To be or not to be

To be or not to be - that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
or to take arms against a sea of troubles
and by opposing end them; to die, to sleep,
No more - and by a sleep to say we end
the heartache and the thousand natural shocks
that flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
devoutly to be wished: to die, to sleep -
to sleep - perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub
for in that sleep of death, what dreams may come
when we have shuffled off this mortal coil
must give us pause. There's the respect
that makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
that patient merit of the unworthy takes,
when he himself might his quietus make
with a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear
to grunt and sweat under a weary life.
but that the dread of something after death,
the undiscovered country, from whose bourn
no traveller returns, puzzles the will
and makes us rather bear those ills we have
than fly to others we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
and thus the native hue of resolution
is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought
and enterprise of great pith and moment
with this regard their currents turn awry
and lose the name of action.

Shakespeare, Hamlet

To be or not to be, to live or to die, to live fully or to just exist, to do or not to do but just think, talk, watch and pray? - these are decisions that we have to make daily, that determine our life story.

I'm memorising these lines and find them to be truly sublime. O, if I were to be marooned on an island, or more likely, detained and cast into prison, just give me a Bible and Shakespeare, and it wouldn't matter how long the stay there!

But to return to real life here - I am amazed at the grace and mercy of God who hears the cries of the helpless and downcast, who cry to Him in desperation, humility and faith. There are some smiles now on the face of the 16 year old girl, some glimmer of hope shining through. Thank you, God, for opening a way for her, at just the right time. Please give her the strength and will to choose life, to choose You.

Please be with A2, heal her of her sicknesses and grant her to continue in strength and wisdom to reach out to even more, for Your name's sake.