Those Who Experience Emptiness Will Be Able To Give More

I was in the ATM Booth and waiting for my turn to withdraw some money. The waiting line was too long because the government already released the budget for the 4P’s beneficiaries. It’s a program that provides cash for the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. With so much excitement on their faces, the beneficiaries waited patiently to receive the cash they will spend for Christmas. Some don’t know how to operate the ATM machine, so they need to ask the guard to assist them. I was there observing the gladness in their faces as they receive the cash that they’ve been waiting for.

One lady, in particular, caught my eyes. She was pregnant, and it was her first time to withdraw the money. She was told by her neighbor that the government already transferred the money to their cards. And so she went to the nearest town to withdraw. It was her turn when she handed the card to the guard to ask for some assistance. I can see that she was so nervous at the same time, excited. And so when the guard handed her the money, the lady’s eyes brighten up, and it feels like it’s her first time in her entire life to receive that kind of amount. Her smile was so contagious, and she was full of so much excitement. She happily handed some money to the guard and thank him for helping her. Then, she went back home with so much gladness.

The incredible moment that I witnessed powerfully speaks to my heart. It’s a beautiful reminder that sometimes, I no longer appreciate what I receive because I was already used to it. I tend to keep things on my own and failed to share them with others. What I saw made me realized that sometimes, those who have nothing are the ones who will gladly share the smallest blessing that they have with others. Maybe because they already experience what it feels like to have nothing. And that feeling pushed them to help others so that they will not experience the same thing.

After that encounter, I paused for a while and utter this prayer to God:

Lord, if emptiness is the key for me to share your blessings, then do it in my life.

If pain is the only thing for me to learn how to love others, then please have your way.

If brokenness is the only solution for me to have compassion for others, then please give me the strength to overcome it.

If losing myself is the only way for me to love you then give me the courage to surrender everything.

This I ask, In Jesus Name.

Amen.