"This win will surely give us a major boost. We have won both qualifiers and have played three games and won all."
-Daren Ganga, T&T cricket captain
In spite of the Clico hurricane, the Hindu Credit Union earthquake and the ruthless behaviour of gang leaders and gang members, we can still save our nation by the grace of God. First we have to believe that we can win the battle. We must act efficiently, work diligently, pray consistently, care unconditionally and rejoice collectively. We can win the battle against crime, violence, sexually transmitted diseases, gambling, corruption, racism, prejudice, myopic thinking. We have to believe that Mt Everest can be conquered.
Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Mt Everest, because he believed that it was possible. Ben Carson became a paediatric neurosurgeon because he believed it was possible. Nick Vujicic, born without hands and legs, became a university graduate, because he believed it was possible. These folks had unlimited faith in God and rejected defeatist and alarmist thinking. We have to give, like Sir Winston Churchill, blood, sweat and tears. We have to be prepared to sacrifice, to adopt the good Samaritan model. We have to engage in an unprecedented level of networking. We have to aim repeatedly to be a total quality nation. We must challenge primary, secondary and tertiary level students to settle for nothing less than the best.
Nations rise and nations fall, but this is our time to rise. When the pessimists believe that we will be crushed, with the weapons of faith and hope we will advance and capture the trophy. We are proud of Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Richard Thompson, Daren Ganga and his team, Kenwyn Jones. Dr Williams and Dr Capil-deo were internationally acclaimed geniuses. Andrew Hunte is a mathematics guru, Officer Sharbodie is a compassionate police officer. Dale Jones is a strategic youth officer at the Loveuntil Foundation. Jehue Gordon is an athletic star, watch him scorch the tracks in the 2012 London Olym-pics.
Groups like Cans of Hope, Servol, police youth clubs, Friends Forever are blazing the trail. If they are empowered and affirmed, they will continue to move mountains. We have produced engineers, pilots, computer gurus, doctors, nurses, physicists, cardiovascular surgeons, distinguished luminaries.
Let us encourage our youth to serve God because He can turn anger into aspiration, blunders into blessings, crisis into control, defeat into distinction, exhaustion into excellence. He can convert mud into mission, obstacles into opportunities, and sadness into satisfaction. This amazing, terrific, omnipotent God can turn our tragedy into triumph, our victim mentality into a victory odyssey. With Jesus in the vessel, we can smile at the storm.
We need another watchword, and we should change one of them-change tolerance to appreciation and add sacrifice. So we will have four-discipline, production, appreciation and sacrifice. We cannot build a First World nation on the platform of indiscipline. Some people break every rule in and out of the book and suffer no consequences. This has to change and it will change because the longest day has an end. We have to stop the crab-in-the-barrel syndrome, the crass selfishness that will only temporarily reward. Now on the issue of corruption. How many swimming pools can go there? How many BMWs? When you read all the scandals, and the naked nepotism swirling around public and private sector corporations, you wonder if people are planning for Judgment Day.
So people get ready, the transformation train is coming. Think about accountability, especially divine accountability. Happiness cannot be bought and it certainly cannot be sold. Happiness comes to those who have found their mission in life and are helping others find their divinely appointed mission on this planet. The materialists and the humanists may not understand this fact. What keeps the Emmanuel Community going? What drives the Cancer Society of T&T? What motivates Cans of Hope? What keeps the cadets, pathfinders and boy scout movements alive and kicking in spite of the economic challenges? What has nurtured Alcoholics Anonymous and provided the elusive sustainability factor?
Permit me to suggest some answers. Faith in God which fashions a vision to make a difference, to help hurting humanity. What kept Moses loving his people in spite of their concrete brains and stubbornness? Love, love and more love and that love comes from God. I know an atheist. He is a kind-hearted person. But he believes that his kindness is self-generated. Let me inform all atheists that God allows the sun to shine on the just as well as the unjust. This mighty God has all the power and loves humanity unconditionally. A nation is restored when faith in God is restored, when values are transmitted and internalised, when we love in spite of our differences. Let us say a prayer for our nation.
THOUGHTS
• We have to aim repeatedly to be a total quality nation.
• We cannot build a First World nation on the platform of indiscipline.
• We have to stop the crass selfishness that will only temporarily reward.