A Glimpse of Grief, A Whisper of Faith

After finishing our supper, a wave of emotion swept over me—my heart ached with a quiet, familiar longing. Memories of my father gently rushed in, uninvited yet deeply welcome. I miss him—truly, deeply.

It was the last week of May 2016. I was in Pangasinan, preoccupied with preparations for my final exams and the upcoming defense of my thesis proposal. In the midst of that academic chaos, I received a text from my mother: “Your father has been rushed to the hospital. Please pray for him.”

The moment I read it, I knew something was wrong—deeply wrong. The next day, I fasted and prayed fervently for my father’s healing. But my heart and mind were torn—between school demands and a gnawing fear for my father's condition. I tried to stay strong, to hold onto hope.

Yet no updates came from my mother or anyone in the family, no matter how many times I reached out. Their silence became a loud answer. Deep inside, I began to suspect what I was so desperate to deny: that my father may have already left us. My heart whispered what I didn’t want to hear.

It was a Saturday night, just after our devotion with the Torres family—whom I was staying with while pursuing my second degree—when Pastora gently broke the news. My father had passed away.

Even though I had sensed it, the confirmation hit me like a storm. I went numb. And then I cried—a river of grief I couldn’t hold back. Rev. Torres and his wife lovingly accompanied me home after hearing the news.

When I finally saw my father's lifeless body, I felt a deeper kind of pain—but amid the sorrow, I heard God's voice in my heart. He gently said: “Let go. It is My will. Your father is home now—resting.”

To this day, the ache remains. Losing one of the most important people in my life left a wound that time alone cannot heal. But I believe that in slowly learning to accept this truth, healing will come. God has a purpose in every season—yes, even in loss.

He is comforting me. He is healing my broken heart, and I trust He is doing the same for my family. God has become my refuge, my strength. Though I do not fully understand His ways, I choose faith. I choose love. And I will continue to hope and trust in Him.

Life is truly fleeting. No one escapes death, no matter how hard we resist its coming. This truth urges us to live each day with purpose—so that when the end comes, our eternity is secured in the loving arms of the Father.

> “May you be richly rewarded by the Lord,

the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come

to take refuge.” – Ruth 2:12