Single and Happy: Finding Your Love Life Every Day

Why Am I a Missionary?

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

John 15:13

This is a story of how I found the love of God in my life.

It was an encounter with the Good Shepherd.

I knew my life will never be enough to pay back Jesus' love, but I asked Him, "Lord, how? Tell me, how can I love you back?"

He answered, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34)

Love as I have loved and live as I have lived.

Am I loving the way Jesus loves? Am I living the way Jesus lives?

"Gelo, I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold, these also I must lead. They will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. Bring them back to their shepherd, bring them home"

This is the message I received from God when He called me.

I remember having a deep desire to transform the world.

We all have.

I realized afterward that that desire to transform the world is not only from our altruistic capacity but born from the authenticity of our faith, our prayer.

I wanted to make a big impact. I reflected about my work as an IT Business Analyst.

I was blessed. I had a good job in a good place. I worked for about four years as a professional. I had all the things that my parents wanted for me – job security, savings, insurance, and investments. I had a good salary, I earned more than what my mother, father, sister, and brother earn, combined. I had the opportunity to travel to different places. I was living a good life.

I was not someone totally ignorant about God. I was a lay missionary in our community. I was aware that my first mission was my family, friends and work. God placed me where I was to do His will – to love my co-workers (although it's not that easy most of the time) and do my work for the purpose and glory of God (though sometimes just for the purpose of earning money).

Still, there was something within me that invited me to move to another place. It was to teach, write a book, contribute to society, and build a business. I discerned it for months and decided to push on with it. My savings were ready and I had my plan to enroll in UP Diliman for Masters in Sociology, hoping that I may pursue doctoral in the future.

Part of my project of life too was to use this knowledge to build a business for the good of many, together with my closest friends, our "Brighter Future" company. I was fully decided with it, let's get it on! But before that, to double check my desires, I went for a second opinion, I asked a missionary to help me finalize my discernment. That missionary was a doctor and a former surgeon, now, a priest.

We went to grab some coffee in Robinson Manila. He taught me the basics of discernment. I guess the Holy Spirit talked through Him; I cannot remember it completely word by word, but we had this kind of conversation where he asked me questions to dig down the root of all I desire to change.

"Gelo, what do you think is the cause of the social problem in the world? Let us say in the hospital system?" he asked.

"The main problem I see is the lack of medicines and materials," I said.

"Why do we have a lack of medicines?" He continued.

"Probably because of lack of budget by the government," I replied.

"Why do we have a lack of budget?" He asked.

"Maybe because some of the budget are placed into, let's say, wrong hands."

"Why are they placed in the wrong hands?" He asked.

"Because people are greedy?" I doubtingly answered.

"Why are they greedy?" he asked.

"Because they get power, honor and pleasure from the money they get," I replied.

"Why do they want it?" He asked for the last time.

"Because they desire love," I realized.

We seek for love and we find a piece of it from the material things we get and honor we receive from others.

We go and go and go for it, to the point of disregarding the consequences of the selfish decisions we made as we pursue our own desires.

It was very clear to me in that moment that the root-cause of our social problem is the emptiness and never-ending desires in our hearts.

The social problem and unjust structure we have are only the accumulation of many personal sins and many searches for love in wrong places.

Yes, I found it, that is what I wanted to heal.

As Christian, we believe that Christ died for us for this very reason – that we may find life and love in Him and not from other things.

The transformation of the world starts from the transformation of our hearts.

I ended my discernment session with that priest. Instead of finding an answer, I found more questions. I asked myself, "What is really the call of God in my life?"

I prayed about it for the next few months and in one of my dialogue with Jesus, He asked me.

"Gelo, do you want to change the society?"

"Yes, Lord," I said

"Gelo, do you want to feed the hungry and fill up the emptiness of the people?"

"Yes, Lord," I affirmed.

"Gelo, do you want to heal broken relationships and give meaning back to each person's life?"

"Yes Lord," I answered for the third time.

"Gelo, bring them home. Bring them back to their good shepherd. Bring me home in them. They are my beloved, bring them back to their lover."

"Yes, Lord, yes Lord, yes Lord," I whispered.

Tears dropped from my eyes.

I understood that He was calling me to dream bigger than my dreams, to go beyond my own plans and go to His bigger plans.

Love as I have love and live as I have lived.

"Gelo, lay down your life as I lay it down for my sheep."

Yes.

Now, I am here not because I decided to transform the world out of my own will, but because I wanted to respond to the will of God – to love you.

How about you?

In what way is God calling you to love His sheep? His people?

God has a bigger plan for each one of us and when He calls us, though we know not where He leads, follow Him.

Follow the voice that we knew within. Follow the good shepherd.

Friend, if you received the love of God when you read this book, then He is calling you now to be His missionary, the Good Shepherd for the world of today.

Bring His people back home.

Share His love to many.

Start your mission, today, by sharing the love you received.

Amen.