Fragments of life from hard times

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet a family in Vung Tau City quite successful. At first I did not think their life was going through so much hardship. Sitting by breakfast and drinking coffee to hear his sister talk about life, I realized that to succeed in life, it is not simple, people have to be courageous, patient, persevere so much to overcome. all circumstances.

He said that after losing his business, in 1994, he brought his wife and three children into the city of Vung Tau with white hands. At first, he borrowed a piece of suburban land, deserted to set up a hut for the family to "get out into the back". He went around the city looking for work, what he did as long as have enough money to buy rice for his wife and children and take care of children to study. Not alone, she also struggled with him to make money raising children. She is more fortunate than him, to be embroidered outside the payroll for an embroidery workshop and then be admitted as a formal worker after a long time. For two years he did not find a stable job, her income from embroidering too modest, just enough for the family meal hunger. At the end of the month, he had paid off his debts last month, spent the rest for more than half a month, then borrowed to live up to the end of the month. But you still do not give up, patiently looking for work, hard to bear, hard to get some if someone else thanks, he all received and made to place.

At that time, he built a "tent" near the Nam Dong Church outside the city of Vung Tau. Although hard work, but every Sunday, they go to church to attend mass. On the one hand, they try to find a job, on the one hand they entrust themselves to the providence of God. They comfort each other: Did God abandon his family and let his children live in poverty and illiteracy? And indeed, God has arranged for you to meet Fr. John Pham Anh Than, a good holy priest, Father of Nam Dong. Seeing his family, there is something his father called him to do: repair the door, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning the glass ... He works very carefully and does not require remuneration. His father gave him much, he received much thanks with gratitude "A piece when hungry with a package when no." However, his father always gave him more than the amount of effort he spent because his father wanted to help him cross over the fate.

Not only that, he adopted his youngest son more than 4 years old for his sister and took his two daughters into the parish activities in the parish. As they grew up, they became good and good catechists, especially the son who stayed and helped his father until he was called by God. Seeing that he was poor, his father loved him, and occasionally he asked his aunt, Nhien, or a Dominican Major to visit and give gifts to his family. He remembered with deep gratitude those loving gestures: "I never forget the sugar cane, the milk can, the sweet powder, the oil that the family received from the aunt at the time difficult family ".

Then, he continued to live through the day and find a job. After three difficult years, he was accepted as a guard and assisting a number of well-qualified families here, working as a gas store manager, working at a gas station, renting a tanker gasoline supply to companies, agents, naval vessels of the military ... From specific conditions, he diligently learned and thanks to God, he finally learned the business of petroleum. Today, his family has a villa and established a reputable company trading petroleum.

Looking back on 21 years of life from failure to white hands to arduous looking for work until the stability and success as today, he told me: Father, husband and wife life is. We fail, but do not give up, have patience, persist in overcoming difficulties. In any case, we still believe in God. We have been given today not by the labor of the spouses but by the great providence of God. Mindful of this, we are trying to empathize, share and help those who have difficulties so they can rise up as we have experienced.

That's life! Challenges and even white-handed failures can occur. It is important not to let go of the wind that the life swept away. On the contrary, we need patience, perseverance, effort to rise in faith in God. It is certain that if we learn from failure, patience and courage to overcome difficulties and put our faith in God, we will reap successes not only in this life but also reached full happiness tomorrow!