Father Marcel's letter to a friend

My dear Nnamdi,

In times of hardship and suffering, it is wrong to say that you are not favored by God or to say that God has forgotten about 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 it does not mean that God does not care. Human pains and sufferings are as a result of different factors. Though there is global recession giving result to global difficulty, but 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 around has affected so many people around the globe. 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, someway, 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 has been in recession before the global recession started, and with the global recession, things got worst. But do not despair. Despair is a lack of faith in God.  I understand your feeling 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 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 that some people are doing well, and 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 trying, and why others don't even after so much hard work.  But then, we should not give up. The reason why we do not understand everything about pain, hardship and suffering is because God can be found there and 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 with God in your life, you will get there. In a relay race, all the athletes begin at the same time, but they do not get to the finish line at the same time. The most important thing is getting to the finish line, and 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 get to the finish line. God is with you.

I will keep you in my prayer. God bless you!

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

June 18, 2011