YOUTH AND GENDER NETWORK

Life appears to be a juxtaposition of joy and pain. One minute, every thing seems to be working just fine, and you are very happy, excited and contented with yourself. The next minute, things appear to be in a complete topsy-turvy; and you are confused, afraid, disheartened and discouraged. One thing you must realize is that so long as you are in this world, you will have tribulations. Did I hear you say God forbid? Oh yes, may the good Lord keep troubles very far from our door posts; Amen! However, if, or when trouble comes knocking, rather than loose heart and give up, we must be of good cheer, put our trust in God, and fight to overcome every adversity. The important thing is that at the end of your trying period, victory is assured, particularly for those who cast their cares upon the Almighty God, and hope on Him for positive results.

Being young does not make any one particularly shielded from troubles. The elderly around you may appear to have their own fair share of challenges, but I am certain that no matter how old or how young you are now, you have had certain experiences that made you sad, miserable or dejected. As individuals differ in appearance, tastes and idiosyncrasies, so do their problems; nay challenges, differ. Whilst your best friend may have been battling with ill-health or disease, your own problem might be your inability to secure admission into a higher institution of learning. The guy next door may be a chap who despite his brilliant performance in school, has been unable to get a meaningful job; whilst another person's challenge might be the problem of lack and abject poverty. For some, their own problem might be the inability to find or meet a wife or husband of their choice, whilst another who is married may be facing the challenge of childlessness. Your friend might be married and have a house full of children, but he or she may be going through terrible times in their marriage, or their children just might be a great source of pain. You may be in Nigeria and think that the economy is so bad that the only solution to your money problems is your ability to leave the country for greener pastures abroad. Ironically, many of those who left the shores to live abroad feel frustrated with whatever system they find themselves in. Many of them work and live to pay bills upon bills, with little or nothing left as extra. In fact, many are in deep debts, and praying for a miracle to rescue them out of the mess.

So what's my point? Well, the basic issue I am trying so hard to drive home, is the fact that everyone has challenges. As a matter of fact, life is a battle of sorts. As you progress in the journey through life, you become more experienced and mature in the way you see things. Whilst it is true that challenges are bound to come occasionally, I dare to say that every challenge that comes your way could become a stepping stone to victory. Rather than drown in the sea of problems, you can put on the armour of faith, the shield of hope and the dogged determination to succeed in whatever situation you find yourself. No matter what your problems are right now, there must be a way out, or a solution; so don't give up. Don't quit! Don't accept defeat or failure because your best is yet to come. I am an unrepentant optimist, who has no apologies for my positive obsession. I must tell you that I have come a very long way… life has taught me many lessons. Of all the lessons I have learnt, I want you to understand that with God, nothing is impossible. Yes, no matter the troubles in your life right now, the solution lies in the hands of the Creator, so you must communicate with Him, ask Him for mercy, and claim your victory over your circumstance. I also advice that you share your burden with a reliable person or counsellor who can offer useful advice. Sometimes, people suffer because of ignorance or because of a bad attitude, and an unwillingness to change for the better. With proper counsel and wisdom, you could receive the solution to your problem. So be of good cheer. Your problem will soon pass and give way to victory. Don't be discouraged. Don't give up! So long.