RONELLA ATHEA S.

ARGUELLES COAS2

GBOOKS REFLECTION PAPER ON THE BOOK OF JOB

“Think like a Child of God”

In the classic film, “Schindler’s List”, there was a scene where a little girl

in a red coat appeared while the Nazi soldiers were persecuting the Poland

Jews. The soldiers were setting the Jewish homes ablaze, bullets were fired in

different directions, and the Jews hastened to find a hiding place. The girl in

the red coat sauntered nonchalantly in the midst of the carnage surrounding

her. She was the symbol of innocence, and I thought it was inevitable that the

world can be so cruel towards the innocent. Nevertheless, the little girl never

thought the same nor blamed anyone for her misfortune as she walked

unfazed by the corpses that were lying on the concrete. In Job’s words,

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15). We must have the

innocence of a child since a child learns from his mentor, accepts both gifts

and punishment, and is tested by God.

“What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I

should be patient?”, says the second verse from the book of Job chapter nine.

Similar to a child in a tantrum, we would ask ourselves this when everything

starts to fall apart. It is the same as when we encounter a new problem given

to us by our teacher and we do not know the answer. We would say it is

difficult, then express our contempt towards the teacher. In our distress, we

start blaming ourselves for the lack of effort and the teacher for the lack of

sympathy. Be that as it may, the teacher actually understands the struggles

that we are facing. Comparable to a teacher, God understands our pain more

than anyone but He knows that we can withstand it. Experience builds

character, hence, we become more resilient by overcoming our obstacles. The

role of a mentor is to simply equip the students with the tools they need to

solve the problems. No matter how many times we deny Him, we need our

mentor.

I can recall the passage in Job 2:9-10 stating, “Then his (Job) wife said to

him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he

said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we

receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all of this Job did not

sin with his lips.” While I was reading the passage, I remembered the story

of Loung Ung, a childhood survivor of the Democratic Kampuchea. Loung was

ten years old when her family fell victim to the Khmer Rouge, a rebellious

group. She had witnessed her older siblings and father get taken away to

fight for the Khmer, her remaining siblings got frail from starvation, and her

once beautiful mother slowly fading away. It was a far cry from her life before

the war when her siblings were dancing in the living room and they got to eat

three full meals a day in comfortable clothes. From her story, I was able to
reflect on what it meant to truly live as a child of God. In life, I will receive

many gifts and be blessed with a wonderful family, but I can only watch as

these gifts disappear for they are replaced with more misfortunes.

Nevertheless, I have to be grateful for each and every one of them because

the blessings gave me happy memories and the trials made me stronger. If

we all had a childlike disposition, we would say that everything that was

given to us is a gift that is neither good or bad because it is the thought that

counts. A misfortune is not necessarily a punishment for even if the receiver

experiences the suffering, it could lead to something more rewarding. Hence,

the euphemism “blessing in disguise”.

God subjected Job to a test according to Job 1:8, “And the Lord said to

Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on

the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from

evil?’” I cannot comprehend what God was planning when he said this. I

assume that it was to praise His loyal follower in the presence of Satan, but

perhaps God felt strongly about Job’s faith. Indeed, God tests us because He

is confident that we will surpass them. I wish I had known this when I was

going through my own battles. My family and I used to be happy, healthy, and

harmonious. Now, the home I used to know is gathering dust, members of my

family became ill-stricken, and I realized how toxic the relationships were in

my family. I have never felt so bitter and alone that I stopped praying to Him.
All I ever wanted was to go back to being that enthusiastic little girl that was

contented playing with chickens and would spout nonsense on the staircase

while her father was doing chores. Being naive is the best defense against

reality, they say. However, I began to grasp that what I yearned for is not

naivety but hopefulness. My life was imperfect from the start, but I go to

sleep hoping that the next day would be brighter than the last. It was my

hopefulness that saved me from despair and see the good in any situation.

God refines us by putting obstacles in our path to help us grow in our life’s

journey.

To conclude, although my body and soul age, I would like to see the world

from the eyes of a young child. I want to keep learning from God and life itself

so I could continue improving just as the world changes. I hoped to receive

the blessings that may come and the hurdles with open arms, like a kid

receiving her present with a smile. Finally, I wish to be tested by God to

remind myself that it is okay to feel pain. The pain might feel overwhelming at

first, but it will pass. I will then be revitalized to take on bigger challenges in

life and savor the rewards of my success. In Job’s wise words from Job

5:17-18, “blessed is the one whom God reproves, therefore despise not the

discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he binds up, he shatters, but

his hands heal”.