Margaret Ogbebor SSMA
Egypt is the land of suffering, pain, slavery and bondage which represents sadness and hopelessness. Living in Egypt is like living in bondage. Egypt is a temporal place. Those whose state of life is built in Egypt will know no peace because they have no rest. In the land of Egypt, people are stuck and have no freedom because it is not a land of promise. There we are strangers that are not accommodated. Our struggles are futile because it is not a place of rest. Egypt reminds us that we possess nothing and as such have no right to make a claim over anything. What does a slave have to boast of? He has nothing, because he has no inheritance in the house of his master. Living in Egypt is like a waste of time, sowing seeds that may never grow. If they grow, you will have no access to the harvest because you have no claim to it. It is a bitter experience whereby you can only record your pains and sufferings but not achievements.
The land of Egypt is a stage in one’s life where you struggle to survive hoping that one day you will be set free. The land of Egypt is full of complain and tears because it possesses no blessing. Many a times as human beings we are faced with different problems either from our places of work, our families or even in the field of education which show examples of Egypt. In our places of work for example we are often faced with envy and jealousy, whereby a co-worker is envious of us seeing that we are more productive or intelligent than they are. This situation can arouse hatred just like what happened to the Israelites in Exodus 1:9-10, “they said unto his people behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there fall out any war, they join also unto our enemies and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.” The Israelites were punished out of hatred. In the above passage we see that the Israelites were treated with contempt and hatred likewise in our work places, we can also be treated badly all because of hatred either by our Boss or from fellow workers because we are better than them. Not because we have done anything bad, but may be because we are more intelligent than they are or possesses some extra-ordinary graces. People can fight for just a little thing and some would either kill or chase you out all because you are more blessed than they are. A Jealous person would prefer to send you away instead of promoting or appreciating you.
In family settings, especially in polygamous ones, and homes where the father and mother are separated, the innocent children will suffer. While some of the children may be well cared for, others would have to struggle to survive. Those who fall into the latter category should not give up; they are in their land of Egypt waiting for when God will send a helper to deliver them because they are in bondage. We have no right to choose the family we will be born into but the kind of life we want to live depends on us. Everyone in life has a moment of pain and suffering. This is a period whereby we try to gain knowledge and also attain training for the task ahead. Nobody ventures into any business without feasibility study or else the business will collapse. The period of learning is the stage where we are able to gather experiences for our future journey, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”. No one will ever want to be associated with failure after all success is the reward for hard work and failure is the reward for lazy minds. People are only interested in celebrating success.
However, when the Israelites were suffering they never lost sight of God. They believed that one day God will send a helper to them to set them free from their captivity. Indeed it happened. They did not run from their sufferings or pains but waited on their deliverer to come and deliver them. They did not look for an easy way out of their pain like some of us would do. God saw their pains and heard their prayers. There is always a bright light at the end of a tunnel, giving up is never a solution to any problem. As human beings we should always connect ourselves to God who is the source of our being. “Tough time’s never last but tough people do,” we should learn from the story of the Israelites and our suffering so that it will not be ‘suffer-suffer for nothing’. Every success story always has a rough beginning or else it will not last. Those times when we tried and nothing good was coming out of it, will become testimonies. Every stage we pass through in life has a lesson to teach us.
Furthermore, leaving Egypt is not a day’s journey, there are some steps you need to take that will help you to pass successfully well so that you can join your voices with that of Moses which says “The Egyptians you see today, you will see them no more”, (Exodus 10:11). The above statement can only be a reality when we are able to prepare ourselves very well and cross the red sea without looking back. The first step is determination; once you are determined to succeed you will surely make it. To be determined means you need to focus and be ready to do everything possible to leave your suffering and your painful experiences behind. By so doing every failure that comes your way will not be a pain but a stepping stone that will lead you to your goal. Learn from every experience that comes your way because each of them has a lesson to teach. Make friends with resourceful people that can assist you when you are confused and also go for counselling on how to move on. Be ready to read wide to gain knowledge and experience, be open to learning and asking questions when unsure. Another step that can also assist is prayer. By prayer I mean talking to God about the situation, telling him how you feel and how you want him to be of help to you. Just like the Israelites who kept crying to God, you should see God as a loving father who is willing to stretch out his hands of mercy to his children. Tell him to send you a helper like Moses to deliver you from the situation. Take time to meditate and listen to his voice for direction. He never disappoints anyone who places their trust in him. “Those who place there trust in God are like mount Zion that cannot be shaken but stands forever”( Psalm 125:1). “Jesus is the way the truth and the life”. He will surely lead you out of your Egypt to victory, just like in the days of Israelites. When you look back you can only see the mighty power of God so all you need is to trust him and let him lead you out of the land of Egypt and take you to the promise land.
Sr Margret Ogbebor SSMA is a Catholic Nun, working in the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. She is the Head Teacher of St Martin de Porres Nursery and Primary School Katsina. [email protected]
