Folks is there anyone of you who has never had any challenge in life before? I don’t think any one can answer in the affirmative. I remember when I was a child, my Late grandmother, Nana Yaa Abuakwaa would sometimes say: “The tests that we have faced this year as a family are not the standard seven kind, but the college type.”
Life has always been full of challenges and the fact that you are facing challenges does not make you incompetent or hopeless. Interestingly, challenges are not only peculiar to individuals but nations as well. A clear example could be found in the Bible with regards to the nation of Israel; a nation after God’s heart, and whose leaders were chosen and guided by God Himself; yet they were not insulated from challenges.
I love challenges because they shape us and make us push ourselves further to become better. The unfortunate thing is that even though challenges are agonising and sometimes excruciating , steps to remedy such situations are not soothing either. It takes bitter pills and painful injections to cure life-threatening diseases. Sadly enough, and in most cases, any leader who attempts to bring a change in order to solve a problem meets stiff opposition from the same people whom the intervention will benefit.
In Exodus 1:14 of the Bible, the lives of the Israelites were made bitter with hash labour and were ruthlessly suppressed by the Egyptians. The Israelites cried out to God to deliver them from the hardship and take them to the Promised Land. God answered their prayers by empowering Moses to lead them out of Egypt. But they felt uncomfortable with the change that brought them absolute freedom, and at a point they grumbled and threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death.
Hear what they said in Exodus 16:1-3, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt where we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve us to death.” Interestingly, the situation was not that bad – God brought them manna from Heaven.
No one can ever please human beings, not even God. Rick Warren says in his “Purpose Driven Life” that he doesn’t know all the keys to success, but one key to failure is to try to please everyone, and he is right. And I want to take advantage of this to encourage President Mahama not to get discouraged about what some people say. He can never please them even if he offers his very life as sacrifice.
During his investiture in 2013, he promised that he will never let Ghana down, and I believe him. I love him for his forthrightness and honesty. Please hear what he has to say on economic hardship: “When you face economic challenges, you need to introduce some tough measures, and they come with some pain. So I understand the complaints that I’m hearing. They are not pleasant to me. As a leader, I wish that I could sell fuel as cheaply as possible and give electricity free to everybody’s home…”
I can feel his genuine passion for changing the lives of our people and transforming our nation; and I want to assure him that there are numerous people who understand his plight and are prepared to stand by him in this trying times. To his true lovers, this is the moment to fire imaginations; this is the moment to keep the flame burning; this is the moment to show love; this is the moment to redefine friendship: and I’m here to trigger emotions. On behalf of all friends, lovers and fans of President Mahama, I wish to sing to my JM, your JM and our JM, Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends are for:
And I never thought I’d feel this way
And as far as I’m concerned
I’m glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love you
And if I should ever go away
Well then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today
And then if you can remember …
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I’ll be on your side forever more
That’s what friends are for
Well you came and opened me
And now there’s so much more I see
And so by the way I thank you
And then for the times when we’re apart
Well then close your eyes and know
These words are coming from my heart
And then if you can remember …
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
In good times and bad times
I’ll be on your side forever more
That’s what friends are for
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I’ll be on your side forever more
That’s what friends are for
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I’ll be on your side forever more
That’s what friends are for
Mr. President we have confidence in you to lead us to the Promised Land. We thank you for the unprecedented numerous developmental projects going on through out the country. Since independence in 1957, no government in Ghana has created more infrastructure in so short a time as your government.
Those who have seen your “Accounting to the People” book which has catalogued your achievements are amazed. I will take this opportunity to plead with you to make more copies of this vital book available. As the Bible says in Mathew 5:15, we cannot light a lamp and put it under a bowl, instead we have to put it on its stand for it to give light to everyone in the house.
My President, my brother and my friend, your clean heart and great work will speak for you, so, don’t be discouraged; keep smiling, keep shining, knowing you can always count on us for sure; in good times and in bad times we’ll be on your side forever more because that’s what friends are for.
