. She had the most captivating smile. And she was a Tagala. Many years later, I would meet Anabelle and I realize she was the girl in my dreams.
When I thought of my future when I was a kid, I saw myself as a teacher like my father was. I was happy in the thought that I would follow in the footsteps of my father. I even reveled in the thought that I would try to be a better teacher than he was. I would eventually start out my working career as a teacher indeed. But I moved on to other things and never dreamed the success I would enjoy as a top corporate executive. I never left teaching though for I had a parallel career as a professor at the leading business school in the country for many, many years.
My life would have been pretty much predictable, dull and boring if it had followed the script I had in my mind. But having allowed my hand to be held and led by God, my life has been totally unpredictable and immensely rewarding. If, as a child, someone had come up to me and told me about my life as I have lived it; I would not have believed that person. Now that I look back at my life with deep gratitude and humility, I believe there has indeed been a Presence guiding me all through the years.
When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.
Matthew 9:18-19,23-26