Sunday, November 30, 2008

Matchmaker, matchmaker...

Joyce is a happily married mother of one. She met her husband through a matchmaking aunt who spotted her busily organizing an event in Davao. Not that Joyce is hard to spot—she is charming and vivacious—not to mention, pretty!

So she is a strong believer of matchmaking as a very valid, very effective way of finding The One. Not that she has actually hit the jackpot in that area—well, she did when she met her hubby—but I am talking about her own matchmaking attempts.

I once asked her, teasingly, “Aren’t you a bit discouraged that none of your matchmaking attempts have succeeded?”

Her reply? “Not at all! In fact, I am all the more challenged!”

That’s one of the reasons why she is one of my closest friends—her never-say-die attitude towards life, and her active desire for others to get the best out of life (marriage being just one of them).

I say active because she goes all out in helping others. Generous to a fault, she gives of her time in an unbelievable way. As if she is not busy enough with her work and her many ministry projects and preaching assignments, she would go out of her way to do things for friends, spend quality time on the phone with those who need wise advise or just a listening ear, and this is on top of family time. I sometimes find myself catching my breath for her sake as she talks to me about what she has been doing the past week. That is why I treasure all the more the Saturdays we spend together—talking, praying, sometimes crying and often laughing.

She is probably the only one who, aside from my mom and one other friend, I don’t actually mind fussing over me. But more than being the concerned mom, she has been a great friend in both rainy days and sunny ones. She cries with me and laughs with me—always ready to listen even when she has her own pressures that she needs to unburden. My eyes well up as I write this, because I remember those times when I badly needed someone to simply talk to and she, the ever busy mom, would go the extra mile—offering not just a shoulder to cry on but even opening her home to me as a haven to stay, rest, reflect or mend my wounds.

But aside from the rough patches, the sunny days are a joy to share with her as well. She can outtalk me, out-strategize, and outwit me at the best of times. Her charms border to legendary—how she manages to get people to do things for her is sometimes unbelievable. From her, I learn that charm goes a longer way that intimidation or anger. From her, I learn to make sure I don’t come out of the house looking like my passport photo. From her I learn how to handle sticky situations with wisdom and grace.

It has been 8 years now since I really got to know her. When I first came to Manila to work 8 years ago, she being a former churchmate from Davao who I didn’t really know very well, called up to ask me what I need and made herself available for me as I settled myself to city life. And since she is the kind of person that walks the extra mile, it was easy to see how our friendship deepened from there.

Being a matchmaker, of course, she just had to try her hand on me. And being a good friend, I just had to gamely play along! But this is one attempt I think she has given up on—though, to be fair, she has not given up praying!

It should assure her to know that even if she has not yet found success in the matchmaking department—unlike in all other areas—she has actually succeeded in one area that matters more to me—a good match of a friendship.

----



Thank you, Jenny for tagging me to write about a gift of grace. It has been a joy to write about Joyce!

Who is the person that you consider God’s gift of grace to you? I am asking this question to: Marilyn, Jophen, and Major Tom.

1. Put the logo in your blog.

2. Share a short story of someone whose life touched yours.

3. Add a link to the person who shared it with you.

4, Tag at least 3 other persons with blogs.

5. Leave a message on their blogs.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's good to know about your friend Joyce and by the way you talked about her, she's really a God's gift of grace not only to you, but to many other persons, even to the community.

Thanks by the way for tagging me for this wonderful meme, I'd be doing it soonest time possible. :-)

Unknown said...

Here's to hoping your friend will find THE ONE for you, hehe... :-D

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your kind words... I am deeply touched. Just want to let you know that you have been a blessing to me and my family as well... see you Saturday :-)

carlotta1924 said...

your friendship with joyce certainly is a gift of grace =)

vernaloo said...

bonjour Mare! (trying hard noh hehehe)

anyway this is a very sweet entry. Kung ako ginawan neto cguro super iyak na ako. Friends are so amazing. Sometimes you wonder how someone can give so much love and care for you even though you're not related. Sometimes they love you more than your relatives do.

Re the matchmaking chorva...baka naman kasi nilalabanan mo hehe

To Joyce: Don't give up on Jojie...sooner or later matatagpuan mo rin yung lalaki para sa kanya hehe :)

ipanema said...

it's comforting to know of people like Joyce. I hope your friendship will stay as strong as it already is.

i think God gives each and everyone of us an angel - people we don't mind sharing a part of us through thick and thin.

Anonymous said...

Aww! That is a very nice story. You are very lucky to have a friend like Joyce. There aren't many friends who can be generous like that.

Gypsy said...

Major Tom
Will wait for your post with great expectancy..hehehe.

Rudy,
Haha! Isa ka pa!

Joyce,
A pleasure to write about you! see you tomorrow!

Carlotta
Amen ako jan, though God has given me other people too as gifts of grace--would be nice to do this more often. :)

Verns,
Hehe...di ko naman nilalabanan no...pero wala talaga chemistry...hehe pano ba yan.

Ipanema,
Amen to that!

Niceheart
Well, God has been good. I have a number of friends who are real gems...