There are times and moments in our lives when everything will seems to go well, when there is so much happiness around us but there are also times when we face trails, temptations, challenges, pains, disappointment and failures. Everyone in life irrespective of whether rich or poor, young or old, will face trials at some point and sometimes, these trials will come all at once in different dimensions and it may look as if the entire world is against us or the world has decided to turn its back against us. We become lost, confused and unsure of what to do or what the future holds for us.
Sometimes we may try our possible best to see that we overcome some of those trials and hard times. We may go beyond our strength, our limit and capacity but at the end it will look as if our best is not good enough and our efforts is not bringing positive results in our life. Most times even after the strength and effort we use or put in our work, we still may not have enough to cover up out needs.
Trails will definitely come but we chose to handle such trials matters.
I remember the time I knew I was beginning to face the real trials of life. It was when I got admission into a higher institution. That same period, my dad retired from the civil service. Everything changed. There was no more income coming into the house. I was faced with two big challenges at once, caring for myself in school and carrying the heavy responsibility of being the first child of the family. It was like life chose that time to test me, to see how I would cope, and what steps I would take. I realized that I could not depend on my parents. I had to start looking for ways to earn on my own.
That was when I started combining working and schooling. It was not easy at all. I began working to take care of my needs and in the little way I could, support the family. Things became worse when my dad’s retirement benefits (entitlement as it is called here) were delayed for over three and a half years. The struggle became worse and very challenging. Sometimes I would skip lectures just to finish work. Sometimes I stayed up all night to complete people's work and task given to me. It was difficult balancing work and school and I often felt tired and stretched beyond my limits.
Even now that my dad is receiving pension, it’s still not enough to meet even 20% of our family’s daily needs. There are five of us in the house and every day, five mouths must eat. Then there are bills to pay, and other expenses that keep piling up. As the first child, most of the weight of the family has now fallen on my shoulders. I had to start doing three different jobs in a day. In the morning, I would go to school and teach. After school, I would run my online business, doing school projects and assignments for people. Then at night, I would head out for my night shift job at an organisation. It has not been easy. Sometimes I barely sleep. I get so tired, but I still keep going because the family is depending on me. I still have brothers who are now looking for admission into the higher institution, that also is something I'm working on. You issue of getting a well paid job is now an issue. With no well paid job coming, the little I'm getting isn't enough to meet my needs and the needs of the family. It won't have been worse if not for the skills I have in computer that is helping me now.
Facing the trials of life is never a smooth journey but I must learn to keep moving forward even when it feels like the world is against me. One thing I always encourage myself is that, I must stay strong and remain hopeful. When things get hard, it shouldn't make me feel like giving up but rather have the believe that better days will come. Even though it might not be today or tomorrow, the pain and the struggle will pass, and life will become brighter again.
Sometimes I look at everything that is happening around me and I ask myself, Why me?. But I've come to the understanding that, it is better to look for the lessons in the pain and the struggle now. Maybe life is teaching me how to be a responsible person and preparing me for a future that lies ahead of me.
One thing I found myself doing in the midst of facing trials is to remain patience.
Many people especially the young guys like me want quick solutions to problems and end up involving in illegal activities. But there is no rush in life. Life is just like a seed. When planted today, it does not grow into a tree tomorrow. The results of our efforts may take time to show and so we need to keep going even when the progress is slow. Every step, no matter how small, brings us closer to the other side of the storm.