I have been out of town for almost two weeks and I miss my blog. Checking the site this morning, I realized I have a very important matter yet to write and that is the final part of my conversion story. I'm sure a lot of you are waiting to know what happened next, so this is it.
I had moved to different places since the beginning of my journey as "God myself." I have established my family and at the time before my conversion I have four children. By that time my eldest, a girl, was aged 14; the second-a boy, 12; the third-another girl, 9; and the youngest-another boy was 2. I was fresh from another dose of educational achievement having just finished my Master's degree and another degree of arrogance.
While I was standing firm on my belief and finding ways to get proof about God's non-existence. God Himself is doing a remarkable job by setting up an "Angel" within my household through my eldest child. Never did I expected that within two years of my full time graduate study, which I was out weekdays, something had changed in my daughter's character. She has a group of friends I was not familiar with, she joined a lot of activities I don't understand what. Every time they came to the house I felt the bonding among them was so intense, they laughed, they sang, they talked together. I was afraid my daughter was into some sort of fraternity/sorority. But she was in high school so "I must do something," I told myself. Later I knew the group she joined was called "Youth for Christ." What is it?I heard about Couples for Christ several years back when we were still in Ormoc City as some friends, a couple, convinced us to join their Christian group. I remembered having a debate with the husband and even almost convinced him of my atheistic principles. They never tried to invite us again,since then. Then in my current home, my close friend, who was another gambler, womanizer, and drunkard convinced me to join the same group. He told me it changed his life and his family. I laughed at him and I told him I have my own belief and I could live a peaceful life without having God. He too, never tried to convinced me again.
I realized this YFC is a young ministry of the CFC so I hardened my heart unto my daughter. I scolded her every time she joined their group. I even hit her several times just to stop her from attending camps and conferences. I didn't know if her mother told her what were the reasons. But I told my children they could be good if they just follow me and my teachings. But she insisted. Every time I hit her with a belt she would not cry, instead I heard her sing some kind of religious song, or something. Tears would fall from her eyes yet she was determined to get involved in the community. Every time she asked me to join an activity it would end into a scolding session but she was persistent until she was granted or even sneaked out when not permitted.
Then one time, coming home from an out-of town conference I saw her posting a sticker on the wall of the sala which read "Conquer All." I don't understand what it meant but I thought in my mind, my child had became a missionary. I love my daughter and inflicting her pain just to stop her from joining the group also hurt me. I realized that no matter how hard I hit her she kept strong in her own commitment to her new found God. I felt weak I don't know how to deal with it. If she meant to conquer all, that would mean including us. Now if I continue to hurt her I knew it would have an effect on her future. So instead, I planned to penetrate her circle with the intent of just closely monitoring her activity. This move proved to be the turning point in our lives.
Perhaps, God was really there orchestrating His master plan, an invitation to join a Christian Life Program (CLP) orientation came into our home. But later it came to my knowledge that it was my daughter who kept on telling the elder couples to invite us into the orientation session. Upon learning that CLP needed 12 sessions I doubted I could make it considering the hectic schedules and my lifestyle. But God really intended us to gather with his people, we completed the program with my wife not having missed any of the sessions while I missed one because of an important office assignment.
Since then my life had made a 360 degrees turn to God. I was humiliated by the fact that it is I who was evangelized by my own child. And I felt ashamed realizing I was actually a stubborn man trying to scape from the gentle embrace of my Father in heaven. Yet I was thankful God sent me an angel to make me realize His plan. And going back to my dream, I posed a moment and thought this was God meant when He said that my time is yet to come. In the CFC community I felt a chance to be part of the sheep's flock and hopefully share the banquet prepared in heaven for those who follow Him.
You can read of my early post about my community life and the difference from my old life. Please click Community Life.