Sunday, September 1, 2013

Most of the time if we were ever given a chance to wipe out some memories in our life, the bad ones would get the most amount of votes. This day last year was the happiest day for me in 2013. But given the option today, I would have it wiped off my memory if I could. Something that was meant to be really good ended up as a nightmare.

I was dreading the months of August and September this year, as I knew I would remember a lot of things from the past. I just did not want to go through the same flood of emotions all over again.

It was good to go to the Lord with my fears and weaknesses and insecurities and lay it out all on the table. Surprisingly though it has not been that bad. I know there are certain incidents that occur in our lives that will remain with us forever. I may never get an answer as to why I had to go through them, but my anchor as always will be trusting in a God who is good and Sovereign and knows what He is doing in my life :)

Fighting Till The End

Soldiers of Operation Red Wings

I love War movies. I know a lot of people like war movies for the act of heroism. I like them for a different reason. Apart from all the pain, agony, tears, wounds there is something more you can take back from them. One thing that amazes me is the endurance to fight till the end. The warriors or soldiers will be wounded in ways that we can’t even begin to imagine-yet they fight-till they have their breath.

Some of my favourite movies are Lord of The Rings, Harry Potter ( the last one) and one that I saw yesterday- The Lone Survivor.  I would suggest that those with a weak stomach should avoid watching this one as the scenes are quite graphic.

I was a little low key this weekend, and usually at times like these I pick movies that are upbeat  or joyful. But for some weird reason I picked the Lone Surivivor. Those who have not seen the movie, it is about a group of soldiers put on an operation called ‘Red Wings’ all of them die except one. As I watched the movie, I just realised that whatever I was upset about seemed so small to what those soldiers were going through. I am not saying that the trials each one of us go through are insignificant.  But in light of things that are greater, it does seem small.

Something that I took back from this movie was to continue faithfully to the end. Being a soldier is no joke. You got to count the cost before you enrol. It’s the same way for a Christian. You have to count the cost when you decide to follow Jesus. No one said it’s going to be smooth sailing.

Will end the post with a verse from the hymn, ‘Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus. Hope we as Christians continue to fight the battle till the end :)

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, each soldier to his post,

Close up the broken column, and shout through all the host:

Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain,

And prove to all around you that death itself is gain.

Counting our blessings during Dad’s Brain Surgery :)

It’s been an eventful week since Dad’s brain tumour surgery. I have seen God work in ways that has not only made me to trust Him more, but also reaffirm that He is good and knows what is best for His children. I am not  just saying  because my Dad survived the 10 hr long surgery. We were kinda prepared for the worst.

God chose to spare my Dad’s life and we keep reminding him every time he is discouraged or feels he not feeling completely well. Even in circumstances like these it is good to remember God’s blessings in all situations.

Some of the things that came back were:

Dad’s accident and head injury in 2012 turned out to be a blessing ( even though at that time it did not make sense to any of us); else the tumour would not have been diagnosed.

God gave much wisdom and physical strength to the doctors, nurses and staff that performed the surgery.

Dad’s reflexes were good post surgery and no memory loss :)

Saw the body of Christ come together in prayer (from different parts of the world and was reminded again that we are united by the blood of Christ)

Rejoiced yesterday as we got a better room in the hospital.

Naiesha and I had to only take a day off and could be flexible at work.

Also praising God for good health even though we were doing daily 12 hr shifts, with work/hospital rounds/cooking cleaning :)

All in all, it was a week where I learned to depend on Christ even in little things..like waking up early mornings ;)

Where is that silver lining?

I know people say that when you blog for a long time, you later end up running out of topics to write about. I have so many things in my head right now that I want to write, but I never seem to get a decent train of thought. This has been going on for a while now. I know things have been a little rough lately and they don’t seem to be getting any better. But I really hope that this cloud of gloom would pass soon and there would come a time when things will be joyful again.

We all struggle with routine and I more so. I like when everyday does not look the same. But now I guess I don’t mind routine. I would like things to settle down a bit and maybe go slow. I would like to catch up with my friends where we are just talking about the usual work hassles and traffic and not tragedies and disappointments.

I know I am learning to be patient in this season, but I really hoping to see the silver lining in that cloud.

Thought for the Day :)

Trials

Trials either bring the best or the worst in a person. The past couple of months have not been particularly easy for me. I remember making a prayer unto the Lord sometime back saying, “Lord help me like you, Christ like, humble compassionate etc etc. Yup He took me at my word and very lovingly gave me a set of trials. 

Let me be honest here, I don’t like trials. If I could just have endurance,character, hope (Rom 5: 3-4) without going through tough times, I would be a happy girl. But it does not work that way. Some of the most humble people that I have interacted with have gone though the severest trials. Trials are good, hard as it may sound they are made to make us more like Him. Jesus Christ did not have it easy when he was on the earth (1 Peter 2: 21 22), they why do we, His followers, expect that it will be easy for us?

Something that I have learnt while I am going through a tough time is to continue to keep my focus on Christ. I need to constantly remind myself of his steadfast love, His goodness and His sense of justice( and His many other attributes). The one question I ask myself during a trial is “What am I thinking of God right now?”  Do I continue to believe that He is my shepherd and that He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters? (Psalm 23)

I am not writing here to dish out advice, but I talk from my own failings and how graciously the Lord has taught me the last few months that He loves me and cares for me much, and He has not forsaken me or left me alone in these times.

One of the passages that I kept going back to is from 1 Peter 1:6-9. Will end here with the verses :)

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while,if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9, ESV)