Something to Think about

 

The Bigger Picture

It was a Saturday  afternoon, and I was pleasantly surprised when our friends dropped in. We made an impromptu decision to go to a close by restaurant.  It was 1:30, our driver Srinivas was having his lunch. Not wanting to interrupt our driver’s lunch we hopped into our friend’s vehicle as we headed for lunch. However, we instructed Srinivas to pick us up from the restaurant.

The usually reliable Srinivas was not to be seen and on top of it he was not picking the phone. On reaching home, we saw Srinivas fast asleep on the porch.

We had the right to be harsh with him even though he apologized profusely. But then we overlooked this incident saying “its fine Srinivas don’t worry” 

We went about our routines and Nazarene went upstairs and to her shock she found we left the balcony door open. Now things fell into place. Locks could not protect our house, which had been burgled twice over the last two years. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain”.

It took some time and then we realized Srinivas reneging on his duty to pick us up and sleep on the porch was perhaps a protection plan of God. We felt good for not being harsh on Srinivas.

Later in the evening, I narrated this lapse on our part to Srinivas and how grateful we are to God for His Protection. I asked him how he felt when he saw us walk home. He said he felt very bad and guilty.

Then I asked him how does he feel after I had narrated about this part and his role in protecting our house. He said that definitely he has seen God’s protection and care and he feels better now and resolved to do his duty even better.

 

26^th November 2022

Trust an unknown future to a Known God

Many years ago, I was called to the office of the CEO of the company I worked at. He informed me that he would not like for me to continue working with them, after which he asked me to resign. Conversations such as this aren’t typically pleasant and neither are their outcomes. As someone in HR, I had been on the other side of this conversation many times. Having been at the receiving end this time, I had to take it with equanimity.

I went home and told Nazarene, my wife, about this conversation and its outcome. Naturally, we felt disappointed and forlorn thinking about the future. We happened to be in the midst of shifting houses at that time and needed to clear some items from the old house. We therefore went to the old house later that evening to clean it up.

Lying on the floor in the living room amidst all the dust was half of a poster that I purchased when I started working in the early eighties. Here it is:

Nazarene noticed it and pointed it out to me. We both stood still for a few moments and felt the Lord Himself speak to us. We felt a reassuring calmness and we reaffirmed our Faith in God. Over the years, we’ve grown in our spiritual life. God has been faithful to us despite various troughs and valleys thereafter.

Now, as I reminisce about what happened so long ago, I am awestruck by God’s blessings on me. I superannuated as Director of TMTC a few months ago. When many in the world were laid off, I was asked to continue beyond my retirement age, which was an added blessing. We have all enjoyed good health, the love and affection of family and friends and the opportunity to work, contribute and make a difference. I am living a future that was unknown to me so many years ago and it is all because of God’s grace.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33,  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

As we close 2021, my family and I express gratitude for the year gone by and look forward in hope to 2022.

We wish you good health, peace and happiness for 2022 and leave this assurance “ Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a Known God.”

 Wish you a blessed 2022