Suffering is a Gift

SUFFERING IS A GIFT 

Advanced Project 2 : Moral of the Story (Storytelling Manual)

Have you ever felt that God has been so hard on you? Too much sufferings? Let me tell you a story about Zulik. Her full name is Siti Zulikha. Zulik is a very cute, petite and cheerful friend. She loves to go for karaoke and usually, we will sing Ziana Zain’s song together.
Sekebun cinta nan berbunga…

She is not just all fun – a brilliant Engineering student in UTM; sponsored by TELEKOM. To top that up, she is also an active facilitator in motivational camps, that is where I met her. To me, she is perfect! Brains and fun.

One day, she told a story in front of 80 school students about her schooling days.  At that time, I was one of the facilitators too. She shared with us the dark side of her life. 

When she was in her primary school, she has no friend. No students wanted to play, study or sit beside her; because she was the daughter of a drug addict.

Being the 1^st child of 4 siblings, she faced a tough childhood. Her father couldn’t support the family; leaving her moneyless to school most of the time. Not enough food made her and her siblings look skinny and sick. The title of ‘drug addict family’ had isolated her entire family from friends, neighbours and even relatives.

At that tender age; not only she had to work to help her family, but they also lived in fear; running from the loan sharks. 

“Hey! Where’s your father! We want our money NOW!”

 “We don’t know, we don’t know!”

But she kept herself strong, helped her mother to survive with all her siblings.  

It gets worse. One day they were warned by the loan-sharks with letters and they drove by in front of their house a few times. Terrified, she and her siblings ran away from home for few days, and stayed under a bridge.

I was asking myself what did she do to deserve this? Why?
Listening to her story made me feel like I was watching a movie. I never thought this was happening to Zulik before. What impressed me more, she told the story with steady emotion, no tears at all. She is really a strong girl. 

She told all the students in front of her about her days under the dirty and scary bridge while making fun of it. She said, it was like in the game, ‘survivor’!

I remember she said, “Please don’t tell your teacher that you did not do your homework because of not having reference book, not having internet, have no time, helping your mother, having a lot of school programs. Don’t give excuses! Do you know, when I was staying under the horrific bridge, I still went to school?”

 “And I did ALL the homework. ”

“But, I never hated my father. One day, before I entered UTM, I heard my father told his friend “I am a failed father. I never provide to my family. Can you imagine? She had to go to UTM with her own money? How can a brilliant girl like that have a useless father like me?” Hearing that, I will never hate my father. Never!”

She finally cried; and hugged me. I know she was very emotional inside, but she said she will keep going to inspire people. In fact, she inspired me too. Zulik graduated from UTM as a first class student. She is now a successful well-paid engineer. I am proud for knowing her. 

I carefully asked her, “Can I know, how is your father now?”

Do you know what happen to her father?

Her father is fully recovered from drug addiction, and not only that! Today, he is an officer of National Anti Drug Agency (Agensi Anti Dadah Kebangsaan).

That impressed me the most. I smiled because I just found the answer to my question. She suffered because God was training her to be excellent.

Ladies & gentlemen,

Olives are pressed to get oil. Fruits are squeezed for juice. Flowers are crushed for perfume.

So if you feel pressured, it is just God trying to get the best out of you! And for Zulik, she didn’t only survived the hardship, she succeeded and…  she changed her father!

As quoted from Quran, “verily, with every hardship there is ease”.

 

Ladies & gentlemen, suffering is a gift , in it is hidden mercy.