There is a saying in Tagalog that life is “weather weather lang.” In other words, like the weather, sometimes life is sunny, sometimes life is cloudy and overcast. Sometimes life is bright, sometimes life is stormy. Sometimes life gives you lemons or throws you a curve ball, sometimes life gives us a pleasant surprise.

This weekend, we will celebrate Palm Sunday. Certainly, for Jesus, this was emotional. When he entered Jerusalem, people welcomed him warmly.  “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” But in the next few days, the chants would change – “Crucify him.” Further, on the cross, there was something that Jesus said that resonates with each and every one of us. There was a time, like Jesus, when we hit rock bottom: “Eloi Eloi Lema Sabachtanni.” In English, it is, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”

Hence, when we feel abandoned, three questions we remember:

• First, to the question: “Why so silent?” Let us remember the power of prayer. God’s time is different from our time, his ways are different from our ways, and his wisdom is different from our wisdom. For God, a thousand years is just like one second, and one second is just a thousand days. Yet he hears all our prayers. “Yes”, if it is meant to be, and “No”, because he has a better plan. “Not yet”, because his timing is perfect. Continue to pray unceasingly.
• Second, to the question: “Why me?” When good things happen to good people, we say that God is good; he blesses people who are good. When bad things happen to bad people, we say, “Whatever you throw outdoors in the world, it comes back.” Somewhere down the road, someone is going to do to you what you have been doing to others. But when bad things happen to good people, we ask God, “Why me?” Let us remember that God has a plan in everything, and all happens for a reason and a purpose. Continue to ask the question, “What Lord, are you telling me in this situation?”
• Third, to the question, “How long?” Many times, we pray, and God takes away the storms of life. Sometimes, he does so, quickly. Most other times, though, we just have to go through the storms of life. How long? Only God knows. Yet, we can always be assured that after night comes day. There is no storm that will last forever. It may be one after the other, but it is not going to last forever. Continue to be hopeful and be a blessing. There are others there in a far worse situation.

In Psalm 22, the words, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” was also the cry of the Psalmist. Yet towards the end of the Psalm, it became a prayer of praise. Why? Because God is faithful. This our prayer, in the weather of life, may we see God’s faithfulness.