LIVING AND GROWING: Thy will be done

Published 3:30 am Sunday, August 9, 2026

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” — Jeremiah 29:11

Looking back at my life, there were definitely difficult and challenging moments. As a child there were days my mom would fry one egg, divide it into seven for our family to share; other days rice porridge with salt was our only meal; in high school I had one pair of school uniform, and I missed school on any Friday our teacher declared “jeans day” as I didn’t own a pair. Tin cans and buckets on the floor were a common sight at home, catching rain water drips from our roof. We manually pumped water from an artesian well, our bathroom was two minutes away from our tiny home.

I came to Alaska in 1988. Food, clothing, and shelter became better, however, I learned that no matter where you are, rich or poor, young or old, challenges and difficulties are part of life and we have to live through them. As a working mother — children getting sick, difficulty of requesting time off from work, a boss who never understood why I needed two weeks to attend my brother’s wedding and gave me cold treatment long after I returned from leave; a boss who gave me an outstanding evaluation yet asked me to keep that a secret. Being a full-time state employee during the day and a part-time janitor in the evening, and raising three children can be very challenging at times.

“Come to me all you who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest, take my yoke and learn from Me, for my yoke is easy and My burden is light” says the Lord.

I have learned that no matter what life throws at us, we have a choice on how we react to it. These challenges, for me, became true ‘opportunities’ for growth — allowed me to be more patient, more creative, more appreciative, stronger, forcing me to focus on the positive, to trust, surrender everything to God, believe and receive His help. When we pray, God’s help always comes. He answers all our prayers.

We grow until our final breath — this I learned when I was in the Juneau Pioneer Home. Difficult situations have given me plenty of opportunities to increase my faith in God. I learned to listen to my heart more and to be at peace at every work and personal decision I made as long as it is right with God.

Almost six years ago, there was guilt in my heart for the first six months when I retired from the Juneau Pioneer Home. I asked “Lord, did I retire too soon? Did I become selfish with the gifts You have given me?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thy own understanding.” The guilt eventually went away, and I found myself growing in many ways, I learned to slow down, to talk less, to listen more. I found joy in doing laundry, cooking, cleaning the house for my family. I started noticing nature more, even the dandelion weeds and its flowers are beautiful! Weeding my garden reminds me of our minds, how negative things, without any effort, just creep in, grow, fill and control us. If we don’t make time to ‘weed’ our minds, and refocus on the positive, joy is robbed and the day wasted. I learned it is fun to cook, that I can cook, and my moist chocolate cake is super good! My husband used to tease me, “You are not a boss anymore, you have no power now.” And he is right, I have learned to be humble again, and I am grateful. Humility is one of the greatest gifts of my retirement!

Two and a half years ago, on my birthday, I received the result of my routine mammogram. “ You have cancer” my doctor told me. I took a deep breath and didn’t cry until I was alone in the car. Lyndon and I traveled to Seattle and there re-confirmed the diagnosis. When I pray, I hear in my heart “Woman of little faith! The God who parted the Red Sea, the God who raised Lazarus from the dead, the God who gave life again to the widow’s son, who healed the lepers, the blind, the lame, the deaf, the God who died on the cross and rose again from the dead is the same God who is with you today.”

Matthew 8:8 says, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” I did not choose surgery and have surrendered my entire life to God. This was not a popular decision, but my family respected it. I believe that Jesus is the greatest physician, and that He heals. I believe that He will not call me home until my mission here is over.

In the meantime, I focus my days appreciating life, reminding my family and anyone who would listen that God exists, that His love for us is everlasting, come back to God, make time for God, to pray every day to praise and thank God, that Heaven is for real, and so is Hell. Life is a blessing, there are no accidents in life, each event in our life is part of God’s beautiful plan for us! Trust in the Lord always!

Jesus said to His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” In my own little way, and how I live my life, I pray that every person I come in contact with will feel God’s love for them. Many times all they need is a smile from the heart. For God is love, and we are created by God, and so we become little love bringing light and love to every person we meet.

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now there three remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is Love.”

I will leave you with a prayer that someone gave me a long time ago:

Lord thank you for another day, within this life of mine, give me the strength to live it well, whatever I may find. Bestow from your abundance whatever I may lack, to use the hours wisely for I cannot have them back.

Lord, thank you for another day in which to make amends, for little slights or petty words, inflicted on my friends, for sometimes losing patience with problems that I find, for seeing faults in other lives, but not the ones in mine.

Lord, thank you for another chance in which to try to be, a little more deserving of the gifts You’ve given me. For yesterday is over, and tomorrow’s far away, and I remain committed to the good I do today!

Gina Del Rosario is a Roman Catholic who was born and raised in the Philippines, and is a parishioner at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Juneau. “Living and Growing” is a weekly column submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders. It appears every Saturday on the Juneau Empire’s Faith page.