Sunday
June 3rd. As I closed my office related files and was about to put up my post for the week, I received a call from Mr. Rita.
After all the pleasantries (for he had just landed in PH) he
asked, “you sound like you don’t know what is going on…aren’t you watching the
news or is ur bb not on?”
“What is going on?” I asked.
“Dana Air crash!”
“What are you talking about?” I picked up my bb (which had
been beside me for over 4 hours but I did not have the chance to glimpse at it)
and went to Recent Updates. The display pictures and status updates told me a
lot.
I do not want to bore you with all the details of this incident but you can read a bit about it HERE.
The truth is I could no longer put up a post after hearing that news. What kind of message do I want to share when
my nation is grieving? I asked myself.
I should be mourning with those who mourn. These beautiful lives must be
honored. I hope to participate in the “Writing to Heal and Remember - Calling
Flight 9J-992 To Lagos” on naijastories.com. May God inspire me for this.
If you take a moment to reflect, you will have so many
questions. The Why’s and Why not. How could God have allowed this? What sin is
God punishing us for? Were there not righteous and innocent ones on that
flight? So many questions you can ask.
But the main questions are to be targeted at ourselves. Is
tomorrow really ours? What is the very essence of our life? Why did God create
us? What is it that He has designed us to do? Are we walking in His Perfect
Will for us? A successful life or a good life is not measured by how long we
live, how much we acquire, or how well we are doing in the eyes of man, but by
how well we are walking in line with God’s plan for our lives.
There is no need to live in fear or stop planning of a
future. Rather, much more than ever before, we need to respond to the voice of
our Father. What have we been putting off because we feel we have tomorrow? What
should have been our priorities but are now at the back seat because of
seemingly more pressing issues? What grudges are we holding hoping that after many
years we will see our negative wishes on others come to fruition? What can we
do differently?
It is my prayer that these beautiful lives we lost do not
turn out to be a wasted sacrifice. May we be awakened to the reality of how one
apparently small decision can affect the lives of many, and may we see visible changes
in our nation as a result of this painful sacrifice.
For those grieving at this time, it is my prayer that the
Lord comforts you, surrounds you with His loving embrace, give you an added
sense of His presence, and give you a new experience with Him. It is not easy,
but I know God can heal you.
For us who are still here by the grace and mercy of God, may
we seize the opportunity to make a difference, reflect on what really matters
in life, and be thankful for His mercies that are new every morning.
Remain Blessed.
