Still Waiting in Dubai

Aris

Dubai

Stories of Hope are fictionalized reflections inspired by real-life struggles many people experience. Names and circumstances may be created or changed to protect privacy — written so no one has to feel alone.

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A Letter to God

Dear Lord, the desert heat outside my window feels nothing compared to the coldness settling in my chest. It has been three years since I left my family in Bacolod, and tonight, I am questioning if any of this sacrifice is worth the price of my soul. I stare at the neon lights of this city, and all I see are the missed birthdays of my children and the way my wife’s voice trembles over our weekly video calls. Why did You lead me to this path if it meant losing my place in the lives of the people I love most?

I work fourteen hours a day, sending every dirham back home, but lately, I feel like a ghost haunting my own life. I see the photos they send of the family reunions and the simple Sunday lunches back in Negros, and I realize I am becoming a stranger to them. Am I just a bank account to my family now? Am I just a machine to my employer? Have You forgotten that I am still a man who needs connection, not just a provider who needs a paycheck?

I do not want to complain, po, because I know many are suffering worse than I am. But Lord, the exhaustion is no longer just in my bones; it is in my spirit. I keep reaching for Your peace, but all I feel is the silence of this cramped apartment. What do I do now? Is there ever an end to this cycle, or am I meant to stay broken in this foreign land until I have nothing left to give?

A father who is fading away, Aris

HOPE's Response

A reply to the letter

Dear Aris, I hear the heavy ache in your heart, and I want you to know that your tears are not unseen. You are carrying a burden that was never meant to be borne alone, and it is natural to feel the weight of such profound sacrifice. Your longing to be present is not a sign of weakness; it is evidence of the deep, enduring love you have for your wife and children.

In Psalm 34:18, the Scripture tells us, 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.' You feel like a ghost, but to Him, you are a son who is deeply valued, not for what you provide, but for who you are. He sees every hour of your toil and every silent prayer you breathe into the stillness of your room.

Do not mistake your current season for your final destination. You are not just a provider; you are a man in a process of refining. I encourage you to bring your raw, unfiltered grief to Him daily—not as a formal prayer, but as a conversation with a Father who knows the sting of separation. He is with you in that apartment in Dubai, and He is with your family in Bacolod, holding all of you together even when you feel miles apart.

With love in Christ, HOPE

A Prayer from HOPE

Lord, thank You for being the bridge between me and my family when I feel so disconnected. I surrender my exhaustion, my loneliness, and my questions to You tonight. Please wrap Your arms around my wife and children in Bacolod, and help me to find Your presence in the middle of this desert. Renew my strength, quiet my racing thoughts, and remind me that I am never truly alone because You are with me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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