Comfort foods for the soul (7): Always a chance

I had a good upbringing.

My dad was successful, did all the morally, ethically and religiously right things.

He was Chairman of the Board for 29 years, running things according to good practice, and was very prosperous.

The thing was, he died when I was 12.
I had just enough memory to recall that my dad was religious; so were his staffs.

I remembered my dad had told me his dad, my grandfather was the opposite so I knew my dad picked himself up himself.
He said he saved the company from grandpa’s bankruptcy but he always emphasised that he prayed a lot.
In particular he said once he was too proud, ignored God and got into trouble but he humbled himself finally and prayed.
It went ok.

All that to say his success was by trial and error.
He had no moral inheritance so to speak.

I did have.
But just 12 years.
That’s not justification I know.

A 12 year old boy had to step in his father’s huge shoes!
Imagine my pressure and challenge.
That’s not justification I know.

I don’t remember who advised me but when I became the Chairman at the age of 12, I did things diametrically opposite to my dad.
Don’t recall I ever prayed to my Dad’s God.

Mind you I wasn’t an atheist.
Neither was I not religious.

I did pray and worshipped as many gods as I could get my hands on.
I even participated in all detestable worships and offerings.
Just to cover all bases, so I thought.

It didn’t work.

Instead, I suffered greatly.
My company was forced into the brink of bankruptcy and eventually had to be “rescued”, essentially snapped up by my adversary.

He kicked me out of the Board.
Publicly humiliated me.
And assigned me to a small potato job in a tiny overseas subsidiary.

No power.
No resources.
No honor.

Many times shame drove me to suicide.
Just didn’t have the courage.

So I cradled my regrets and lived on with heavy guilt.

Anyone reading to this point probably has no sympathy for me.
Nor would think I could be salvageable.

I don’t blame them.
I saw myself just the same.

Honestly that was a very painful existence. 
One that had no light at the end of the tunnel.
No incentive to eat, even to get up.
Just keep plodding in daily darkness.

I now know it’s called depression.

I had no idea how I got out.
I only remember one day my mind recalled my dad had said he always prayed to his God.
Even after he became too arrogant in front of Him, and suffered, he humbled himself, prayed to his God, and his prayers were accepted!

So I grabbed this light, like a drowning man holding onto a log.
I humbled myself.
And prayed to my father’s God.

To make a long story short, I got my Chairmanship back.
I could even hold the first board meeting in the same penthouse Boardroom of my company.

By then I was convinced that my father’s God was indeed the God of Heaven and Earth.
I knew then.

So I made sure all my employees understood that and cleaned up their evil deeds.
The company and all who worked there would only recognise one and only true God, the God of my fathers.

I went on to stay till I died, as chairman for a total of 55 years.

For a lousy person like me who deserved death many times over, a humble genuine prayer was all it took.

From this true God, there’s always a chance.

My name is Manesseh, and my father was Hezekiah. (2 Chronicle 33:1-20)

2 Chronicle 33:12-13 (New International Version):

“In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.”