Miracles do happen

Cesar Gorillo .

THE son of my sister in the church by the name of Nellendonne Q. Alquizar was ordered by his boss from Balingasag, Misamis Oriental to bring to him a 90-kilogram pig which he intends to butcher for his people in celebration for an occasion. Their piggery is located at the edge of Mt. Kitanglad, about 20 kilometers from Malaybalay City for which Nellendonne worked as one of the caretakers.

In obedience to the order of his boss, the boy loaded the 90-kilo pig at the pick-up truck bound for Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. When he arrived at Manolo Fortich, he checked his cargo and it was still there.

By the way, Nellendonne used to be a seminarian because he wanted to be a priest at the request of his mother, a very religious woman and an avid member of the Charismatic Movement of Valencia City. However, several factors prevented him from going ahead with his priestly plans and he left the seminary to help their financially hard-up family in Valencia City. As an old seminarian, the boy was still deeply prayerful and very obedient to his mother, a single parent.

So, when he loaded the pig at their pick-up truck, it was with all caution and prayer that the ordered hog would really reach Balingasag knowing full well that it would be slaughtered upon his arrival there as it was intended more as a gift to his boss’ people and the occasion was very important.

However, when he arrived in Balingasag early in the morning, the hog was no longer in the pick-up. What remained were just the ropes that tied it.  He trembled with fear and frantically called his mother in Valencia City to ask for an advice. He knew that by seven in that morning, he would be asked by his boss about the cargo and some people were already waiting to slaughter it. He never knew how to reason out to his boss and his greatest fear was the loss of his job because that supported their family. He called his mother again for advice and he was told to just pray to God for a miracle because there was nobody that can help them. Her mother also prayed frantically, kneeling before the altar begging for help from God.  And the boy recalled their prayers in his seminary days and called upon God to help him because he never intended to commit that transgression and he was honest in his assigned task.

Then he hid in his room because he was afraid he will be called by his boss.  He closed the door and waited for the angry words of his boss. Then there was a knock at the door and with trembling hands he opened it and he almost collapsed because it was his boss! But why was his boss smiling? He could not believe that an angry man was smiling at him!

His boss was smiling because he just received a call from their piggery that the pig he loaded at the pick-up truck walked back to its cage!

The following questions continue to bother me to this day:

How did the pig find its way back to the piggery?

If it found its way back, how could it travel without being noticed and snatched by people along the way?

How could it have crossed the many rivers, hills and mountains that separate Mt. Kitanglad in Bukidnon and Balingasag in Misamis Oriental?

But the Bible tells of hundreds of miracles among God’s people.

And I have only one conclusion:  Miracles still happen!