THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
DR. JUN YNARES
For the past 10 years, at around this time, I shared with our readers a letter I wrote to my eldest daughter, Cassandra.
She was just three years old when I wrote her that letter. I shared that letter in this column with the hope that she would get to read it when she is a little older.
She is all grown up now and had read this letter several times. I believe there are other little Cassandras who may still learn something from it. I missed publishing this letter last year and many of our readers called our attention about it.
So, here is that letter we are sharing for the 10th time this year.
Here, I attempted to explain to the then-three-year-old Cassandra that things happen for a purpose. That there are no accidents in life. Everything is part of one grand divine plan.
Dearest Cassandra,
The questions you ask me have not always been easy. They’re usually tough. And sometimes, I felt I might
not be able to satisfy your “Why.” My heart would break the day I see a disappointed look on your face
because you felt my answer to your “why” had not been wise.
So, I decided to write in advance my answer to an important question I knew you would ask me someday.
Now that you’ve asked, “Why is there Christmas,” I have come prepared for a Dad-answer.
Do you remember the many times I told you that, as your dad, I will make sure you have everything you need? And that the reason I do that is because I love you so much?
Well, there is another “Dad” – a much bigger “Dad” – who feels much the same way about you. You call Him God. Yes, the One you prayed to with your mom just before you went to bed every night as you were growing up.
You remember the many times I told you that you must never, never forget that I love you? Well, God wants the very same thing. He wants you to never forget how much He loves you.
To make sure you never forget, He gave you one gift. The gift is Jesus. Yes, Jesus, the baby in the manger in the mini-Bethlehem which you used to place under our Christmas tree. Jesus was born because God went out of His way to make sure you never forget you are loved by the biggest Dad of all.
God gave you Jesus because you need Him. We all need Him. We need Him because Life is too tough to live by ourselves. There’ll be problems. There’ll be people who won’t be good to you. There’ll be big disappointments. Frustrations. Sometimes, these will make you angry. Very angry.
Sometimes, these will break your heart. And, sometimes, no one, even Mom and Dad, could help you feel better. Sometimes, we won’t be there for you. That’s why God gave you Jesus. You can always talk to Him.
All you have to do is believe He is with you. Jesus promised something – that He will never leave you nor let you go through tough times all by yourself. It’s a promise you can always count on. I know.
There’s Christmas so you’ll never forget this – that Jesus was born for you.
But there’s another “why” to Christmas. Christmas reminds us that Jesus also has to be born in your heart. In you. So you can also be Jesus to others.
I know you’ll ask “why” you have to be Jesus to others. Here’s what I think.
It is because there are people in your life who will go through tough times. Through disappointments. Heartbreaks. Frustrations. They’ll be sad, sometimes very angry. And they won’t know what to do and they would feel so alone with their hurts and pains.
Someday, you will learn how to help them. How to lend them your hand. How to feel what they feel and to tell them that they have the strength within them which they need to move on. You will make them feel that they are not alone. That they have a friend in you.
When you do so, that’s being Jesus to them.
My daughter, your heart is like the manger in Bethlehem.
You will have to let Jesus lay there – for people in your life to feel his presence.
When you let that happen, the people in your life would also know what Christmas really means. Why there is Christmas.
May it always be Christmas for you.
Love,
Dad.
(For feedback, please email it to [email protected] or send it to Block 6 Lot 10 Sta. Barbara 1 cor. Bradley St., Mission Hills Subd., Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Rizal.)