I've always believed that God is the greatest financial adviser in business. At many times, especially in times of desperation, He plays angel investor to financial woes. Many Filipino entrepreneurs I've come across or read about have thanked God for His abundant blessings. After all, who else can one turn to when you seek a miracle?
In a write-up posted on www.gonegosyo.net, Joey Concepcion III, President and CEO of RFM Corporation and Founding Trustee of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, and his brothers and sisters acknowledged God as the center of their lives, thanks to the great example of their devout parents. In his other write-ups, one can detect his strong faith in God's presence. Concepcion also mentioned how Henry Sy Sr.'s wife Felicidad is said to be a devout Catholic and how they managed to maintain a close-knit family while successfully running their business. God is truly a powerful source of strength and help in business, family and life.
My maternal grandmother, Bele B. Tio, is a devout follower of God and has invoked his help many times over. She is a businesswoman based in Digos, Davao. Hers is a rags-to-riches story (like many great men and women) and she always tells us how she and my grandfather got through with God's grace. I distinctly remember two incidents she told me about:
When she was much younger, she worked for a then-wealthy Chinese businessman in Davao. His business involved rice grains and corn grits, and he owned warehouses full of them. One day, a couple of Catholic missionaries came by the establishment and asked for donations. My grandma's boss refused to give a single centavo, grabbed a handful of uncooked rice and let the grains trickle from his hand. "You see," said the businessman to the missionaries, "this is my god." The missionaries then left empty-handed. My grandma witnessed the incident. Less than a year later, she also saw her boss's several warehouses of rice grains and corn grits burn to ashes. Her amo was left with nothing and it was then she looked for another means of living.
My grandma was eventually able to buy a house and lot in Talisay, Cebu, where she and her family resided for some time. But when the family went back to Davao, their Talisay property was faced with a possible foreclosure by the bank.
My grandma went back to Cebu and sought buyers for the property. After months, it seemed hopeless. My grandfather would call her from Davao telling her to just come home and leave the property alone. But she remained courageous and steadfast, praying at the Basilica del Sto. Niño everyday. Still more time passed and she was getting homesick and forlorn. She then decided she'd just go back to Davao. But two nights before she was about to leave, an agent knocked at her door at 10 p.m., saying he had found a hot buyer for the property. They transacted business at the bank the very next day and my grandmother returned to Davao with the money.
Were those incidents totally coincidental? We'll never really know. But one thing I know for sure is that wherever the power of God is invoked, big things happen. One's prayers may not be granted overnight (you have to prove your patience and determination), but He will always answer them in one way or another.
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Email: ardelletm@gmail.com