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Blessed Are The Pure At Heart: Filipino Style

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

– The Gospel According to St Matthew Chapter 5

There is something humbling about men and women who possess a purity of heart. In my life I have found many such people and many have one thing in common. They get their hands dirty and often toil in the most difficult of conditions.

So it was when I experienced a tire blow-out yesterday. Luckily, neither Zabrina or I were hurt and we didn’t hit anything or hurt anyone else.

blessed are the pure at heart

There was an almighty bang then a fearsome noise. The rear nearside tire had shed its tread, striking and cracking the mudflap and creating one awful racket!

The bang drew the attention of a nearby construction crew on Bacolod’s Airport Extension road. They ran over, about ten in number, as Zabrina and I surveyed the aftermath.

One of the crew spoke to Zabrina in Ilonggo, “Where’s the tools M’aam?”

They got on with it. Inside ten minutes they had replaced the stricken tire with the spare and inflated it sufficiently with a hand pump so we could reach the nearest gas station.

The crew were such a happy bunch, smiling as they replaced my tire. Filipinos have to be among some of the most helpful people on this earth.  Simple, honest people who work in a blazing sun all day, get their hands dirty and sweat so their clothes are soaked.

They asked for nothing. They were simply pure of heart.

We stopped on our way back home. They were grateful for the food, coffee and cigarettes we had bought for them as a thank you.

Yet, the Philippines is a country of contrasts. People will go out of their way to help like the construction workers. It’s strange therefore how the same people (not literally) can act so selfishly when behind the wheel of a car. They can also be selfish in playing loud music at all times of day or night. I have come to accept the annoyances. The good things outweigh the bad.

Surely, these construction workers are blessed. They are pure in heart and will see God.


Click on this link for more information about the Sermon on the Mount.

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Published inBacolod LifeChristian FaithRetiring To The Philippines

6 Comments

  1. Phil Phil

    Also reminds me of the story of the Good Samaritan. A lot of those in the Philippines. It goes to show, when you aren’t as busy with your own life like we are here in the States, you have the opportunity to help people in need. Glad you went back and returned the favor to those guys!

    • Hi Phil, Thanks for visiting and taking the trouble to comment. It’s appreciated. If we hadn’t returned the favor, I would have felt bad about myself. It was a gesture of thankfulness and gratitude. Your comments about the States apply equally to the UK.

  2. I’m used to the tires in the USA. I must say the only thing that has in common with our tires is that it’s round. Tires stay together when they have tred in them. I could be mistaken. I don’t have my glasses on.

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