Job just got an information: all his children were DEAD.

He got up, tore his clothes and shaved his head: then he worshiped God and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away: may the Name of the Lord be praised.”

If YOU were in Job’s shoes, what would YOU have done? How would YOU have REACTED?

God sent Prophet Samuel to King Saul with an instruction: go and destroy the Amalekites. Saul did not completely destroy them, he spared Agag, their King. God then removed Saul as King. When Samuel told him God had rejected him as King, Saul said, “I have sinned. But please honour me before the elders of my people: come and worship the Lord with me.”

If YOU were in Saul’s shoes, what would YOU have done? How would YOU have reacted?

Absalom asked Ahitophel for counsel on a matter. He gave it. Absalom also asked Hushai for counsel on the same matter. He gave his too. So, Absalom had 2 options to pick from. He picked Hushai’s counsel.

When Ahitophel realized his counsel was discarded, he committed suicide.

If YOU were in Ahitophel’s shoes, what would YOU have done? How would YOU have reacted?

King David got Uriah killed in battle because his wife Bathsheba was pregnant for him. He wanted to hide the scandal. He married her after Uriah’s death. She then gave birth to a son.

God sent Prophet Nathan to King David to give him His verdict on his actions: that child will die.

The child got sick. David fasted and prayed for the child, he spent nights lying in sack clothes on the ground. A week later, the child died. When David heard, he got up, took a bath, changed his clothes, went into the temple and worshiped God. Then he went home and asked for food and he ate.

If YOU were in David’s shoes, what would YOU have done? How would YOU have reacted?

Now, all these scenarios are from scripture.

There are other scenarios I am aware of that are not from scripture:

A couple have been dating for 2 years. They were both University undergraduates, he was a Medical Student, she was a Law Student. He failed his final year exams and she broke up with him, calling him a failure. He committed suicide that night.

If YOU were in his shoes, what would YOU have done? How would YOU have reacted?

A lady with a child got divorced. She met a man who was a widower with 2 kids. They started a relationship and the man wanted to marry her and they move on with their lives together. The lady insisted she did not want to get married again, she just wanted them to continue together as a committed couple without getting married. Apparently, her experience with her first husband scarred her.

If YOU are in his shoes, what would YOU do? How would YOU react?

A woman discovered her husband of 4 years had a side chick. She flew into a rage, moved out of her matrimonial home with her 2 year old son and filed for divorce. The husband pleaded with her, called her friends to beg on his behalf, the Church got involved, his family and hers intervened but she stood her grounds.

They got divorced in 2 years. The next year, the ex-husband got married: to the side chick! They have been married for 15 years and counting, with 2 kids.

The ex-wife is still a single mother.

If YOU were in her shoes, what would YOU have done?

The point of all these stories is, as human beings, we all go through experiences that shake us, challenge us, scar us and ultimately change the trajectory of our lives. How we react to them is based on our experience, knowledge and capacity.

The more experience we have, the more we know, the bigger our capacity is, the better we react to the situations we find ourselves.

However, no matter the issue, suicide should never be an option.

There is always life after every disappointment: wisdom teaches us not to let our past decide or dictate our future.

And don’t be unnecessarily STUBBORN or STUPID.

It is okay to be angry and show your displeasure when you are wronged, but don’t burn bridges or cut ties because of them. Don’t take permanent decisions based on temporary situations.

The lack of Emotional Intelligence is the main reason people take wrong decisions in life.

Do all you can to get it!

Shalom,

Haruna Daniels