Dcn. Junior Consunji’s testimony

Dcn. Junior Consunji’s testimony:

God is good all the time! In 1995, I was then fifteen years old. I was walking in Cartimar and I had a bag of which was written, “You must be born-again.” I am a graduate of Southeastern College which was adjacent to Arellano University, and they were rival schools. As I was walking, there were five men who were going towards me and whose main intention was to beat me. Being hit by these men, I recalled that all that I was saying to them was, “God loves you.” Then, all of a sudden, one of them said to me, “You are free. You can go.”

I rode the jeep going to Malibay and I was almost in tears because I was mauled. Inside the jeepney, I shared to the passengers what happened to me, and also told them that God loves them. The next day, my schoolmates found out what happened and they said, “It is our turn to retaliate.” I told them, “Kung ang Diyos nga nakapagpatawad, ako pa kaya?”

I would imagine myself today that if somebody would attack me, I would do something drastic. However, thirty years ago, I already had the love of God in me. That was my witness when I accepted the Lord.

Today, my children are a witness of what I do. When we are in a fastfood chain or in any restaurant and somebody would approach us to beg or ask for food, I would ask them to sit down with us regardless of their appearance. Having felt the love of God thirty years ago, my children are a witness of how I share the love of God to others.

Last week, Bishop Ariel, Fr. Roberto, and my wife and I came from Kalibo. On the plane, beside me was an elderly woman. I greeted her, and afterwards, she began sharing how nervous she was riding the plane. She was also worried how she would go down the plane. We had a conversation going and she was venting out her feelings about her children whom she said only loves her when she has money. She also decided to see and to visit her cancer-stricken sister who lives in Quezon City.

To calm her down, I told her that I would help her with her things as she goes down the plane, and that I would accompany her up to the time that she is fetched. She said, “Salamat, anak. Medyo narelax na ako.” So thankful with the help that she got that she added, “Sir, pwede sa iyo na lang ako tumira? Hindi na ako magpapakita.” I said, “Lola, magpakita ka muna sa kapatid mo. Huwag kang magtampo sa anak mo.” I told her, “Lola, alam mo bang ang Tatay ko ay karpintero at ang Nanay ko ay labandera?” She said kind words to me even asking if I was a foreigner. She also said that I was an angel to her. She displayed so much confidence and joy that somebody talked to her and assisted her. This is without me saying to her, “Mahal ka ng Diyos.”

The love of God comes out of our lives without saying the Gospel. The Gospel is our lives. I would challenge the youth: you may not have the boldness that I had thirty years ago to preach the Gospel, but preaching the Gospel is all about the life that we are living right now. Witnessing is in simple things that we can do to reach out to other people. We may not gain so much if we share the Bible, but if we display a godly Christian character, we will hear words like, “Pwede bang makitira na lang ako sa bahay mo?”

True witnessing is about the Spirit of God that is in us that comes out naturally because the Lord is with us. To the youth, be a good witness wherever you are. If you chance to be with a passenger who has no fare to pay, volunteer to pay. Share your food, if need be. You are planting a seed to show that there exist good people, and this will lead them to know that a good God exists too.