Embarkation

I used to be a Catholic, a good practicing Catholic. But as I grew up, I started to question things - their beliefs, their rituals, and their actions. Most of them didn't make sense to me at all. And so I became agnostic.

I am a scholar. My country paid for my tuition and I have achieved numerous academic awards that helped me grab a superb job.
I am an athlete. I was the men's team captain for fencing and have achieved numerous medals. I also workout and chiseled myself with a set of 6 pack abs.
I am a leader. I was in the student council as a representative for computer science and have done projects that benefited the students, the school, and the community.

I was proud. I was confident. I was sad.

Sad because I did not know what will happen when I die. Everything I have accomplished means nothing. In my sadness, I remembered God. And after 7 years of being agnostic, I prayed again. I prayed for an answer. And then I met Kristine.


Kristine is my colleague from Procter & Gamble. We were both new hires and we both came from the same school, University of the Philippines Diliman. I was attracted to Kristine. Not just because of her beauty and brains, but also because she was emotionally and spiritually strong and she always looks happy. I asked her out not for a date for a chat. She told me she is a Christian. A Christian with a personal relationship with God. And I found out that she gets her strength from God.

I told her about my faith, but she told me that God for me was just a concept. I was baffled, she was right. I believed that there is a God, but I didn't know Him. It then struck me. I want to have a personal relationship with God. I asked for Kristine's help.

After a few days, I started going to their worship service at CCF. She told me though that Christianity is not just about going to the service, it's about your relationship with God. It is a long journey and I will understand along the way. I could imagine her saying, "Have a wonderful journey," as she gave me a Bible and a devotional book. Her eyes were a bit teary, but I can tell she is very happy. Happy because I chose the path to Jesus.