"Why, O Lord?"

Receiving a call from the Director, Sam went to see him in his office. Sam was a middle-aged executive doing well in his job at the training institute he was working. He thought it was a routine meeting with the director.

                                                     The Director was younger than Sam and was hesitant to start the talk. After exchanging some banalities, he told Sam, "The chairperson asked me to tell you to submit your resignation and leave us today." He heaved a sigh of relief as he said that and looked warily at Sam. He wanted to see how Sam would react.

                                                     He was flabbergasted. Sam did not rant and rave as he expected. He was cool and calm instead. The only sign he got from Sam was an earnest request. "Please tell me what the reason for this sudden decision of the chairperson?"

                                                     The Director, who was only the mouthpiece of the wary chairperson, was now struggling for words.

                                                      "The Board felt that you got too much involved with the trainees. This, they felt, was detrimental to the organization." He attempted.

                                                     Sam looked straight at him and said, "If that is what you all decided, I will definitely do what the Chairperson wants. But you guys have to settle my accounts and give me the severance pay as per the agreement."

                                                     Sam went to his department immediately and packed all his personal things in a large brown carton. It appalled his subordinates. They asked him, "What happened, Sam?"

                                                     "The management has asked me to resign and leave the organization today. So am leaving you guys. Goodbye!"

                                                     "But why? What have you done wrong? Ours was the best section in the department, under your guidance. We were doing very well as per all the performance appraisals till date?" asked Bert, Sam's deputy. "I am not too sure about the exact cause, Bert. The Director was not too clear about it too. The Chairman seems to have taken this decision. Am not so happy either, Bert, but we can't go against the edicts of the Chairman in this setup. So am packing up to go."

                                                     In his heart of hearts, Sam felt a deep sense of hurt. "Just two weeks ago, the chairperson had called him and asked him to do more in his department. All was hunky-dory then. He even appreciated what they did as a team, in his section. Now what could have happened?" Sam wondered.

                                                     "Could it be that he heard about my involving some Christian trainees in a Bible Study?" he thought. The Chairman was known to be ultra-rightist as far his views on religion were concerned. He had sent another good section head packing just because he was from a minority religious community.

                                                     He called his friend Ahmed, who was sacked a few months ago. Sam was in touch with him. Ahmed was very clear about it, "These fellows do not want anyone from other communities like you and me to get prominence in this organization. Otherwise, he has no need to send you out. I can understand how his devious mind works."

                                                     When Sam went and shared this with his wife Sarah, she was cross. "I told you to keep your faith and beliefs apart from your job." she admonished him. Sam was a man of faith. He said, "Sarah, this is a matter of our faith. The Lord will not leave me. We will pray and seek His will in this. He will surely show me something even better, I am sure."

                                                     They both knelt in their bedroom and prayed earnestly, seeking the Lord's provision for Sam. Sarah was also working and so they were not so affected immediately.

                                                     Staying home was a novel experience for Sam. He spent time on the net looking for opportunities. He also used the time to take some online courses. He fine-tuned his writing skills. he started writing some faith-based articles and stories. Joined an online website which made him write some words, every day, regularly. But he also spent time on his knees, in prayer, communing with God.

                                                     He did ask God also, his unspoken question, “Why O Lord? Why have you allowed this sad thing to happen to me, your servant?”

                                                     Life went on. Sam also persisted in demanding the dues from the previous organization. They tried to dither, but his persistence and prayers made them cough up all his dues. Just then, two good opportunities turned up for him. He and Sarah knelt and prayed about them.

                                                     One was a good one but about 1000 km away, in another state. "These were the days of COVID. Will it be okay to go and work so far away?" they thought. The other also was out of town but he could come home every weekend as the place was less than 200 km away.

                                                     After some prayer and thinking, they both decided and Sam joined the second, closer place. He was a little apprehensive of how he would be able to adjust to the new work situation. But trusting the Lord, Sam went ahead and joined in the new place.

                                       Slowly Sam got into a routine in his new place of work. He found that God gave him a lot of opportunities to share his faith, on a one-on-one basis, with individuals who were in the Lord but needed discipleship. “Perhaps this was why the Lord led me here?” wondered Sam as he faithfully served these people.

                                                     His new boss gave him a lot of independence as far as his work was involved. He began to do more work both in quantity and in quality. The distance between his home and the place was a hitch. Sam set up a small establishment in the accommodation provided by the organization. With his basic cooking skills, he managed to fend for himself.

                                                     Sometimes he did feel sad that he had lost out on some things. He could go back home every day from his previous job. But now he had to be alone, by himself for four days in a week. But the Lord molded him and used him in His service.

                                                     Taking up tele-counseling in his free time, he made the best of serving God in different ways. In some of these encounters, when the counselees were in severe trauma, Sam also felt weary. But by His grace, he refreshed himself in the Word of God and continued to do counseling.

                                                     The place where he stayed had people with a variety of faiths. It was good for Sam to dialogue with others of different faiths. He developed the skill of listening to others. One of his trainees was from a sect, the Jehovah's witnesses. This young man, Edmund, was brought up in this heretic sect right from his birth. He did not know any other.

                                                     Edmund was trained by his sect not to accept any other viewpoints. He was taught that the traditional Christian beliefs were all bent from the Bible.

                                                     "This is because the so-called Christians are not Christians at all. The Bible does not talk about the separation of the Clergy and the laypeople. But all of these people have a rigid differentiation between the clergy and the laity. So, we do not need to dialogue with them at all." This was the teaching of Daniel, an elder in the community of Jehovah's witnesses that Edmund attended.

                                                     "Uncle Daniel," asked Edmund, "What do we do if they insist on inviting us to their meetings?" They were conversing with each other just outside the Kingdom Hall after their weekend meeting.

                                                     "Simple, Edmund. You give them the Watch Tower, Awake and other of our publications. Ask them to read and understand our beliefs. Be on the offensive. Try and get them to understand us and join us, Jehovah willing."

                                                     "What are the major beliefs of ours, Uncle Daniel?" asked Edmund.

                                                     "Haven't you learned them all in the Kingdom Hall meetings over the years Edmund?" replied Daniel, "Basically we believe in the New World Translation of the Bible, which is the only true translation of the Bible. We do not believe in the separation of the clergy and the laity. Neither do we believe in the extra-biblical doctrines such as Trinity, Life after death or hell. We believe that we cease to exist, and have no consciousness, after our death."

                                                     "Thank you, Uncle, for enlightening me. I ask all these questions because one of our faculty has been trying to talk to me about Christianity as he believes. I want to be equipped to explain our beliefs to him as he dialogues with me."

                                                     “Be careful Edmund! I suggest you stop communicating with this man.”

                                                     Edmund and Sam met after some time and had a long discussion. Sam was trying to share the gospel with Edmund. Edmund in turn was trying to share the concepts of the Kingdom Hall with Sam. They could not come to any conclusion, naturally.

                                                     Sam sought the Lord in prayer for the soul of Edmund and others like that caught in heresies. The fellowship believers also prayed sincerely and for a long time about them. By God's grace, over time, Sam developed a good rapport with Edmund. He went to attend one of their Kingdom Hall meetings also.

                                                     Gently and with patience, he explained the plain gospel to Edmund. The process took time. After much prayer and persuasion, Edmund did see the truth. He came to believe in the simple message of salvation.

                                                     "You know what, Darling? Edmund had accepted the Lord!" exclaimed Sam in his daily chat with her. They both joined together to thank the Lord for listening to their prayers and leading Edmund to salvation. "We need to continue to pray for the family of Edmund and his safety. Shall we go ahead?"

                                                     "A couple of years back, I did feel sad when I was asked to leave my previous job, for no fault of mine. But now I see that God had a plan that I come here, to seek and save Edmund, and maybe others like him!"

                                                     "True indeed Sam!" agreed Sarah as they both knelt down to thank God. The Lord spoke to Sam after the prayer, “My son Sam, now you know why I had to bring you out from the previous position. Don’t you?”

                                   “Thank you, Lord, I now understand.”