Resilient in overcoming cruelty

The human being comes into existence as a fruit of a love relationship expressed in marriage. Hence, the newborn child deserves the best care for its growth and development. This brings fulfilment to the couple and the entire family. On the contrary, a marriage without children can lead to a painful experience, especially for the woman, when the man seeks to have children through a second wife. In such a situation, the woman will feel betrayed and exposed, risking being taunted by others. Unfortunately, a move that was meant to solve a problem becomes the source of cruelty for those who are not mature. Thus, cruelty exposes human weakness because of the deliberate choice made to inflict pain on the other person. The Scripture documents this kind of human weakness right in the institution that is meant to nurture love. From the story of Hannah, we learn that after being taunted for not bearing children, she cried to God and made a promise: “Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, if you’ll take a good, hard look at my pain, if you’ll quit neglecting me and go into action for me

By giving me a son,

I’ll give him completely, unreservedly to you.

I’ll set him apart for a life of holy discipline”(1Samuel 1:9-11). Hannah’s pain made her turn to her Creator for help, and as we now know, God answered her favourably. What if Hannah turned her frustration to her husband and co-wife? There is a possibility of Hannah having been brought up in an environment that promoted respect for human dignity. This made Hannah resilient with the hope of overcoming her painful experience.

Today, we do not know what tomorrow has in store for us as a family. Yet we cannot hesitate to move on for fear of the unknown. Instead, we should be prepared to face any situation with hope. Developing our resilience will enable us to manage any challenging situation while maintaining our focus.

CALISCO provides you and your family with an opportunity to develop your resilience. Together, we can transform those with the attitude of cruelty. Here is a simple start towards becoming resilient: choose to accept your painful experience. This acceptance will enable you to discern how to manage the pain. May Hannah inspire you to face your pain with a positive attitude.