One year today, I made the big move to Hawkes Bay it will also mark one year working as a Catholic chaplain in Hawkes Bay Regional Prison. Next week will mark two years since I left the seminary studies.
As I sit back and reflect on the journey, I marvel at the world around me and my surroundings and I marvel at what is so simple in life. The journey so far hasn’t been plain sailing and I have encountered different storms in life which did shake my core foundation as a man and it also shook my faith. Some storms were expected and others hit me unexpectedly.
Encountering these storms brings me to the realization that storms of life are real; they are not imaginary stories from a fairy tale. I have also found out that I am not the only one who has storms to encounter. No one is exempt from the struggles and storms of life. We all have to face these struggles and storms but the interesting aspect about facing struggles and storms is that everyone wants to know how to overcome the storms of life.
When I left the seminary, when my visa application was declined twice and when my medical wasn’t favourable, when job application’s fell thru when my prayers and plea to the Lord felt like falling onto deaf ears. I felt discouraged and at times questioning the reality of God and resigned to myself to some blind fate and to a point I was going to surrender my faith altogether and relegating God and the bible to a position of a primitive or medieval indoctrination. Life became purposeless, restless and pursue life without aim, fulfilment and direction. I was at war with myself, emotionally, psychological and spiritually.
As I reflect on these experience and where I am at now, I am thankful for Gods amazing love to a sinner like me and for teaching me that Gods timing is always the right time. I can honestly say that I have learnt a lot and that I am still learning. Some of the important learnings that I have learnt when unexpected things happen in my life is to:
- never lose hope in the Lord and encourage myself in continuing to believe in the Lord.
- enquired of the Lord (when in doubt I consulted a priest/pastor and seeking counsel from a spiritually sound spiritual leader.)
- to be courageous ( I have to win myself again and find the courage deep in my heart that Gods words are true and walk by faith. When I gained courage and took things one day at a time trusting in the Lord I found out that I didn’t panic much or feel worried.)
- help others in weaker situations ( I prayed and asked for forgiveness from those whom I have wronged and not to hold a grudge against those who contributed to the crises and the storm. I had to forgive and forget.)
- share my success and experience with others when I overcome crisis and storms.
When crisis and storms happen in my life I am expected to do my part if not discouragement sets in and this will weaken the foundation of my faith and soon I will be looking at the world as if it has come to an end. To feel discouraged is to doubt God and the promise he gives and to be discouraged is to lose the sense of direction and to be weighed down in self-pity and doubt. the be discouraged will lead one into confusion, loss of vision and be withdrawn. Discouragement won’t disappear in thin air.
Keeping eye on the Lord at all times and the company of good trusting friends and family helped me overcome this crisis and storm. Being broken and overcoming crisis and storms has also helped me in my ministry in prison. To serve the broken, the forgotten, the marginalized, the hopeless, the confused, the aliens of society gives me comfort because I can be the hands, eyes, ears, and feet of Christ to these men. To bring the message of Christ Love, Christ Hope, Christ Peace and Christ message of Forgiveness reminds me that I too need this in my life.
Romano Reconstructed 