I have met all sorts of people in the course of my job at the clinic where I've been stationed for 12 years now. Let's just say that I have had the privilege of seeing and experiencing for myself how people can either be nice or simply unpleasant when they chose to be. Overall, though, I can say that I have met quite interesting characters, too -- people who have left a good and lasting impression on me. One of them was a young, petite lady named Jacqueline Smith. No kidding. Jacqueline Smith! I remember smiling when I saw her name on the form I had asked her to fill out and she just smiled back and told me she knew what I was thinking.
"Jacqueline Smith?" I grinned at her. Jaclyn Smith, I mean, THE actress, was my favorite Charlie's Angel. I was just a kid then but I got hooked into watching Charlie's Angels so much I started entertaining ideas of becoming a lady Detective when I grew up.
"Yeah," she replied, "Not the Charlie's Angel, though. Just call me Jackie."
When I first met Jackie Smith at the clinic, she had been working for a bank in Digos City. She later told me that her father was of American descent, hence, her American surname. Everytime Jackie came to the clinic, she and I would often engage in friendly chats while waiting for my boss to arrive. I'd never been much of a talker and I seldom warm up easily to strangers but Jackie seemed to have a way of getting people to warm up to her or something. She was very nice and what I liked most about her was the way she'd never forget to say "God Bless You" shortly before leaving.
It was amazing, the way we found it easy to talk about life and Religious faith without butting heads. Jackie was a Born-again Christian and I've always been a Catholic who'd remain a Catholic for the rest of my days. It was all about RESPECT, I guess. I respected her faith and she had all respect for mine and what made it easier, probably, was how we talked not about our differences but about WHO we had in common -- Jesus.
I don't know where Jackie Smith is now. She hasn't been to the clinic in years. But, I'd like to share an excerpt from the audio tape that I once borrowed from her long ago. What the speaker talked about in that audio tape was PAIN. It helped me a lot and I hope it can be of help to you, too.
Here's the excerpt I managed to jot down:
"PAIN TEACHES WHAT PLEASURE MISSES"
"Jacqueline Smith?" I grinned at her. Jaclyn Smith, I mean, THE actress, was my favorite Charlie's Angel. I was just a kid then but I got hooked into watching Charlie's Angels so much I started entertaining ideas of becoming a lady Detective when I grew up.
"Yeah," she replied, "Not the Charlie's Angel, though. Just call me Jackie."
When I first met Jackie Smith at the clinic, she had been working for a bank in Digos City. She later told me that her father was of American descent, hence, her American surname. Everytime Jackie came to the clinic, she and I would often engage in friendly chats while waiting for my boss to arrive. I'd never been much of a talker and I seldom warm up easily to strangers but Jackie seemed to have a way of getting people to warm up to her or something. She was very nice and what I liked most about her was the way she'd never forget to say "God Bless You" shortly before leaving.
It was amazing, the way we found it easy to talk about life and Religious faith without butting heads. Jackie was a Born-again Christian and I've always been a Catholic who'd remain a Catholic for the rest of my days. It was all about RESPECT, I guess. I respected her faith and she had all respect for mine and what made it easier, probably, was how we talked not about our differences but about WHO we had in common -- Jesus.
I don't know where Jackie Smith is now. She hasn't been to the clinic in years. But, I'd like to share an excerpt from the audio tape that I once borrowed from her long ago. What the speaker talked about in that audio tape was PAIN. It helped me a lot and I hope it can be of help to you, too.
Here's the excerpt I managed to jot down:
"PAIN TEACHES WHAT PLEASURE MISSES"
If you are in PAIN:
1) Because of personal Holiness/Righteousness -- thank God. You will be rewarded.
2) Because of your sins -- thank God. You are being corrected.
3) Because of other people's sins -- thank God. You are being brought into partnership and fellowship with Jesus who also went through the same path of pain.
I hope this will help anyone going through the pain of persecution. This can also serve as a reminder for everyone of us who seek to be closer to the Lord. It would do us all well to remember that IT ALWAYS HURTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR GOD but let's do the right thing for God, anyway....at any cost.
God bless you all...and thank you, Jackie Smith, wherever you may be right now.
1 comment:
I was a colleague of jackie and been looking for her for a very long time. true, she knows pain and gets along with it casually.with her smiles and tempered outlook in life..can't forget her, especially her voice that heals a broken heart..jacks hope you will look for me..coz I have been looking for you all this time!
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