Hopefulness In A State Of Hopelessness

Ate Vi arrived ahead of her husband who was the principal applicant for a work-to-resident visa to New Zealand. She abandoned a good paying job for an uncertain future. This remains to be so to this day.

There is truth to the adage, "When it rains, it pours" for Ate Vi has suffered a series of setbacks that only the brave of heart could bear. Her husband returned to the Philippines having failed to secure a job in his field of specialization; her work permit expired though not of her own making; her finances dwindle by the day.

Despite the helplessness, she remains hopeful that things will be all right, that her suffering will turn to joy, that victory will overcome the failures. She takes life one day at a time in search of the light at the end of the tunnel. She joined a Catholic community where she is most consistent in attendance; is involved in activities; and outstanding in performing assigned tasks. When she attends masses, she dresses her best, showing no trace on her face of the difficult ordeal she is undergoing.

Of late, she discovered that the immigration consultant she hired failed to attend to her papers. It was a severe blow; blunted only by the advice given to her in an immigration clinic that if a job offer was given her, she could continue to stay in New Zealand. A job offer has come. The story has yet to end; and I pray each night for Ate Vi and as well as other precariously situated migrants.

God is our refuge in times of distress. "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." (Deuteronomy 31:8) God alone controls the future. "O Lord, you alone are my hope." (Psalm 71;5)

We need to pray to the Lord. "Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope...May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word...I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word...You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope...I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words."(Psalm 119:43, 74, 81, 114, 147)

Be confident for God will deliver us from distress. "The Lord God helps me…I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame." (Isaiah 50:7)

by Mel Libre