Testimony of faith. I scolded the Good Lord

“You don’t have any papers. I can’t do anything for you. » The boss of the workshop in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine where I hoped to practice my skills as a welder – a good profession, in high demand – left me at the door this Thursday morning. I couldn’t go into the friend’s house because I didn’t have his key, and he was at work. Angry, discouraged, I understood that everything was going to become very difficult. Once again, I was required to have proper papers, even though since my arrival from Mauritius, my country, I had worked for a year without papers, with a formal contract. To obtain the precious sesame, I had to wait another four years, according to the law. What was I going to become? What about Jessica, my wife, and my three daughters? My difficulties led them to find refuge with an aunt in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

With my back to the workshop door, I brood over my misfortune. I raise my head to the sky, and complain: “O my God, you have brought me, with my family…” Proceeding from the roofs, I then saw a bell tower. A word from my mother came back to me: “When you have a problem, go to church. » I enter the building, sit down in front of the tabernacle and scold the Good Lord. “I don’t deserve what’s happening to me!” » Around 4 p.m., a lady comes out of the sacristy: “You’ve been here a long time! – Yes, I have problems. – Are you a migrant? – Yes. – Here, there is the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Society (SSVP) for migrants. Come to mass tomorrow. »

After the service, on Friday, the priest received me around coffee. And on Saturday, on the town hall square, the SSVP volunteers invited me to help them set up their stand for the associations day. From then on, I became one of them. Soon, the priest, then parishioners, entrusted me with all kinds of odd jobs in addition to those I continued to find on my own. But on weekends, I always managed to go to mass. In December, many chipped in so that I could join my family for Christmas. There it is, the magic of the Nativity… Even if the driver of the car found on Blablacar didn’t want to take my big bag of gifts for my daughters and my wife. The years have passed. My papers are in order. I work as a welder, and with Jessica, we host an SSVP Smile Café, a place open to all.