A test

Does our faith depend on having every prayer answered as we think it should be answered, or does it rest rather on the character of a sovereign Lord? We can't really tell, can we, until we're in real trouble.

1st quarter of 2105 wasn't too friendly to me. I was born the year of  the Rooster and according to Feng Sui experts, the Rooster will experience extreme bad luck this year. I refuse to believe this, but lately, my faith has been put to numerous test.
* January:
     * Lost my high paying job (Personal choice)
     * Vehicular accident (Lost our driver & means of free transportation)
     * Can barely walk for over a month
* February:
      * Lost our band's drummer
      * A.K.A. 2nd MV shoot cancelled due to lack of funds
* March:
     * Lost our house
     * Son lost job

 And to top it all, my own production company has no income for Q1. Now, I am in debt and is in deep financial worry. What have I done differently this year compared to last year? I prayed more, or rather, since I no longer need to report to work 10 hours a day, I have more time to pray, and cook, and pray. So is God now allowing Satan to test my faith like what happened to Job? Yes and No. What I'm going through now is the result of my previous choices, and some are, as I would like to believe, blessings in disguise. I may not see God's hands now, but I know that He is not letting go of me and someday soon, He will open a door in a room full of His riches that I can't even imagine because he is God and He is in control and He is my Father and He loves me. In my life, there were 2 instances where I have seen total and complete surrender. One was when the Bellestar building was on fire 20 years ago. While everyone was in a state of panic, my boss and friend Sis. Bella Dimayuga, the owner of the building on fire was on her knees praising God. The 2nd time was when Actress/TV Host Toni Rose Gayda's son died from falling off a building. I don't really know them personally, but when I saw their interview on TV, both Toni Rose Gayda and her mother Rosa Rosal were praising God for lending their son to them and they were SMILING! Where can they get the strength to praise God, and more so, smile when they just lost a son? These people put my shallow faith to shame. My financial slump is nothing compared to their pain. What more the families of the fallen SAF 44? I don't have the right to ask "Why God?" The terrible things in the world seem to make a mockery of the love of God. Satan has no rights over any of God's children. But he is permitted to approach. He challenges God on the validity of our faith. God allows satan to make a test case from time to time. And we have to prove that there is such a thing as obedient faith which does not depend on receiving only benefits. May God bless me with such faith. Just now, as I am writing this, my mother had a stroke, was rushed to the hospital, and is in ICU. May God heal her and extend her stay with us. My luck will change soon. I just have to trust and believe.