Become a Lord of Heart, May 19, 2020

Reflection of Dr. C. S. Yong's Morning Devotion

Message: Become a Lord of Heart

May 19, 2020 by Rafael E. Ablong 

                   
The precious message today is about how to "Become a Lord of Heart".  Here, Dr. Yong emphasized two main points: the sanctification, and appreciation of things. These two important actions are a characteristic of filial sons and daughters of Heavenly Parents and True Parents.
As described in Romans Chapter 8, "creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God," after the Fall of Man.  As filial children, we need to sanctify all things we use wherever we are. So we need to have holy salt with us wherever we or if we don't have it we need to (holy) blow three times to these things before we appreciate and use or eat them.

Sanctifying and appreciating the things we use will prevent us from getting diseases like cancer. Also, before using or eating things we need to think o offer them to HP, TPs, True Mother, my Abel, my wife, and so on down the line before my self. This means we need to offer or eat it first for God, TPs, and others. This is training the mind and body to move or behave for the sake of others.

Giving tithes and donations, I think are also a way to appreciate the things we receive from God. So at home, we have the prayer room where the altar is and in the kitchen, we have a symbolic place for True Parents where we offer our daily food after cooking, especially in the morning. We also train our children to tithe or donate, 10 percent or symbolic (from the heart, when it is really hard) of whatever they have: birthday money, otoshi dama, salary, etc. My wife trained them this way since they were very young so it is automatic and natural for them now.

I feel that because of God's love and how we sanctify and appreciate the things we have, the blessing is unending. Due to this tradition, we never have a problem with food. We always have money for basic necessities and to live a simple life. Wisdom from God and years of exposure and practice of the Principle and God's words in our daily life have made us wiser. It is unbelievable for non-UC people to think that blessed couples, especially old 1st generation FilJap couples from the late 1990s, argue with each other how to give big donations or meet financial goals for different events and projects in the Philippines. Sometimes, we think it is strange that we give more than we use for our family. But that is how we express our love, gratitude, and thanks to God and True Parents. Since everything comes from God, we need to think of the best way how to accomplish our mission while taking care of our blessed families. To me this is not just a mission, it is not just an expression of gratitude.  Every time Heavenly Parents and True Parents ask us to do something through our vertically-aligned Abels,  is an opportunity to grow and to show our heart and united relationship to Heaven's Will and Providence. This means our constructive arguments and struggles at home are healthy and good for others and for the Providence. Of course, it can be a little dangerous sometimes but as educated and Principled blessed families, we are always able to overcome it.  Public-mission experience, good DP education, tradition, and practice always help us to succeed.

Tithing and donations, even how small or how big they are as long they come from the heart are another way to "sanctify" (more after holy salt) and appreciate the creation (things or money) that God provides us with.
I respect my physical mother for bringing me up this way even before I met the movement. Even how poor we were, there was always a way for us to appreciate God's work in our lives and appreciate the life and provisions that Heaven gives us. We never had birthday parties or good food (sometimes no food at all) in the past but we always had a candle and a prayer to say our thanks to Heaven.  We were trained to share whatever little we have to others because this is a way to appreciate God and to return back the love that He gives us constantly in our lives.

I deeply and respectfully appreciate Dr. Yong's efforts to continue to remind us of our eternal relationship with God, how God has guided and protected us, and more. It is in knowing the testimony and reflections of brothers and sisters that we come to know God more and appreciate each other's relationship and existence in this great universe.

Thank you so much, Dr. Yong!

Raffy Ablong