By Dr. Ces Reyes, BCBP Alabang Chapter
The opportunity to make a difference, to take care and deliver their babies, and the honor of becoming a part of their family are basically the reasons why I continue to commit to the oath I took when I became a doctor.
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
My husband and I joined the BCBP in 2003, two years into our marriage when I was barely starting my Obstetrics practice. My work, our business, and our children took precedence over BCBP to the point that we made up excuses for us not to attend the Action Group Meetings and different activities.
But when we were called to serve as Assistant Discussion Leaders in 2006, I was really skeptic because 13 Saturdays of the Christian Life Program would definitely affect my clinic. Less patients mean less income for me.
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace… where there is doubt, let me bring faith.”
And as the Lord has planned, He made Jonathan his instrument when he said, “Honey, and daming blessings na binibigay ni God sa atin. Now that He is asking us to serve, nagdadalawang isip ka pa.”
I gave up my Saturday clinics, served and since then, the Lord never abandoned me and has been blessing me with a flourishing practice.
That was my turning point — when I discovered what God’s purpose was for me.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms,” as quoted from 1Peter 4:10.
BCBP became my family’s way of life. Its members became my family, too. Jon and I became functional and committed members of the community. Our boldness to pass on our faith and the Never-Say-No attitude to service brought us to where we are today, from Action Group Leaders, Unit Leaders, Programs and Services Directors and presently as Chapter Head of the strong, bold and fearless BCBP Alabang.
Jon and I never said “no” to service because we personally felt like we are rejecting the Lord’s invitation. I made myself available for service so much so that I had to adjust my clinic schedule so I could attend CLPs, Breakfasts and other BCBP activities, attended AGMs of our members even if I had only few hours of sleep from a labor watch the previous night, gave up the offer of Department Head of Obstetrics in the hospital I’m with to help and support my husband in his service.
Serving the Lord is not confined within the walls of BCBP and my family. It has greatly influenced my medical practice, too. In my daily prayers, I thank the Lord for entrusting me patients to take care of. I lift them all of up to the Lord and ask for guidance for all the decisions I have to make for them.
In difficult cases, I pray that the Lord be with me always, to guide me in saying the right words to comfort them and relieve them of their anxieties and for me to see His face in each of them.
True happiness is not gained when you just receive it. But it can be enjoyed when you share it with others. Romans 1:11-12 says, “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong — that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”
My profession became my avenue for inviting my patients to the BCBP, to share my blessings and pay it forward. This is my simplest way of giving back… to give them the cha
nce to experience and feel the Lord’s genuine love through the love of the community. I want them to feel what I felt, to experience the kind of happiness and peace I experienced, and get to know and to trust the Lord like I did.
To end, I would like to recount to you John 1: 40-42. “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon Peter and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’ And he brought him to Jesus.”
Brothers, Andrew and Simon Peter left everything behind them to follow Jesus to be “Fishers of Men.” We all know Peter because he preached many sermons. But remember, there would never be any sermon from him if not for Andrew who led him and introduced him to Jesus. He did not tell him to come to Christ. Instead, he led him to the Lord and made the introduction. Andrew was the less popular brother. But the role he played was crucial to Peter’s life. I want to be like Andrew, the less popular one, who works in the background, but still plays a vital role to many.
There are a lot of “Peters” all around us who are waiting to be found and won to the Lord. Will you be “Andrew” and seek to win them for Him?
As for me, I want to be an “Andrew,” and
I will continue to be an “Andrew” because I would like to lead “Peters” to Christ.
What is more rewarding and more important than introducing other people to the Lord?
(As shared during the Friday night Worship Assembly at the 38th National Annual Convention (NAC) in Subic Bay, 27 April 2018)
