Rizal Park And Tess
I have fond memories of Rizal Park. It was like a home away from home. Long before the malls became the parks of the new generation, Filipino families would flock to the park. The government spent a lot of money in turning it into a place where families and friends can leisurely spend time together.
You would see some people watching the world-renowned Manila Bay sunset at the back of the Quirino grandstand, playing volleyball, badminton, chess, having picnics, attending karate or arnis classes. Others would prefer viewing visual presentations in the Planetarium, walking through the Chinese and Japanese gardens, enjoying the sights and sounds of the free concerts or simply lying on the grass and watching the clouds move across the sky.
Nowadays, every time I have a meeting near the park, I make sure to walk through it before going home. Recently, I bought some shrimp crackers from a park vendor named Tess and sat beside her while I ate. What started as small talk ended up as a heart-warming conversation. Separated from her husband and left with four children, her broken heart led her to bad company and drug addiction in 2003. The next years up to 2007 were spent running away from the police who were constantly pursuing them. After all the trouble she went through, she decided to finally quit using drugs and start her life anew.
Tess now sells balut (a Filipino delicacy - fertilized duck egg), chicharon (fried pig skin), peanuts and shrimp crackers in the park. She is now saving up so she can supply balut to ten stores while she continues to do her own retail selling.
After telling me all these things, I felt that I should remind her about the need to have God in her life is she wanted permanent changes to take place. I proceeded to tell her of the love of God and how every one can have a fruitful life if only we would surrender the control of our lives to Him.
Please pray that God will move mightily in the life of Tess and that she may be filled with praise and thanksgiving which results in true worship!
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