FEAR NOT!

    In this article, I would like you to be enlightened with the word FEAR!

This word is so much abused. Sometimes because of fear, we become inconsistent. We have a tendency to lie. Sometimes as well, we have to omit an act because of FEAR. We chose not to do things that might produce bad results. Uhmmm… 

Yes! Fear might produce different result that may cause troubles. But it is just MIGHT! Not a REALITY yet.

I am not saying that I do not have fear. Of course, I’m also normal. Fear is natural. Even you, yourself have that fear! But how do we overcome fear?  

        I have this experience when I was nine (9) years old. It is still vivid in my mind until now. One of the horrible experiences in my life is in the year 1991. November of the said year, Ormoc City experienced Typhoon Uring. Unlike Super Typhoon Yolanda, the information about the storm in that year is very limited. In Ormoc, few have Television.

There is no access with the internet unlike today. There was limited number of computers and even our school does not have at least one. I must confess that I have not yet seen a computer at that time. There was also no smart phone. Yes, I heard the news over the radio that there will be a storm. But the dissemination of no classes in schools is very poor.

November 5, 1991, the rain at that time was very hard. However, since there was no warning that the classes will be suspended, my brothers and I went to the schools. In fact, I could still remember that there were many pupils going to school at that time. At 9 AM, our teacher advised us to go home because of Typhoon Uring.

My father, who was already waiting outside our school, fetched us. Before we left the school, I was mesmerized by other pupils who were still playing the rainfall. They enjoyed every drop of the rain. As a child I was attempted to join with the other pupils but sadly, my father was eager to go home. 

When we reached our place, my brothers and I asked our mother to give us a chance to play with the rain outside. She agreed and we enjoyed the time we were outside together with our neighbors. In front of our house is a newly plowed rice field. It is filled with water because of heavy rain and we were enjoying catching catfish.

If you tried eating catfish, I really love to eat it. Barbecued catfish is really an easiest and delicious way of cooking it. We ate together with my brothers and my mother. My father did not join us at that time because he was still driving a tricycle as a means of living.

At 10:30 AM, my mother was busy attending with our neighbors who were evacuating in our house. We accommodated at least two (2) families during that time. They brought their piglets, their clothes and some food. It was nice remembering that at least we helped another family to rest in our house. This is a good way of serving others, giving shelter to others.

While inside our house, my mother and other visitors observed that water in the rice field overflowed already. We feared for what will happen. However, it rose above the knee level and suddenly my father arrived. 

It was exactly 11 o’clock in the morning. A few minute later while watching over the window, I saw with my two eyes a fast approaching and rolling water from a far. I don’t know if others saw it but at that time I was not panicked. But when it went near, it was approximately five (5) meters of fast rolling waters approaching our house. When it hit our house, everybody was shouting. My father hugged every one of us in our room, my Mama and my two other brothers and the visitors were also shouting outside our room. 

Everyone in the house was very shocked! As a family, we hugged each other until our house floated. As far as I remembered, when rolling water hit our house, my family held hands together. The main goal was to reach the peak of our house. My father first held the hand of my mother to pull her upward while my other brothers held tight in the two shoulders of my mother. I was holding the waist mother. But I was not pulled upward because I was got stuck between our bed and the table inside the room. I did nothing. At nine, I was really shocked with what had happened. My mother was shouting for help and asked me to move upward. But I cannot move up because I was sandwiched between the bed and the table. My force was not enough to move them away. The water was continuously rising until it went above my head. I tried to move myself above but I couldn’t. This is the reason why I don’t know how to swim until now. 

To save me, my father swam and with all his force pushed the bed and the table enough to pull me out. Because of the force of the water at that time, my father was squeezed by the table and bed as well. My mother, brothers and I cried because we couldn’t help him. We shouted for help from God. I still remember that while in this situation, my mother prayed unceasingly. She prayed “Our Father”, “Hail Mary” and “Glory” while my father used his forced to push the table and bed away, we didn’t notice that we already reached the roof of the house. Our visitors were already above the roof of our house. They heard our cry. Two of my neighbors destroyed our roof and they pulled my father between the table and bed. We really thank these neighbors; they saved the life of my father. So, our neighbors pulled us up and stayed on the top of the roof.

On top of the roof of our house, we saw nothing except the fog and the heavy rain. Together with our visitors, we prayed that we will be saved. It was very cold that time. Our tears mixed with the rains. We could feel the drop of the rains that hurt us as well. But, we didn’t mind these things. We thought of how to save ourselves until our house stopped to float. My father together with our neighbors discussed where to go but we cannot move because of the current of the water.  We waited until the rain and the current of water subside. While waiting, fear emerged about what will happen to us in this situation. Many things might happen like our house might be hit by a big trunk of the tree that will separate us, my family or the flash flood might continue and will lead us to death. What we did? We prayed for peace of mind so that we can think of solution. We should stop thinking of what will happen but rather we should call God and give us grace to overcome a very difficult situation.  

Minutes later, another neighbor saw us from afar of our situation.   They got a long electric wire, tied it tightly in the post of a building and threw the other side to us. My father tied the other end in the post of a house and again waited the water current to subside. Then each one of us was carried by my father and by other neighbors to reach the other building. At last we were saved!

I learned so many things from that experience. In fact, trauma was not taken away from my mind. I couldn’t forget everthing. When it rains too hard, flash flood will always come back to my mind. I cannot get over with it. But, fear not! I cannot move on.

Another, I don’t know how to swim until now. I just connected the reason why I couldn’t swim when I wrote this article. It was because of my experience. Many people have taught me how to swim but I did not learn. When they teach me, I will always remember the situation when water almost kills me. I am traumatized with water and I can associate it with flash flood in 1991. But, fear not! Now, I am learning how to swim and I am confident to travel by sea.

I can still remember a movie of Will Smith with his son and he said, “Fear is not real but danger is real. Don’t be afraid of fear. Be afraid of danger!” I agree with this statement because almost all of us are afraid of danger. Filipinos are fond of telling their children about monsters. I remember my parents will tell stories about monsters so that we will be frightened when their orders are not followed. There is no monster! You are already an adult.  If you wander at night and you are alone, are you going to be afraid because of fear or because of danger? If we are afraid because of fear, I tell you, that is futile. You are chased by nothing and if you stumble you will be injured. Here, injury is the danger. However, if you are afraid because of danger, that makes sense. You have to be aware that you should not be negligent while walking. You should be careful. You have to pray for protection. I believe angels from above will be sent to you for guidance. They will guard you too.

Fear not my friend. Everyday God will always remind you not to fear. The word “fear” is written for three hundred sixty five (365) times in the Holy Bible. Hence, we should be confident because God expressly tells us not to fear. 

P.S.: Pictures are not mind.