My dear Nnamdi,
In times of hardship and suffering, it is wrong to say you are not favored by God or that God has forgotten you. A woman once said to me, “Father, I think I am insignificant and unimportant to God, that he has forgotten me.” If God is not thinking about you, you will cease to exist. Problems do happen, but that does not mean God does not care. Human pain and suffering result from various factors. Though a global recession is causing difficulties, I want you to hold on to God. Do not despair. God has a purpose for you. The global recession, which is still very much ongoing, has affected so many people worldwide. Hardship is spreading. In America, over 24 million people are jobless right now. So whatever you are doing now, just hold on to it and keep asking God for a breakthrough. Somehow, somewhere, God's children will find headway. God will not let you be crushed by your problems. He will not let hardship cause you to question his existence, presence, and love. Nigeria, as a nation, had been in recession before the global recession began, and with it, things got worse. But do not despair. Despair is a lack of faith in God. I understand your feelings and frustration. I sometimes ask God why people suffer so much, but then God can equally say to us, "My son also suffered so much." Instead of despair and doubt, believe. Believe that God is still near. Believe that in due time, after you have been purified and your faith in him is unshakable, he will send help from heaven. In Hebrews 13:5, the Lord says he will never leave or forsake you. In John 14:1, he says, “Do not let your heart be troubled, (instead) believe in God, believe also in me.” Psalm 55:22 says, Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. And in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast your entire burden unto him because he cares for you.”
I know that when you look around, you see some people doing well while you are not. This leads you to ask, “Why me?” “Why, Lord?” “Why am I left out?” We just cannot understand why some people make it in life with little effort, while others don't even after so much hard work. But we should not give up. The reason we do not understand everything about pain, hardship, and suffering is that God can be found there. Remember, we cannot understand everything about God. St. Augustine once said, “If you know him as he truly is, then he cannot be God.” But God is still there, watching, and will always be there. Just pray for good health. With good health and God in your life, you will get there. In a relay race, all the athletes begin at the same time, but they do not reach the finish line at the same time. The most important thing is getting to the finish line, not stopping halfway and saying, “I can’t continue; there is no need, my fellow athletes are already there before me.” Keep racing. You will get there. You will reach the finish line. God is with you.
I will keep you in my prayers. God bless you!
Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR
June 18, 2011
