"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.(Isaiah 55:8
We plan in one direction while God has His own plans for us and His plans alone take precedence over our plans.
Asis is his name hailing from Calangute, Bardez Goa and was working in Kuwait for over 3 decades. During his long period of work in Kuwait he established himself well having his own house, wife and children; one son of his is working in Kuwait. On 8th of this month he told me that he is leaving Kuwait for good on 10th inst. and will have a nice and restful life in Goa. He further told me that he worked very hard to be what he is and it is time for him now to enjoy his life in Goa with his family. He had great ambition to involve in social work once he is in Goa. In Kuwait though he did not involve himself openly in the community work but supported community causes.
However in the same evening on 10th I got the news that Asis is expired due to the massive heart attack and his dead body is to be flown to Goa in the same flight in which he was to travel. What a tragedy!! He had high dreams to implement his plans in his home place but because of his sudden death his “CHINTNAM ZALINT SOPNAM”.
How many of us working in Kuwait for a long period are destined to implement our plans successfully after our retirement from Kuwait? Or are we destined to follow the road on which Asis has walked? Many of us from my experience point of view work here so hard with so many difficulties suffering from tensions to make little money to give a better living to our families but unfortunately many times many of us do not live to see our families living a better life because of the sudden deaths many of us face. Many times to maximise our savings to live happily back at home after our retirement we do so many sacrifices by tightening our belts and curtailing our wants beyond limit but regretfully many of us do not survive to enjoy the benefits of our sacrifices. Prematurely we go to the graves. It is very saddening to face this end but it is a reality for many of us.
I have seen from my own eyes many of our Goans inspite of being able to live with moderate comfort are living like Cockroaches; one of them was living with 4 persons in one small room though he was boasting of his 2 floor Bungalow he constructed in Goa. When once I questioned him of his pathetic living standard in Kuwait when he can afford a decent accommodation he replied saying “here in Kuwait I will live like a Cockroach but when I go back to Goa for good I will live like a Maharaja in my Bungalow”. Unfortunately, he never survived to live in his Bungalow in Goa because his dead body was flown to Goa. This was the real tragedy of the happening in one’s life.
Many of the Goans after earning so much and saving so much by curtailing their genuine wants and expenses in Kuwait are living in Old Aged Houses because in their retired life they were rejected by their wives and children.
If I ponder over such incidents, I fall sick thinking “what is in store for me”. Will my “CHINTNAM ZATELINT SOPNAM” also? God forbid and He alone can save us from the likely disaster in our life. However, as believers in God we have to be ready to accept the God's plans and nothing else.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
