Trusting God's Timing

I am always fascinated by movies that deal with time travel where the protagonist travels back in time to change a series of events to safeguard the future. Watching these movies gives me a sense of control knowing that if things did go wrong in my life, how nice it would be to enter a time machine and simply undo them.

One of the biggest struggles in my Christian walk has been on the issue of God’s timing. I noticed that the timelines I had calibrated in my mind about the timing of certain events and God’s timelines of those very events never seem to match. For starters, I had hoped to be married by the age of 25 but here I am still single in my mid-thirties. As days pass into years, I am left wondering if this season will ever change.

God is sovereign and His promises in His word are true. God is the God of all comfort and Father of all mercies and yet, here I am struggling when it comes to the question of His timing.

I know that God has graciously placed me in this extended season of singleness and there is a purpose which He is fulfilling at the moment. I have experienced the joy of walking close with Christ, spending uninterrupted time in His word and in prayer and grow in my Christian faith. I have been able to meet up with friends for a cup of coffee or babysit my friends’ kids on a day’s notice. It was in a minuscule way of learning to die to self. At work, God provided many opportunities to witness for Christ. These are things that I will never trade for anything else.

I am reminded of Abraham and Sarah who waited and waited for the promise to be fulfilled. I love how it says in Romans 4:18 “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

One of my favorite promises in Scripture that helps me stay grounded is from Jeremiah 29:11 “  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God wants me to trust Him completely and that includes my season of singleness. Somehow, my gaze is always fixed on the uncertainty of my situation than in the unchanging nature of God. I need to see God as my loving Heavenly Father who in His infinite wisdom has allowed my singleness to last for a long season. It is futile on my part to cling to my understanding of when this season should change.

True joy is found in the Person of Christ, not in my changed status.

It is so rightly said in the book of Ecclesiastes: “For everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Musings of a Working Professional

Life as a working professional is invigorating and draining at the same time. 5 days a week of corporate life is tough and yet there are good days of productivity and satisfaction. Of course, I am very grateful to God for my job and all the benefits it offers to me. But on the flip side, there are long working days, tight deadlines, and tiring commutes to work.

And before you know, you are sucked into the daily humdrum of life. Sometimes I am too busy to notice anything as I am keen to reach work on time. Or by the time I reach home after work, I would simply prefer to retire to bed.

But it’s in this busyness of life that I find the joy of slowing down and gaining a better perspective of the world around me. There are a couple of things I do to keep myself focused as a single working Christian.

Being Connected
No matter what folks feel about this, I have experienced the blessing of beginning every day with God. I know for me to do that means hitting the sack early so that I am refreshed and eager to meet God through His word and prayer. There are days when I am tired and my mind is heavy with other things. But the moment I begin reading His word, it helps to get my mind off myself (for once) and focus on the majesty and immensity of my God. It really helps to prepare for the day and pray for the things ahead of me.

Being Available
As a single working woman, I have the blessing of being available in church and to my family and friends. That means helping my family or friends in times of need. I remember many years of babysitting my friends’ kids over the weekends. Of course, I had the option of enjoying time with my single friends. But it was such a neat opportunity to serve and not be selfish with my time.

Being Fit
My work forces me to sit in front of the computer for hours. And what better way to break that sedentary life than to exercise! Exercise for me is either walking in the morning, or hitting the gym in the evening. And I add cycling and swimming to my list of activities.

Being Adventurous 
I have just started travelling to places and I cannot begin to tell you the benefits of it. I mean, if you are working so hard, it does help to unwind by visiting new places and experiencing life in a totally different manner. It has helped me to keep in touch with friends and I am able to appreciate the simple blessings of life.

Being Generous
I think it’s easy to fall into the temptation of being miserly with your time and money. I have struggled a bit when it came to being generous with my time with people. I am not very good with interruptions and lack flexibility in my schedules. But I have personally experienced the joy of meeting friends and spending time with them when I would have preferred to read a book at home. Same holds true for money. Experience the thrill of spending on others, whether it is paying for lunches or coffee or buying gifts. Trust me, life as a hoarder is no good!

These are some of the things I do to keep the balance of my work life. What are some of yours? I’d love to hear them.   

Sufficiency of God's grace in trials

One Sunday morning, while waiting for the worship service to begin, I noticed a visitor walk into the church with the help of a crutch. For a minute, I couldn’t place that visitor in my memory, but then I recalled he was the same person who had met with a severe accident a couple of months ago. His brother was a regular at our church and he had sought our prayers when this accident occurred.

Watching him walk across the room with the crutch, released a flood of memories in my mind. I immediately recalled the phase when I walked about with the help of an elbow crutch. Of course, mine was a minor accident compared to his, just torn ligaments in my ankle and badly bruised bones. It took me a couple of months to get back on my feet. Literally!

Those days constantly reminded me of my frailty and how much grace I needed to go through it alone. The day I got confirmed in my new job was the day I met with the accident. Looking at the severity of my injury, I knew instantly, I had lost my job. I was job hunting those days so I knew what I had lost. And six months earlier, I had undergone two dental surgeries within a span of two months. That had put a considerable toll on my health.

Now, with the ankle injury, I was battling a lot of emotions. I was confused wondering what went wrong. Here I was practically immobile and without a job. Placing my foot on the ground sent a shooting pain up my leg. So, I had to hobble my way around the house. Being fiercely independent, I struggled to accept help from my family. Walking, an activity that I didn’t think much about now required my complete attention as I had to be very careful in the way I placed my foot. This was so humbling and really tested my faith.

But praise God for His word. Truly, it is a light unto your path. James clearly says that we will meet trials of various kinds and this is to test and build up my faith. (James 1:2-4) He calls us to have an attitude of joy! Christ has promised that His grace is always sufficient in any trial we go through. (2 Corinthians 12:9a)

Paul experienced that promise when he suffered under a great trial of having the thorn in his flesh. He prayed thrice to God to have it removed, but Christ only said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor.12:9) I always marvel at Paul’s response to this promise of Christ, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor.12:9c). This is true grace manifested in our weak bodies!

I have known Christians who have survived a car wreck and undergone several operations. I have seen their godly response to such deep suffering. I have seen Christ’s grace manifested not just in their attitude towards suffering but in the humble acceptance of what God in His immense wisdom has allowed to pass. I saw this same attitude in the person I mentioned in the beginning of this post.

Coming back to my injury, I did recover completely and landed a beautiful job a couple of months later. I could have wished this injury to have never occurred or to lose my new job but that loss pushed me to rely on Christ’s strength as I dug deep into His word and prayed to Him for grace to go through this trial. “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Job 23:10

I am humbled and at the same time marvel at God’s ways. This in my sight is truly a miracle!

Of Change and Transitions

It’s been so long since I have posted something on my blog that I am scrambling for a topic to write. The last couple of months were full of changes and moving from one transition to another. I got a new job which meant new workplace, new colleagues, new commuting route, and new challenges. By the time, I got adjusted to this particular change; there was another set of changes that needed my immediate attention.

All I wanted at this point of juncture was something that was familiar, something that didn’t need too much of my attention. I am a creature of habit and I love things functioning in an orderly fashion.  Any sudden change or unwanted interruptions puts me on edge.

I had two options: first complain my heart out or face this change with courage. Thank God, for I chose the latter. As a Christian, I am called to do all things without complaining or grumbling. I need to remember that God in His Sovereignty has allowed these changes to surface for my good. I was afraid to face these changes thinking I would fail miserably trying to adapt for these very things. The words in the book of Joshua encouraged my heart.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

So here I am standing face to face with the new things in my life and I am not as stifled as I was before.

Captured Moments

These are moments captured on the camera. Fond memories.

Selfie moment

Stationary moment

Poised moment

Beautiful moment

Nostalgic moment

Happy moment

Photo credits: Nanda, Narendra, and Chayanika.

Food for Thought

Looking Back

One of the things I love to do in the last week of the year is to look back and reflect on the past year. It’s easy to be anxious about what is to come, but it is so much better to recall some wonderful moments from the year gone by.

For me, most of 2014 was a blur and yet there were some treasured moments that I wanted to jot down. I will be going month wise as each month had something new to cherish or certain challenges that were overcome. But all in all, there is much that I am thankful to God for the way He’s brought me and kept me in His grace. His all sufficient and all encompassing grace for every second of every day! So, here goes….

January: Dad’s successful brain surgery. So thankful to God for granting dad, healing and quick recovery from the surgery.

February: Abigail and Aaron’s wedding. It was sweet to witness God’s favor as these two dear folks were united in marriage.

March: Caroline and Nidhi’s special birthday gift. This was a huge surprise for me. I was so overwhelmed to see the amount of work, time, and secrecy maintained by my sis and Nidhi to bring to life a memento of birthday wishes of my dear friends from all across the globe. Loved every moment of it!!

June: Dad’s Cyber knife radiation treatment for his brain tumor. We had to take dad to Bangalore for this treatment and it was a success. Much thanks to God!

October: Shifted to a new locality and the way things fell into place was amazing. Praising God for the same.

November: Visited Akshay and Trisha in Mumbai! It was so good to catch up with old friends and meet new ones too! Attending Mumbai Bible church was a sweet experience. 

December: Holding Abigail for the first time! Spending time with the Williams family was such a joy! Not to mention meeting Captain America and Sheeba!

Even as I stand on the threshold of another year, I am confident in Christ that it will be an exciting and an adventurous journey ahead!

"Let the favor of our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!" Psalm 90: 17

Food for Thought

Beautiful Song

Check out this video for Getty's new song, "My Worth is Not in What I own".

On Friendship

“Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.” -Charles Spurgeon

Mindful Mondays

The Little Things in Life

Last night after ages, our family sat together for dinner at the table. It felt really good to eat together as a family and laugh over some silly things. Strangely enough, for the past couple of days I have come to appreciate the little things in life. It’s these little things that make our life so meaningful and interesting. Here’s a list of things that makes my life beautiful.

                               

•  Sipping morning tea with my sister in the balcony
•  Listening to the birds chirping all day long
•  Reading the bible in my room
•  Walking to church on a Sunday morning
•  Chatting with my folks
•   Listening to music while commuting to work
•   Watching my favorite series on the laptop
•    Reading my unfinished novels

Now that my list is out, what are some of the little things that make your life meaningful?

Coffee and Conversations

I have always noticed that conversations flow with ease around coffee. I wonder if there is any connection to it. Is it the caffeine that kicks in or just the environment surrounding it? 

I am not much of a talker. I like to observe and take in what I see. Talking takes effort and sometimes I feel we become vulnerable when we talk. But lately, I have come to appreciate conversations. Not superficial conversations, but real conversations that take place between friends,

between a parent and a child, between folks who are in love.

There is an exchange of thoughts and ideas. We get an insight into the life of the person we are engaged in a conversation with. In fact we spill a lot about ourselves with our words. 

Maybe that’s one of the reasons why sometimes I avoid long conversations. I am never comfortable with people getting an insight into me. But I guess, people figure out who you really are in the end. There’s no hiding in this world. So, I guess a cuppa coffee would be great!

The Beauty of Silence

All my life where I grew up I was accompanied by solitude and serenity. I quite naturally didn't

appreciate at all. As a kid, I always complained about my residence being very quiet. I complained about the fact that my home was far tucked away from the main city. Yes, I did complain how quiet it was and that the quietness at times drove me a wee bit crazy.

Fast forward to 2001, where after a whirlwind of situations, our family landed up in a residential locality in the heart of din and noise. Want a clue about where we lived? Close to a major IT park near Hadapsar. Well, well who knew it was the beginning of a long enduring nightmare.

Our flat faced a highway that had major trucks and buses plying nonstop. Before we could settle down, a big hospital began to crawl from the ground. Within a couple of years, a flyover appeared bang opposite our home. And before we could sigh, two major malls appeared in our vicinity.

We were constantly surrounded by the honking and the rattle of the vehicles. Sleep was a luxury for us. Oh how I craved a little bit of quietness. It was a tough lesson that I learned on how to really appreciate what I had in my life. How easy it was to take things like living in a quiet surrounding for granted.

Well, after 13 years of living a nightmare, our family finally shifted to a quieter residence. And even as I write this post, I am enjoying the serenity around me. I can hear my thoughts! But above all, I have learned an important lesson of gratefulness unto the One who wisely grants things in my life.

Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Of Hopes and Umbrellas

Summer was coming to a close and how expectantly I was looking to the skies in the hope of rains to come down. But no rains, not even a drop! It was hot and dry and the sun was happy to welcome me every single afternoon. (My work would end at 3pm.)

We were already in the middle of June and still no sign of rains. So I was in two minds about carrying an umbrella. Why bother lugging this thing around when the weather folks predicted the delay of rains?

But there was something in me that I carried my umbrella every single day. My logic: it’s the rainy season and it will rain. Maybe not today, but it will rain. Days turned to weeks and the weeks into a month. No rains at all. But I carried my umbrella as planned. I was hopeful that it would rain. C’mon, a delay doesn't mean that it wouldn't rain at all.

                                   

One day when least expected, it rained. And how it rained! I was so excited to pull out my umbrella and finally be able to use it. Folks on the road were caught off guard. But I wasn't, coz I knew it would rain and when it did, I was ready!

Sometimes I think of the” things” I am waiting for. Waiting expectantly and hoping that today would be the day. Especially if you have been praying about it and waiting expectantly on the Lord to answer your prayers. I think of Habakkuk who went to the watch tower and waited for God‘s answer. 

So here I am waiting upon God to answer in much hope and anticipation.

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.” Psalm 62:1