Past Midnight at the Highway

Janelle's car jammed at a highway going to Apalit in Pampanga, a Philippine province north of Manila. It was a gusty past midnight. Her parents phoned her yesterday that the tropical cyclone east of Catanduanes is tracking the southeast to northwest direction. Lightning flashed the nimbulous sky. Thunder frightened. Winds howled. Heavy rains seems to fall soonest. She is now in an ambiance of near disaster. The typhoon is coming towards her vicinity.

Once again, she is experiencing an emotion not stranger to her, She is very common to these kind of feeling during uncertainties. It is a unique feeling freely emanating from inside her. It is calmness in the midst of a stormy ocean.It is serenity of spirit amongst problems. It is like tranquility in a very hectic city life. Janelle knows her athletic inner self that it is now batting against the present mood of danger. And it won.

The gusty atmosphere reminded her of her sister Angela. She is a choir soprano at their locale parish in Catanduanes. Janelle reminisced her favorite song she always sang every midnight mass of 25th of December. The song famous line was excerpted from the biblical account of Luke, on where an angel heralded the birth of Christ to the shepherds and afterward, a multitude of heavenly host praising God state: " Glory to God in the Highest and On Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men".

It is past midnight and Janelle is at peace amidst the approaching danger. She is experiencing a special peacefulness coming from inside her that allow her to feel secure and not alone. Thanks.. she prayed.

While waiting for help from the nearest highway post, she opened her Bible. She has a Bible on her mobile phone. She is reading the chapter six of the book of prophet Jeremiah. She is now on verse sixteen; "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein". Janelle loves reading the Bible and she found it very academic.

Her phone rang. It is her brother Emmanuel. Her brother have sent her an uplifting quote of Filipino preachers Bro. Eliseo Soriano and Bro Daniel Razon. It reads "Safety is not your distance from danger, safety is your closeness to God".