Why Me?

“Why me?” Have you ever asked yourself this question before? The probability is very high that you have, probably more than once. You lose a loved one; your dad, mum or sibling, and you scream out these two words through your unending tears. You fail an exam you had paid, prayed and prepared so hard for and your result is withheld and you sob, repeating the words – Why Me?

Yours might be that you were born into a poor home and you wonder why it had to be you. Or you were born handicapped and when your friends look on you with pity, you just wonder why you. Or you were born a sickler (with sickle cell anemia) and you wonder everyday of your life how long you’ll live. The list is endless but I’m so certain there is at least one thing in your life; something that had happened to you or that you were a victim of (not by choice but just happened to you) and you wonder why it didn’t just skip you to someone else.

Let me add a few more, hoping to mention yours. Were you raped or sexually abused at childhood when you had no power to resist and anytime you remember, you grit your teeth in great pain and wonder why it had to be you? Were you mistaken for a thief or cheat in an exam hall and unduly punished for sins you never committed? Do your parents prefer your siblings to you and always talk you down and you just wonder why you are hated? Or where you born out of wedlock to a single mum and whenever people see you, you can hear their unspoken words of ridicule and you wish you had never been born?

Dearest, I sincerely hope I touched a soft spot in your heart, but peradventure, I didn’t mention yours, please think deeply about something that has happened to you or that is a part of you that you wish had never been and you wonder why it had to be you. Are you thinking? I’ll give you a few minutes to search. Searching… searching… Found. Good, please search a little more; you might just have more than one. Searching… searching… Found! Found!! Found!!!

How many did you find? One, a few, or many? I sure hope you didn’t find too many. But no matter the number you found, there’s good news for you today. You don’t ever have to look back at those occurrences or look at your body or your health status in shame, bitterness or regret. From this moment, you can begin to rejoice that you went through or are going through these circumstances. ‘But Timi, that’s impossible!’ you say. Nah! It’s very possible.

Let me tell you how, using the example of four teenagers like yourself.

* He was born to parents who loved him but he had a disease; he was epileptic. His seizures could occur anytime and anywhere. I mean, anytime and anywhere! Do you feel that? Even when he was all ‘baffed-up’ and trying to impress the girls, he could sudden hit the ground, start convulsing and drool all over the floor. He never ceased to wonder why he was chosen for this embarrassing life, until one day, something happened. After that day, he was the guy all the guys and girls in the neighbourhood wanted to hang out with. What happened to him? You’ll find out soon.

* She was orphaned at an early age and had to live with her relative in a country that was very hostile to people like her. She cried at several times, wishing things were different until something happened. After that moment, she topped the celebrities’ chart, was on the cover pages of national magazines and everyone was just wanted to see her, even if they couldn’t come close. What happened? Wait a bit!

* He was born out of wedlock and his father disregarded him; he was given the menial jobs at home to do. When his brothers were going to the cinema or to the stadium, he was busy cleaning up their dirty rooms. While his brothers were sent to private schools, he was attending a public school. He wondered why life was so cruel until one day, things turned around and this despised boy became the most powerful man in the world in his days. How did that happen? You’re about to know.

* She used to be a pretty girl, her parents were the envy of town when she was a kid; she was so beautiful. But that changed when she became an adolescent and started menstruating. The flow just never seemed to stop. Her parents initially thought it would stop, crediting it to menarche instabilities. One month… six months… a year… five years… twelve years, it refused to stop. She grew very lean and as you would expect, had body odour. She couldn’t go to school, couldn’t learn a trade; was at the mercy of doctors who were already getting confused themselves. She didn’t have friends – she was a loner. She cried everyday, wishing she was born a boy and not a girl. But her tears ended suddenly on one bright afternoon. Thereafter, she got her confidence back! She could walk into places she hadn’t been able to before and people got to know her worth and she became a lady of great worth.

Now, I’m sure you want to know what happened to these four people who suffered as teenagers before their lives changed. I’ll only tell you if you promise to read this article till the end. Do you? Hmmm… That’s it. A promise is a debt! I’ll tell you.

THEY ALL FOUND GOD, AND IN TURN, HE GAVE THEM BEAUTY FOR THEIR ASHES. They all met Jesus and laid their griefs, pains, and sorrows at his feet. They cried in his arms as He rocked them and wiped their tears away. They trusted Him with their lives and He gave them a new life; gave them joy even in their pain. He gave them hope even in their fears. He brought love to their hurting and despised hearts. He gave them reasons to forget their past. And He can do the same for you!

To read the stories of these people yourself, please read the following scriptures: Mark 9:17-27; Esther 2: 5-17; 1Samuel 16:11-12, 17:12-15; Luke 8:43-44.

No matter what you have gone through or what you’re struggling with, if you would only cast them all upon Jesus, you will find rest and true joy. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

The bible also says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
2 Corinthians 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Friend, Jesus took on the human nature, so he could feel what you feel, he took your pains, shame, fears, guilt, doubts, sins, sicknesses, weaknesses and nailed them to the cross. He has already settled all things for you. All He’s asking is that you drop those burdens you have been carrying at his feet. Leave them to Him; He’ll take care of them. He did it for the epileptic boy, Esther, David, the woman with the issue of blood, and many more people both in bible days and even in our time. He did it for me too.

I spent seven years in the university doing a four-year course; a victim of both my personal mistakes and ASUU strikes. I saw my mates who went to private universities serve (NYSC) and work while I was still in school. I wondered why my admission processing to study in the US didn’t work out even when I had excellent SAT1, SAT11 and TOEFL scores; that were much better than other’s who got admission. I wondered why I was one of the few, who without reason, were delayed from going for NYSC for another six months… just to mention a few.

But I found God even in the midst of all this and I laid ALL my burdens at his feet. Worrying over them couldn’t help; what had happened had happened; there was no need crying over spilt milk. I eased into God’s embrace and He carried me, taking away all my pains. Even when I remember and want to feel bad, He’s there to encourage me. A major beauty God has brought out of my ‘mishaps’ is this magazine you’re holding in your hand. If things hadn’t happened the way they did and I traveled abroad etc, I can guarantee you, MINE magazine wouldn’t have happened through me; God would have used someone else.

Yours might be more painful than mine or less but the solution is the same. Dear friend, no matter what your pains, regrets and bitterness are, if only you’ll hand them over to God, He’ll take care of you and bring good out of them all. I pray He heals that your sickness, but if He chooses not to, there’s something great He’s going to do in and through you as a result of that sickness.

If you let Him, He’ll heal your wounds from that sexual abuse and make you strong enough to help others who suffer what you’ve suffered. If you’ll trust Him, He can cause you to be the envy of that family in which you were the despised child. Only if you’ll trust Him, no matter the peculiarity of your case, He will turn things around for you, so that you’ll never again have to ask “Why me?”

The first step to take is to trust Him with your entire life by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour of your life. If you haven’t done that, please pray ‘The Love Prayer’ below. Congrats friend!!! Now that you’ve done that, please cast all those hurts, circumstances and events that have made you harbour shame and regret in the past, on Jesus and please LEAVE them there; He’ll take care of them.

Build your relationship with Him and as you do, He’ll help you to become ALL that He has made you to be and NOTHING will ever be able to put you down again. And if you still need someone (physically), after you’ve told God about it, to offload your heart to, please feel free to get in touch with me or any of the MINE contributors via our phone numbers, email addresses or websites.

I’m believing God with you that the only time you’ll ever have to say the words “Why me” would be in praise to Him for His goodness to you, when you’ll say; “Lord, you’ve been so good to me and have blessed me with more than I could have ever asked for; you’ve turned my sorrow to joy but I really wonder, you could have blessed anyone else, WHY ME?”


The Love Prayer
Dear God, I have heard about your love and I thank you for loving me in spite of my many sins and weaknesses. I believe, Jesus, that you’re the son of God and that you died and rose again to save me. I repent of my sins and forsake them. I will live to please you as your Holy Spirit helps me. I receive you into my heart and I ask that you make me yours forever. Help me to be your friend and may we love, trust and honor each other for all eternity. Thank you Father for accepting me. I choose to live above guilt henceforth. I have prayed in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer for the first time, please send an e-mail to us at justaboutmine@yahoo.com and we’ll be quick to get back to you to stand by you in this new adventure of life.

Written by Timilehin Adigun