Prepared by: Sweet R. Tappan, RN, MD
To Principal Miriam Palma, dear teachers, beloved parents,
esteemed graduates and students of Pasay Adventist Church Elementary School,
good afternoon!
First of all, I would like to thank God for this wonderful
opportunity that has been given to me to be your Commencement Exercise speaker on
this beautiful day.
When Mrs. Fajardo invited me to speak to you today, the first
thing that came to my mind was that am I experienced enough? What am I going to
say? I even asked my mom to compose something as to how I would be introduced
today because I felt like I haven’t really done so much in life that I don’t
even know how to introduce myself. But seeing what my mom has come up with, I
realized that yes, maybe, I have done a lot of things in my life already and it
was all by God’s amazing grace. And one of those things was become a graduate
like you in this same institution about 17 years ago. Boy that has been a long
time already.
I feel humbled and honored at the
same time to be in front of you today to be the chosen speaker for this 63rd
Commencement Exercises with the theme, “Keep Looking Up For a Better Tomorrow”.
As I was pondering on what to share with all of you today, I decided to come up
with the acronym “LOOK UP” and I hope that the message will inspire all of you
especially the graduates to keep looking up as you face the challenges of
tomorrow.
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Let’s start with the letter L. LOVE. Who among you here has a crush? One of Webster’s definition
of crush is a strong feeling of romantic love that is usually not expressed and
does not last a long time. My personal definition of a crush is someone that
inspires you or someone you admire and make you feel “kilig”. If I remember it
correctly, I was in my 5th or 6th grade when I had my
first crush. You know the feeling when you get butterflies in your stomach
whenever your crush is around or when you see him/her smile. But we should all be
careful because sometimes we confuse crush with the word love.
The Greek language has at least 4 different ways as to how
the word love is used. Do you know what those Greek words are?
·
AGAPE means brotherly love; charity is
also used interchangeably which describes the love of God for man and of man
for God.
·
EROS means love mostly of the sexual
passion. The modern Greek word “erotas” means intimate love.
·
PHILIA means affectionate regard,
friendship usually between equals.
·
STORGE means love, affection especially of
parents and children, also known as family love.
1st Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us the perfect
meaning of what love is, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never fails.”
The Bible also tells us in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. He is
the perfect example of what true love is. He loves all of us unconditionally
that He even sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross so that we could
all be saved and have everlasting life (John 3:16). Another wonderful verse
about God’s love is found in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth His love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” What is beautiful
about this verse as well as in John 3:16, we find no conditions placed on God’s
love for us. It doesn’t say, “Sweet, you need to clean up your act before I’ll
love you” nor does God say, “I’ll sacrifice my Son if you promise to love
me.”Even though we don’t deserve it and we are sinful, He wants us to know that
He loves us and that His love is unconditional. God did all the giving and
sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love. To
understand what true love is and to be able to truly love others, we must know
God, and we can do this through a close personal relationship with Him. We can
have that close relationship with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, who
was God’s sacrifice of love for us.1
As
such, true love –God’s love – can be summed up in this passage of scripture:
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for
God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God
sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also
to love one another (1 John 4:7-11).
The 2nd letter is O – OBEDIENCE.
Maybe most of you have heard about the moth story that
Teodora Alonzo told to then young Jose Rizal, her son. Dr. Ambeth Ocampo, a
well known-historian, shared that when Teodora couldn’t get Pepe to focus
reading a Spanish book entitled “El Amigo de Los Ninos”, she shifted to telling
him a story which caught Pepe’s attention.
Let me share the story in Tagalog, “Ang ina ni Rizal ang unang nagturo sa
kanya ng pagbasa. Kung sila ay inaabot ng gabi at si Rizal ay pagod na sa
pag-aaral ng pagbasa, si Ginang Rizal naman ang bumabasa at ang anak ang
nakikinig. Isang gabi silang dalawa na lamang ang naiwang gising sa kanilang
bahay. Si Rizal ay nag-aantok at pagod na sa pagbasa ng librong kanyang
pinag-aaralan. Kaya ang ina naman ang bumasa at si Rizal ay nakinig na lamang.
Hindi rin nagtagal at ang bata ay napagod sa pakikinig. Siya ay nalibang ng
mabuti sa mga gamu-gamo na naglalaro sa ilaw. Minsan si Rizal ay naghikab at
napansin ng ina na hindi na ito nakikinig. Huminto ito ng pagbasa at saka
nagwika, “Ngayon ay babasahin ko sa iyo ang isang marikit na kwento. Makinig
kang mabuti”. Nang marinig ni Rizal ang salitang “kwento” nadilat ang kanyang
mga mata at tumingin sa ina. Dagling nawala ang kanyang antok. Mayroon daw
dalawang gamu-gamo, isang matanda at isang bata. Maibigin silang maglaro sa
tabi ng ilaw na kandila. Isang gabi ang batang gamu-gamo ay lumipad nang
lubhang malapit sa ningas ng kandila. “Mag-ingat ka!” ang tawag ng matandang
gamu-gamo. “Baka masunog ang pakpak mo ay hindi ka na makalipad.” “Hindi ako
natatakot” ang mayabang na sagot ng batang gamu-gamo. At nagpatuloy siya ng
paglipad sa paligid-ligid ng magandang ningas. Minsan, sa kanyang paglipad ay
nadikit sa ningas ang kanyang pakpak at siya ay nalaglag sa mesa. “Sinabi ko na
nga ba sa iyo” ang sabi ng matandang gamu-gamo. “Ngayon ay hindi ka na
makalilipad na muli.” Samantalang nakikinig si Rizal sa kwento nalilibang naman
siya sa maliliit na gamu-gamong naglalaro sa kanilang ilaw. Napansin nya ang
malaking hangad ng maliliit na kulisap na makalapit sa ilaw sa paghanap ng
liwanag kahit mapanganib. At nang masunog ang pakpak at malaglag sa mesa ang
batang gamu-gamo sa kwento ay siya ring pagkasunog ng pakpak at pagkalaglag ng
isang tunay na gamu-gamo sa langis ng tinghoy. Dahil sa pagkalibang sa mga
gamu-gamo, hindi na niya napansin tapos na sa pagbasa ang kanyang ina. Isang
mahalagang bagay ang kanyang natutunan. Nang sila ay matutulog na nang gabing
iyon, sinabi ng kanyang ina kay Rizal, “Huwag mong paparisan ang ginawa ng
batang gamu-gamo. Makikinig ka sa pangaral upang ikaw ay hindi mapahamak.”
We can learn
about obedience from the story of Rizal and the moth. But obeying one’s parents
is not just from a simple moth story but it is actually a direct command from
God. Ephesians 6:1 says,
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” The word obey in this verse cannot be separated from the idea of “honoring” them. Ephesians 6:2-3 continues, “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first command with a promise – so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.”
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” The word obey in this verse cannot be separated from the idea of “honoring” them. Ephesians 6:2-3 continues, “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first command with a promise – so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.”
It may be
sometimes difficult to obey and honor our parents but Proverbs 13:1 teaches us
that those who listen to their parents gain wisdom: “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not
respond to rebukes”. God’s design is for children, like us, to honor and
obey our parents as we grow up so that we can live wisely. At the same time,
parents also need to set good examples to their children. As we learn respect
at home, we will learn to respect others when we leave our homes. Even young
Jesus, as written in Luke 2:51-52, even though He is the Son of God, He obeyed
His earthly parents and as a result grew in wisdom. So if you all want to grow
in wisdom, obey your parents and most of all obey the commandments of God.2
Luke 2:51-52 New
International Version (NIV) 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was
obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in
wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
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The next letter O stands for OPPORTUNITY.
Being a doctor is not an easy job. We encounter different types
of people…different personalities…some of which are not so pleasant and
sometimes it can be really exhausting. But looking back on all the things I had
to go through during my residency training, I realized that the difficulties
were a part of preparing me to become a better doctor equipped to help problems
of patients that I’ll be dealing with in the future. I know there are still a
lot of hurdles ahead but knowing God is with me every step of the way makes all
the difference.
As Christians, we need to see obstacles as opportunities…an
opportunity to gain strength, improve as individuals and increase in faith.
This is often how God works. What we often see as obstacles, failures, and
disappointments are actually opportunities He has planned to bless us. Let's
briefly look at a few examples in the Bible: 3
Joseph (Genesis 37:1 -
50:26) was betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. Even
though he served faithfully, he was falsely accused by his master's wife
because he resisted her sexual advances. This led to Joseph being sent to
prison. Despite all this turmoil, God was using this period in his life as
"leadership training" for Joseph. After a number of years - through
God's miraculous working - Joseph went on to become the Prime Minister of
Egypt, second in command only to the King. He was in overall charge of the
country's economy and successfully steered Egypt through a seven-year drought. When
Joseph was reunited with his brothers, after years of separation, he told them
with confidence, "God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you
in the earth and save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you
who sent me here, but God, and has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all
his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 45:7,8).
God was orchestrating Joseph's life all along! God actually used the cruelty
and injustice Joseph suffered to get him to the right place at the right time!
David (1 Samuel 17) was in
his youth when he stood before Goliath - an experienced soldier who stood over
10 feet tall. If you come to think of it, how can a young boy even stand a
chance to fight with this giant? His own brothers even tried to belittle him. The
King of Israel doubted him. However, David was in God's hands. What seemed like
the most one-sided battle in history was a divine setup to launch David into
supernatural promotion. It was this battle that launched David into national
prominence and set off a chain of events that God used to make David King of
Israel and one of the most revered men in biblical history. With one stone the
boy David defeated Goliath. Who could have been the One who gave David the
victory but God?
Daniel and his 3 friends
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to the idol set up by the King of
Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, so he had them thrown into a fiery furnace. But they
weren’t frightened. They would rather perish than be unfaithful to the true and
living God. God did not save them from being thrown into the fire. But He did something
better. He preserved them IN the fire! Daniel 3:27 says "the fire had no
power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed; neither were
their garments scorched or changed in color or condition, nor had even the
smell of smoke clung to them." What surely seemed to be the end of these
men was just the beginning. Nebuchadnezzar was so astounded by God's intervention,
he blessed God himself and decreed that anyone speaking against God would be
destroyed! What a turnaround! He then promoted the 3 men in his kingdom.
John Maxwell shares in his book “Think on These Things” that
Jesus is Someone we should look up to as He lived a perfect example.
“Jesus experienced misunderstanding, ingratitude, and
rejection. But He was never bitter, discouraged, or overcome. To Him, every
obstacle was an OPPORTUNITY. Brokenheartedness? An opportunity to comfort.
Disease? An opportunity to heal. Hatred? An opportunity to love. Temptation? An
opportunity to overcome. Sin? An opportunity to forgive.”4
I pray that we can all see pass
our most dire situations and realize that every obstacle is an opportunity for
God’s miraculous works and blessings to manifest in our lives.
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The 4th letter
is K-Keep humble. If you had a billion dollars, what would you do? Buy condo
units in La Verti or in BGC or probably 10 houses in Ayala Alabang or Forbes
Park Makati? Buy a yacht or a luxury car like a Jaguar or Porsche? Maybe travel
around the world?
I came across an online article about self-made
millionaires/billionaires who have remained grounded despite their
accomplishments. I would like to share about a few of them today.
Following Steve Job’s resignation from the position of CEO in
August 2011, Tim Cook became the face of Apple. Cook has an estimated net worth
of $400 million. Living modestly in Palo Alto, California, he bought his 2,400
square foot condo for $1.9 million in 2010. In the book, Inside Apple, he was
quoted saying, “I like to be reminded of where I came from, and putting myself
in modest surroundings helps me do that. Money is not a motivator for me.” Son
of a shipyward worker father and homemaker mother, he stays true to his
philosophy of living grounded and humble regardless of his success and wealth.
Next is Chuck Feeney, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers Group,
his net worth is currently $2 million (because he’s given away billions). A
Depression-era veteran with a strict personal motto: “I set out to work hard,
not get rich.” The co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers has donated more than $4
billion to disadvantaged children and public health initiatives, all while
going to great lengths to remain an anonymous donor. “He has no ego…He always
chooses the second-cheapest wine from the wine list,” according to his
biographer, former Irish Times journalist Conor O’Clery. “When we traveled
together he was always dressed like a down-at-heel American tourist.”
Last but definitely not the least, Carlos Slim Helu, chairman
and CEO of Telmex, may be the wealthiest person on the planet with a net worth
of 69 billion dollars but that doesn’t mean he’s an extravagant spender. The
self-made billionaire lives in the same modest six-bedroom house he has owned
for the past 30 years and still drives himself to work according to The Week.
And according to the writer of the online article, as far as they can tell, he
does not own a yacht nor a private plane.
The rich men I mentioned have remained humble despite their
status in life. For us to appreciate humility even more, let us compare it with
its opposite quality, which is pride or self-centeredness.5
Pride says: “Don’t tell me anything. I
already know it all.”
Humility says: “Thanks for your advice
and help.”
Pride says: “I need, I want, I deserve.”
Humility
says: “He needs, they want, you deserve.”
Pride says: “God, I am so much better
than my fellow man.”
Humility says: “Lord, have mercy on me,
a sinner.”
Pride criticizes others to tear them
down.
Humility praises others in order to
build them up.
Pride exalts himself but God resists
him.
Humility humbles himself before God and
God lifts him up.
Pride says: “I can do all things.”
Humility says: “I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me.”
Pride says: “I want to be served.”
Humility says: “I did not come to be
served but to serve.”
In Philippians 2:3-11, we are reminded of the most beautiful
example of humility. Christ, who is one with God and King of
everything, humbled Himself and came to earth as a man. He left behind His
glory and willingly lived a life of suffering, rejection and pain. In obedience
to the Father, He chose to die the most painful and humiliating way ever devised
by man. In His humility on the cross, He made a way for us to have a
relationship with Him once again and brought glory to God. One day every knee
will bow to our humble King and everyone will proclaim He is Lord. By having
the right view of ourselves, in humility, we recognize that we are nothing
apart from God. Thru God we can be forgiven and He can give us the ability to
live in humility.6
Let’s go to letter U- Understand
God is in control.
To those of you who don’t know me personally, I am currently
a 3rd year medical resident at Manila Doctors Hospital. I am the
daughter of loving parents, Holiday and Tony. My mama is also a doctor and my
papa is a businessman. I have two younger siblings. My brother Luigi is a
flutist, who is currently taking his Masteral in Elizabeth University of Music in Hiroshima, Japan and my sister is an incoming college freshman student in UP Manila.
When I was in high school, I applied at the top 3 universities for college. The easiest entrance examination for me was the DLSU exam and the hardest for me was in Ateneo. At that time, I honestly wanted to pass in La Salle because it is near my mom’s clinic and I wanted to take up BS Psychology. Since it is an expensive school, I applied for a scholarship but unfortunately, I didn’t get in. I was devastated. My thinking then was if I didn’t pass the easiest exam, how on earth was I going to pass the Ateneo exam and the UPCAT? Which were both more difficult than the DLSUCET. But God had better plans for me. I realized then that even if I felt insecure and I doubted my capabilities, God is in control. I passed the Ateneo exam as well as the UPCAT. I decided to study at the premier state university and took BS Nursing as my pre-med course. The rest is history.
When I was in high school, I applied at the top 3 universities for college. The easiest entrance examination for me was the DLSU exam and the hardest for me was in Ateneo. At that time, I honestly wanted to pass in La Salle because it is near my mom’s clinic and I wanted to take up BS Psychology. Since it is an expensive school, I applied for a scholarship but unfortunately, I didn’t get in. I was devastated. My thinking then was if I didn’t pass the easiest exam, how on earth was I going to pass the Ateneo exam and the UPCAT? Which were both more difficult than the DLSUCET. But God had better plans for me. I realized then that even if I felt insecure and I doubted my capabilities, God is in control. I passed the Ateneo exam as well as the UPCAT. I decided to study at the premier state university and took BS Nursing as my pre-med course. The rest is history.
Indeed, there will be moments in our lives when we feel that
things aren’t really going the way we want it to be. Anna Bachinsky wrote an
article entitled, “When God Makes You Wait”. She gave examples of Bible
characters like Lazarus, David, Moses, Joseph, and Abraham, who had to wait for
God. I would like to share with you an excerpt of her article.7
“Jesus could have come and healed Lazarus when he was still alive.
Instead, He waited to raise him from the dead when he was already in his grave.
God could have made David become king the day after he was anointed, instead,
he waited 15 years to rise to the throne, many of those years spent fearing for
his life, hiding out and running away from his own father-in-law. God could
have spoken to Moses in the desert about sending him to help free His people
from slavery 40 days after he ran away from Egypt, instead, He made him wait
for 40 long years. God could have gotten Joseph out of prison one year after he
was sentenced there. Instead, he was stuck in that dungeon for 10 years before
he was finally set free. God could have given Abraham the son He promised him
when he was still a young man. Instead, He waited until he was 100 years old,
at a time that conceiving would have been difficult given his age. God could
have answered and met the needs of these men much quicker but He didn’t. He
made them wait instead. And He often makes us do the same… He kept Moses in a
desert for 40 years. Joseph in a prison cell for 10 years. Abraham without a
child for 100 years. David on the run for 15 years. And maybe He is keeping you
right where you’re at for the same reason He kept these men for so many years: to
build your faith. To build your faith in a dungeon cell, during the valley in
your life where it’s too dark to see and too hard to believe. To build your
dependence on Him when you are barren and empty and to see if He is truly all
you desire and all you need. To see how well you will trust and serve Him when
you are still stuck in the background somewhere, doing seemingly nothing too
significant for Him. To build your trust in Him when the storm keeps raging,
the battle keeps going and breakthrough and victory doesn’t seem near.
See…sometimes the waiting period of our lives is the most important time in our
life. It is during this period when nothing seems to be happening, when prayers
seem to go unanswered, when God seems so far away that the most spiritual
growth takes place in our lives. That we learn to become more like Him…that we
learn to only depend on Him. Don’t allow your waiting period to make you
hopeless about what tomorrow will bring. Instead, let it build your faith and give
you even greater hope for what God has prepared for you.”
The same reason God made Lazarus, David, Moses, Joseph, and
Abraham, wait is most likely the same reason why I had
to wait and go through the disappointments in my life… to build my faith and learn not to be discouraged because
God is in control.
Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take
heart and wait for the Lord.” God also gives us the promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “I
know the plans I have for you, plans to make you prosper and not for evil,
plans to give you a future and a hope.”
Last but not the least, P - Pray always.
James 5:13, 16-18 declares, “Is anyone among you suffering?
Let him pray. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” The
power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power
resides in the God who is being prayed to.8 1 John 5:14-15 tells us,
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever
we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.” Philippians 4:6-7 also
tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.”
Dear graduates, I encourage all of you to pray to God that He
would continue to be with you as you face another chapter of your life which is
high school and to guide you in every decision you make in the future - like
choosing what college degree or career path to take - and that whatever you do,
I hope you would only aim to give glory to His name. And also pray that He’ll
continue to prepare you for that heavenly home because our ultimate goal is to
be with Him in heaven. So remember, LOOK
UP – L for LOVE, O for OBEDIENCE, O for OPPORTUNITY, K for KEEP
HUMBLE, U for UNDERSTAND GOD IS IN
CONTROL and P for PRAY ALWAYS. Keep
looking up, keep looking to God…You need not worry about tomorrow because if
you keep your eyes on Him, if you keep trusting on His promises, I assure you
that His best for your life is yet to come.
Congratulations dear graduates and may God bless us all! J
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| With my Lola and friend, RJ. |
References:
4. Maxwell, John. “Think on These Things”.
5. http://www.thebiblewayonline.com/Active/Life%20of%20Christ-Humble.html
