Rizza Cano | GradTeam in Caraga Region
“For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart” (Ecc. 5:20, NASB)
It’s been four years since IVCF Campus Beacons became a recognized organization of Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology where I work. I am encouraged to ponder at how the Lord has been manifesting His power and love in this place.
I am privileged to see the transforming power of God in the lives of students and graduate. I am so blessed to be part of their journey, from their struggle to cross over poverty to an experience of God’s amazing provisions, from lack and limitations to the sweet taste of God’s daily sustaining grace, from identity crisis to a realization that in God and through God alone can one be truly, constantly, and unconditionally be cared for and loved. Nothing is more rewarding than to see the evidences of God’s active work in my place.
I have proven that it is indeed not on the account of my abilities and talents that I was able to witness and experience the wonderful things He has done, but on the account of my availability – availability to counsel, to mentor, and to advise, to be God’s servant in different ways, to be a friend to those who are in need of one. I am simply humbled by the way He transforms ordinary and simple people to become vessels of His extraordinary purposes.
The involvement or the mere presence of GT’s in a campus attracts people to God. A GT’s life becomes a living witness of God’s transforming grace that draws students to the reality of His existence. My GT experience has made me realize that the moment we use well what God endowed us with and gladly serve God with it, He makes our lives to be like a broken bread and a poured out wine – for others. Others will benefit from all of our life’s experiences. By joyfully giving a part of my time, energy, and resources (sometimes) for God’s cause, I earn a matchless reward of seeing students transform because of their encounter with Him. The Lord keeps me occupied with gladness of heart so that the years seem like weeks or days. The time passed has never been exhausting but inspiring (Ecc. 5:20). Everything I have done for the Lord has always been compensated with gladness so that it no longer becomes a work to be done but a pleasure to be enjoyed. To God be all the glory!
