In my last blog entry, I shared about my struggle at work.
Now let me share to you how the Lord drive my actions just to be where I am right now :)

There was this one company I've been wanting to work for since the day I began studying engineering.

I took up Bachelor in Science in Instrumentation and Control Engineering even though I didn't fully understand what ICE is all about.

It was my father's dream for me to be an engineer and to work there.
Since I trusted and love him, I wanted to achieve it for him.

I didn't know any company aside from it nor interested in any.
From day one of my class - working there is my end goal.

When I reached my 4th-year college, our class got the chance to visit that company and see what are they doing in reality.

I don't know but when I came there it feels that it wasn't the job that I'm expecting - the one I wanted.
It felt my long-time dream wasn't really my dream after all.

In our 5th-year, internship came and I'm still not decided yet if I will apply to them or not - until I lost the chance to work at my so-called "dream company".

When I started passing my resume, the first one who invited me for an interview was also the first one who called me back and accepted me to be their intern.

I was got absorbed and proceed to work for them. 🙂

Life has "what ifs"
For me, one is "what if I'm working at my dream company now?"

Maybe, I'm earning big now.
I have bigger savings and I could give more to my family.
I might also have traveled to Europe or America and more countries.
I might be a little closer to the world because I'm able to reach many of them
- yet one thing I will miss...

Did you know that right here, my life became meaningful?
Here, I met good people and here, I met the Lord.
Here, I found new relationships - and my favorite is with Jesus.
Here, I learned many things - and the greatest is the one I learned from Him.

I strongly believe that blessings are not about the place.
Wherever I am, if God wants to bless me, He can and He will.
It is not the place who gives me the blessing.
It is God and where He is.
If He is with you in that place - for you in that circumstance - and in you at that moment, then that place is all good and perfect.
God, Himself is the ultimate blessing.

I remembered this verse from Mark 8:36
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

I might have achieved all those things but without Him - it is nothing compared to the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ.
The things I gain right here have become my treasure and they are far more worthy than any silver or gold, rubies or any gems stone I could name of.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.
- Philippians 3:7-9a (NLT)

God has blessed me with things more than I could think of.

Jesus has given me purpose and meaning beyond I could ever imagine.

So if I could turn back time, I would still choose where I am right now.

"Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. 
Rather, you must seek the LORD your God at the place of worship he himself will choose...the place where his name will be honored.
There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes..."
- Deuteronomy 12:4-6 (NLT)

If it's me alone,
I don't think I will be here.
I'm not sure if I will stay here.
But one thing I know - He is the one who chooses where to establish His name, where to celebrate it and where to glorify it.
He chooses where to give Him offerings and sacrifices.
And for my case - He brought me here.

I was saying to the Lord since He is everywhere, I can serve Him anywhere - anywhere but not here at my workplace anymore.
I was asking Him to allow me to leave my job.

I quoted Deuteronomy 12:4-6 yet the Lord kept repeating at me to serve Him wherever He has put me.
15 times from Deuteronomy 12 to 16, the Lord has impressed on my heart that He chooses the place where I am right now for me to serve Him.

Pagan peoples worship their god the way they wanted but not us.
We worship Him the way He wanted.

Maybe you are asking how did I know that He wanted me to serve here at my current workplace.

All throughout my journey at work, the Lord has been so faithful to me.

Looking back, it all began with personally meeting Him here where I am right now.
This is the place where He founds me.

He even moved my workplace from Makati City to Quezon City where I am living until now.
If you know the map you will see that they are opposite and far from each other.
So maybe if he did not move our office I cannot stay longer because traveling has been so challenging in Metro Manila - yet the Lord has given me less stress for this.

Next, this is where I have started serving Him through discipleship and ministry.
He has given me women to disciple both inside and outside the office.
We usually meet at a mall in front of our building.
He then changed my work-schedule which made discipleship easier.
The Lord opens as well a satellite branch in front of us - and the singles ministry called for volunteers.
He knew I was planning to volunteer at our main church however, it's hard for me to travel there every Friday since it's out of the way.
Serving the Lord through discipleship groups and singles ministry made me worried as my parents don't want me to stay late outside but God granted me a favor in their eyes.

Lastly, God has made my workplace enduring by giving me people whom I can share my struggles with and be encouraged.
Truly it is more fun to walk with the Lord with someone who pursues the Lord from a pure heart.

I didn't realize all these things at first.
They didn't happen in an instant for it took years of God's faithfulness and patience.

It was not easy for me to obey Him for I cannot fully understand what He is doing.
I just hold to this thought that isn't it a blessing for me that there is no other reason aside from Him why I stay here?
Not the people, not the earnings nor my position. It is only Him who holds me here - my portion, my reward.

I can still choose to leave this place and be a better servant for my next workplace but I won't have peace if I'll do it because I believe that the Lord wants my obedience more than my sacrifices.

If you have doubts, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your own convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, it is sinning.

This was my prayer back then when my work told me I will go to India for 2 weeks.
I was excited and at the same time afraid.
Excited because it will be my first time to travel abroad and afraid because I'm all alone.
I would have more peace, I think if it is in Japan, Korea, USA or Europe even if I'm all alone.
Also, most of the people who will know I would go there will say something that is not encouraging for me, which made my heart disheartened all the more.

So what did I do?
Since I believed God has something for me,
I asked for personal prayers (the one that I would be able to hear or read like text messages).
I also chose to believe God's goodness. Thinking only whatever is true, pure, lovely, admirable, trustworthy, and praiseworthy.
I committed everything to Him.

I wanted to go to India (aside from work), not because of the tourist spots, good foods or celebrities but because I want to experience the Lord there.

The day of my flight came. The feeling is still the same, excited and afraid (30% excited, 70% afraid).
My boyfriend prayed for me at the airport yet my travel confidence is still low.
Since I came on board super early, I had my quiet time. I was in Ezekiel back then...
Know how it ends?
Ezekiel 48:35 (NASB)

..the name of the city from that day shall be, 'The Lord is there.

Hearing this from the Lord boosted my confidence to the point of crying literally. This reminder cast out all my fears and worries. He never failed to encourage me.

Originally, I would just go to India yet it seems that the Lord also wanted me to experience Singapore (remember I'm praying for a side trip?)

Well, the company also sent me to Singapore for a different agenda and allowed me to stay there for more days.
And guess what?
The company of my boyfriend also sent him there!

God made my heart full!
I was only asking for India side trips - yet He allowed me to enjoy Singapore as well.
I thought I would be touring just with my colleague - yet He allowed me and my boyfriend to enjoy our first travel abroad (all free! charged to Him!).

At India

At Singapore

I enjoyed India a lot! so rich in culture and good people, they are accommodating and hard-working. The Lord uses the people there to show His goodness and care towards me.
I celebrated my 27th birthday there and I really appreciated everything they did for me.

My Indian Birthday Cake :)

I left India that afternoon of my birthday.
While waiting for my flight heading to Singapore, I felt like the Lord is dating me - the sweetest dinner date I ever had and it's so special.

Have you ever felt stressed because you know the Lord is not approving of your plans?
In fact, He has been telling you to do the exact opposite of it.

In my case, I have been telling the Lord that I want to quit my current job and find another since almost all of them are leaving.
Knowing that the Lord is not allowing me, His words became a burden and not encouraging for me at all.

A friend shared a quote with me one day, it says, "Find a good boss, not a good company." I said to myself "Wow, that's comforting."
I shared this quote with my accountability partner and she replied that it was a very worldly comfort.
I agreed in my heart that she was right, but what would I do? I liked it.
I liked the fact that the world is supporting me.
I was so sad because I knew my heart is not right.
I asked God to change me even though what I really wanted is Him to change His mind.

The next morning, as the Lord is always Faithful and Sovereign, spoke to me in Deuteronomy 23:6, it says, "You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days."

Moses is reminding the Israelites that when they entered the Promise Land, they should never seek the peace and prosperity of the nations that surround them specifically the Ammonites and Moabites.

As citizens of heaven, we are not to look for the peace that this world could offer because they will never be reliable.
Peace and prosperity is not the absence of troubles and difficulties but the very presence of God in the midst of it all.
Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give it to you.

I don't know what happened but my heart suddenly changed. His faithfulness is truly my relief.