Shooting Arrows

 

Adulting.

Yung paggising mo na lang isang araw, the reality of responsibilities no longer seem distant but is already in front of you, slapping you in the face. Yung pagkatapos mong matulog nang mahimbing, gigisingin ka niya gently ng 6am, or 7am only to remind you – “you’re no longer a kid so wake up, stretch those muscles and be more responsible with your life”. Oo, parang bulong lang na "Resorts World Manilaaaah!"

Ohh, quarter-life crisis.

I was talking about sorta-parenting advice on my previous blog (link here, basahin mo na rin. Haha!). Again I’m not yet a parent kaya marami pa akong dapat matutunan at ma-experience bago ako maging credible sa topic na ito. What I write about are just my thoughts.

Isa sa mga pabirong sagot ko sa tanong kung ilan ang gusto kong anak, I answer nine – and I will name them based sa “fruits of the spirit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Yeah, self-control na pagdating sa huli. Pero syempre, joke lang yung nine :)

Sabi sa Psalms 127:3-5:

³ Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.

All along, I associate parenting with diapers and feeding bottles, of tuition fees and homeworks, of PTA meetings and grading cards. But the Bible shatters this stereotyping with an unconventional comparison, at least in our context. From diaper-wielding parents to fierce warriors – sino nga bang makakapagsabi that the Bible pictures parents with bow and arrows?

They have to hit a target. And what’s their target? I suppose they are shooting their arrows toward the future – to hit a mark, to make a difference, to claim a spot. But what kind of arrow are they shooting?

Being a warrior requires discipline. Kailangan bukod sa pagiging handa sa laban, dapat magaling ka din sa paggamit ng napili mong sandata. And if children are like arrows, ang mga parents ay parang mga archers. Steady ang pulso sa pag-aim ng arrow. May malinaw na vision sa target. Sabi pa nga ng verse, mapalad ang taong puno ang quiver, o ang sisidlan ng mga arrows. So justified na ba ang nine na anak? Hahaha!

Ano naman ang aim ng mga archers, este ng parents? Hindi naman siguro sila blindly titira lang ng arrow kung saan. They have to hit a target. And what’s their target? I suppose they are shooting their arrows toward the future – to hit a mark, to make a difference, to claim a spot. But what kind of arrow are they shooting? Yung arrow ba na ititira nila will really make a difference? It depends entirely on how they will craft their arrows. Child-rearing.

From this illustration alone, I believe that being a parent is indeed difficult – molding the child, training them to follow the godly path. How will you craft an arrow that will impact the next generation? Personally, anong mga preparations na dapat kong gawin para maging magaling na arrow-crafter and warrior? Challenging.

Parenting is effective when it is demonstrated; you gotta lead by example. Sabi nga, madali lang maging tatay, pero ang maging mabuting magulang

My personal conviction is that you can begin to be an arrow-crafter and a warrior kahit hindi ka pa ganap na parent. Develop skills. Hone your talents. Fill your mind with the Word. Train yourself to be godly. Remember that you cannot give what you don’t have. Parenting is effective when it is demonstrated; you gotta lead by example. Sabi nga, madali lang maging tatay, pero ang maging mabuting magulang – it will require you not just to get past through adulting phase and quarter-life crisis. It will require you to embrace the realization that you are wielding in your quiver the arrows that will change the future.

Ok. Ready na akong supalpalin ulit ng responsibilities bukas ng umaga. Oh, adulting.