Since July 1 this year, I have been engaged in different activities of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (BLD), a Catholic charismatic community. I started by accepting a two-year overdue invitation to attend a Single's Encounter weekend retreat last July. The community encourages it's participants to attend the succeeding weekly Praise and Worship. Candidates who willingly heed God's call continue with the Life in the Spirit Seminar. This is a renewal of the spirit, preceeded by many sheperding sessions in which we are guided towards our reflection of God's Salvation and Love.
To any unreligious and non-practicing Christians, this may be categorized as a "Religious-fanatic" thing. Actually, it is entirely a new experince. One that I can honestly say I was not fully prepared for. Looking at it at a bigger picture, the renewal process aims to help us, God's children, to look at our lives and reflect, to acknowledge every sin and wrong doings we have made, to repent and to receive God's love, forgiveness and accept God once again in our hearts. This was the theme or process as I understood.
Not expecting anything in particular, I went through it with an open-mind and a simple prayer in my heart to maintain a good positive attitude and to simply enjoy and learn from the experience. Nearing the end of the Seminar, hesitation coupled with anxiety as to the "finale" entered my mind. To say the least I definitely did not fully prepare myself for it. It is said, that God will prepare me. I didn't even think that anything big would happen. But it did. Well, not exactly big (as others' experience are bigger than mine), but I also thought, that if God will's it, He will do it. And yes He did. I am quite dumbstruck, somehow bothered yet grateful for having received His gift.
His ways are beyond our ways, so I will cease putting logic in this and offer all else that came along with it to Him. God love's us (^^,)
