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It was a time of sadness, and my heart,
Although it knew and loved the better part,
Felt wearied with the conflict and the strife,
And all the needful discipline of life.
And while I thought on these, as given me
My trial tests of faith and love to be –
It seemed as if I could never be sure
That faithful to the end I should endure.
And thus, no longer trusting to His might
Who says, "We walk by faith, and not by sight,"
Doubting, and almost yielding to despair,
The thought arose ‑‑ My cross I cannot bear:
Far heavier its weight must surely be
Than those of others which I daily see.
Oh! if I might another burden chose,
Methinks I should not fear my crown to lose.
A solemn silence reigned on all around –
E'en Nature's voices uttered not a sound;
The evening shadows seemed of peace to tell,
And sleep upon my weary spirit fell.
A moment's pause ‑‑ and then a heavenly light
Beamed full upon my wondering, raptured sight
Angels on silvery wings seemed everywhere,
And angel's music filled the balmy air.
Then One, more fair than all the rest to see –
One to whom all the others bowed the knee –
Came gently to me as I trembling lay,
And, "Follow me!" He said; "I am the Way."
Then, speaking thus He led me far above,
And there, beneath a canopy of love,
Crosses of divers shape and size were seen,
Larger and smaller than my own had been.
And one there was, most beauteous to behold,
A little one, with jewels set in gold.
Ah! this, methought, I can with comfort wear,
For it will be an easy one to bear:
And so the little cross 1 quickly took;
But, all at once, my frame beneath it shook.
The sparkling jewels fair were they to see,
But far too heavy was their weight for me.
"This may not be," I cried, and looked again,
To see if there was any here could case my pain,
But one by one, I passed them slowly by,
Till on a lovely one I cast my eye.
Fair flowers around its sculptured form entwined,
And grace and beauty seemed in it combined.
Wondering, I gazed; and still I wondered more
To think so many should have passed it o'er.
But oh! that form so beautiful to see
Soon made its hidden sorrows known to me;
Thorns lay beneath those flowers and colours fair!
Sorrowing, I said: "This cross I may not bear."
And so it was with each and all around
‑Not one to suit my need could be found;
Weeping, I laid each heavy burden down,
As my Guide gently said: "No cross, no crown!"
At length, to Him I raised my saddened heart:
He knew its sorrows, bid its doubt depart.
"Be not afraid," He said, "but trust in me –
My perfect love shall now be shown to thee."
And then, with lightened eyes and willing feet,
Again I turned, my earthly cross to meet,
With forward footsteps, turning not aside,
For fear some hidden evil might betide;
And there ‑‑ in the prepared, appointed way,
Listening to hear, and ready to obey –
A cross quickly found of plainest form,
With only words of love inscribed thereon.
With thankfulness 1 raised it from the rest,
And joyfully acknowledged it the best –
The only one of all the many there
That I could feel was good for me to bear.
And, while I thus my chosen one confessed,
I saw a heavenly brightness on it rest;
And, as I bent, my burden to sustain,
I recognized my old cross again.
But oh! how different did it seem to be
Now I had learned its preciousness to see!
No longer could I unbelieving say,
Perhaps another is a better way.
Ah no! hence forth my own desire shall be,
That He who knows me best should choose for me
And so, whate'er His love sees good to send,
I'll trust it's best, because He knows the end.
Anon. Written prior 1865.
Extending our waking hours to be a part of this Nasugbu visit never really mattered because that feeling of excitement was larger than anything. The skies were really cloudy and Marce's winds were still slapping the trees outside the Intercon Lobby, which was broad-casted as our meeting place at 6 AM of 9-11.
Around 10 AM, rains welcomed us as the bus trekked the hilly surfaces towards Nasugbu's edge. Despite the weather, Joey Puyat, one of the proud owners of the exclusive place, accepted us with a beaming face, thereby balancing the windy weather with his warmth.
As the little droplets continued to pour, we were first brought to their famous beige-colored Bamboo Beach Club via smaller vehicles. They let us wander around like kids to enjoy the beautiful sight and to play with our toys, never minding the drizzle. We met some friends, too.
Edward, my Godchild's father and officemate, came to know about this event through an online forum and Anton's blog (http://anton.blogs.com/) and invited me to join in and we were ecstatic about it when we were finally enlisted to become a part such great opportunity. Anton is a famous blogger who loves to travel especially going to beach areas.
After flipping a few slide samples of luscious food pictures he had taken during his previous trips, he finally decided that we do it for real. Good follow-through! However, instead of us sweeping off the veggie viands from the pots and murdering the grilled fishes and chicken, we gathered patience and suppressed our hunger so as to take snapshots of the tasteful dishes just as Anton had taught us.
The next thing I knew, I couldn't breathe. But the party has not ended yet for there are succulent, artistically-sliced fruits on another table. You name it: pineapple, apple, watermelon, and orange. Super perfect meal!A little while after, Arbee, the organizer, began roaming around asking the sizes of our feet. Trailing behind her was one of the crews carrying a box of Havaianas flip-flops. Ohh lala!
Siesta was not an option after that hearty meal but there was a better alternative to that. Meditation. As Joey opened the gates of Meditation Point, the sight took our breaths away and all we could say was "Wow!" The view was incredible. Very refreshing, relaxing, and peaceful. Perfect for quiet times when it's not raining. The only sound you'd hear are the flapping waves that would want to cause you to sleep. According to Isabel, the grandmother, the place was at its worst so we better come back during its best and that would be summer time.
And you think that's all? We thought so, too. Yet the Grace of God never stopped pouring. Before we hopped off to our tour vans that will send us to the bus for our ride home, the Puyat family distributed only-baked-at-Christmas round buttercakes housed in rattan-made boxes to everyone with some, getting two boxes because of the overflowing supply. I was one of them! I brought one box to Baguio for my family to take part in my delight. Edward and I went home that day, still with that floating feeling.
The best things in life are, indeed, free! I am so much grateful to the Puyat family's warm accommodation.
For more of Kawayan Cove's history and information, you can check out http://www.kawayancove.com/ and see the impressive aerial views.
P.S.
The factors that distinctively identifies Kawayan Cove were, sadly, none in my photos. I guess I was not creative enough to take a shot of the bamboos nor the cove. Well, I was able to get near the cove but concentrated on the waters and forgot about that inlet which Kawayan Cove is known of. I should never miss it next time. =)
More Kawayan Cove pictures can be viewed at http://elyt.multiply.com/
