Angels Don't Always Come with Wings

I grew up in a Christian family. Nurtured with the Words of God by regular attendance to Sunday School, participating in all youth activities and even dedicating my vocal talent in our local Church choir.

At 12, I won the Bible-Story-telling-contest during the Annual Summer Camp,and that’s the beginning of my teaching ministry every Sunday afternoon, going to 3 different barangays in the city to gather children and get them closer to the Lord.In 1991, I became the youngest Outreach Sunday School teacher of the church. I grew up with the children. I played with them during a short breaktime, I sat with them when my senior Sunday School teacher takes her turn in story-telling time, and get amazed with all the beautiful stories from the Bible.

I grew up believing that I am pleasing the Lord with all my good deeds and by sharing my talent to all these children, hence,I have to be a very good example to them so they don’t stumble and fall apart from God. I remembered when I was a little younger, there’s this Public Offices Christmas pageant, hosted by the City Government. My father, who works in the Department of Education,Culture and Sports (DECS), now called Department of Education (DepEd) was approached by one his colleagues to ask I’d play the role of an angel. To the audience, it might have just been an ordinary scene, seeing a girl in a white robe and awkward wings, holding sparklers on one hand, appearing to the shepherds announcing the birth of Baby Jesus.

But to that little angel, it’s the start of a life-long responsibility.

Years and years after that notable experience of angel-playing part, I looked around me for ANGELS.And they are just everywhere…for real.

These angels don’t even know that they are.I am surrounded with beautiful angels.From my family extending to my friends from the different companies that I’ve worked for, to my neighbors from each home that I’ve stayed in, and to my most recent angel discovery –my male doggie named Lang King King.

I got this 2-week old puppy from a Chinese friend, Cecilia, just one month since I came to Malaysia. When I got him, I’ve already been thinking about where to bury this creature should anything bad happens. I love puppies, but it seemed my passion for dogs changed after I saw this puppy that could hardly crawl, eyes and ears still closed, and pink feet with paws still unformed. King king was so tiny and fragile, I didn’t expect to survive.

It was then that I am reminded about my responsibility.I took it as a test of my commitment to become a blessing to others-not only to people, but to other living creatures as well. I thought the puppy needs me.

I’ve witnessed a life evolving under my care.The puppy eventually became a human-behaving-dog.It’s such a magnificent experience watching him grow each day.

My life being alone in a foreign country isn’t all that fabulous.There’s more pain than fun.My dog witnessed all the joys and tears I expressed within the four walls of my room.As if King King knows what my laughter means,and my sobs, that I tried to be as low as I could in the middle of the night. Having nobody to personally share my sentiments with, my dog is as sad as I would have felt, everytime he’d sit beside me as I let my tears fall down.As a dog, he seems to transform to a bestfriend who listens to anything you’d have to say,consoling you when he tries to lift his front leg touching your arms, and rub his neck on your hands and looks straight at you with downcast eyes.

I may not obtain his noble advices, like a human friend does, but the attention that I always get from my dog reveals nothing but an unconditional love, you’d never trade for something else.

That’s when I realized, in contrary to what I thought, I need my dog more than he needs me.

I may have been an angel to him the moment when I held that tiny puppy in my arms.But King king has been an angel to me at that very instant until today.

Yes, angels don’t always come with wings.

Sometimes,they do come with canines,too.