Plastic life..

Its not making sense to me. All seem to be vapor. Nothing lasts or is true. Plastic smiles, blank laughters, blunt handshakes. Beating about the bush, getting what one wants, by hook or by crook and then it all ends. The priorities in life now, are not the same in the past, and wont be the same in the future, and then why the dedication, hard work and all the effort into what I think is the most important task at hand, right now!? Then, someone goes past, saying, that can wait till tmw, or next year. When a change, that happens seem to be so overwhelming, that you can never learn to live in the beginning, seems ordinary after few days, month. Its all so dumb.

Lord, come soon. Or take me soon, its bugging here.

Safe?

When a sudden strong wind blows, which almost knocks you down, you stabilise,and when you look around, its gone. You wonder, what it was, why it came, and why you weren't guarded then. What happened to the shield? and all the protection? You are not injured, or even bruised, but you cant help thinking, how come and why?

I remember the poem about the footprints on sand (http://www.llerrah.com/footprints.htm), where He carries you through your toughest times. But now, it seems, I was made to walk!

I bet He would say,
"Well girl, you get numb from being carried for so long,
its high time, you learn to walk!"
and so you learn one of the lessons of life, in an unexpected, strange, unwanted way. But you learn to walk.

Evergreen

When the cool wind blows, nothing remains bright. No smiling flowers, no swaying boughs, no bright colors. The cold suffocates and kills life. The animals go hybernating, the crops fail, people go indoors. It sure is a pretty white, but it covers up everything like a shroud.

I heard about the evergreens at church. The wreath on the door post, is traditionaly made of evergreens. Evergreens, stay green, during the severe cold weather. When everything else struggles and fades away into nothingness. Evergreen endures the harsh weather, and stands as a symbol of something to hope for.

With Christ in our hearts, we can remain green, and be sure we wont/cant die being an evergreen!! When everything around us is hopeless,helpless, and lifeless, we know, that we will thrive amidst it, steady and sturdy, for He sustains us. Whew!

Pain and Suffering.

Had thought they come hand in hand. Until that cold winter morning. We were walking from the parking lot to the office. Its a 2 mins walk, from the car, to the office. My eyes were watering, as the chill wind blew. I was shivering, with a sweater embracing me. And my friend with just a shirt on, was walking with his hands in his pocket. I couldn't help but ask ' Aren't you feeling cold? ' His reply made me stop dead on my tracks. I had to ask him to repeat it, to let it sink into me. He said 'Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional'.

It seems true. Not just on tht cold winter morning, but all of our life. Our life and the choices we make.

Bug fix!

It wasn't just making my living fixing bugs,( I should say making and fixing bugs ;) ) whatever, I had earned a nickname of 'BB', Bug Beulah in my prev company.

Ironicaly, for the past few days, I've been haunted by bugs. Not the digital ones, but real ones. Bed bugs. I havent seen a live one yet. But they have left their signature all over me. Red, pink spots. Itchy and irritating. Its all over my body, and I feel them crawling every second! It doesnt make it easier, when you see them leave a trail. The way they suck, it seems forms a pattern 'Breakfast, lunch, dinner'. Crap! I am all itchy itchy. And I have lost confidence on all my dresses, the floor and everything. I know its just in my head! ;> But still, they could be anywhere!

I hope they go away, after all the serious measures I have taken, and I hope I don't loose any more sleep over it. Boy, dont I hate them.

Lord, help me to remember that you created them, and you saw they were good !

Genesis 1:25

Zooom out

I was saying that again and again, under my breathe, past week, which was the most toughest period of my life. I was helpless. I couldn't think, plan, pray or praise. I couldn't think above that situation. Nothing was in my control. Zoom out. I knew it was just 7 days, small compared to a month. Zoom out, just 1 week in a year, or Zoom out, 1 week in my entire life so far, or Zoom out, 1 week in my total life time, seems so irrelavant as you zoom out of the time, situation. But I had to pass through.
As always, during difficult times, I envisioned myself clinging on to my Dad's neck, his arms around me, and my eyes tightly shut. I knew, I was in safe arms, and that He'll take me through.

Pass through, I did. Safe and sound. Unharmed, Unsinged, Unscorched. The toughest 1 week, is 1 week behind me, and here I am. But I seem so lost. How? When? Why? I seem to be just existing. It is like waking up from a dream. I am lil dazed. But I know, He's holding my hand. And I am clutching His. He will see me through yet again. :)

Daniel 3 :27b They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

"Are you Committed? ...

...I hope not, because i have a major crush on you ...." Was a question directly posed through a personal orkut message to my dear friend . He's a tall, handsome guy. If looks can kill, he's the one...

I was all ears, to know how he responded. Here's his reply.

"Yes. I am commited to Jesus Christ.Why? Because he stuck with me and saw me through my worst days. When my parents couldn't understand what I went through. Nor my friends. The fears, the anxieties that I went through; he saw me through it all. He has invested so much in me . I am what I am because of his Grace.

The Bible says in Jer 29:11, that God has a plan for me, plan to prosper me and give me a future.

He created me. He knows me inside out .
He knows the best person for me.
When the time is right, he will let me know that person too.

Do u know him?
Do u know, what his plan is for ur life ?

If not get to know him.
He will be the Best Friend, u will ever have.
He will take u places, u have never been.

Crushes come crushes Go.
God remains the same.
I will change. But God won't.
He knows you, better than what you understand of urself [:)]

This is what i believe"

Disclaimer: The above have been the exact response given to/by my friend, published in his knowledge, under my request, as I believe you should read it. :) . Except for few punctuations, no other changes have been made.

The Power of love...

My uncle died of a heartattack on my aunt's bday,and she had passed away a week earlier due to a fatal accident.Though it grieves to know that the family was wiped off so quickly and suddenly, it is good to see the legacy he has left behind. Though childless, the couple had adopted 2 girl babies, who are now married,settled with kid. ( Two Girl babies adoption at that age, aint that extraordinary?)The only elder bro of my dad, he had been calm, when my dad was boiling with rage at the murderers of their parents. All through his life, he has exhibited, practiced love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulnesss, kindness, self control. The locals were witnessing his humilty, gentleness and NO ONE has ever seen him angry!

What is more amazing is their L O V E. When a man falls in love with a woman, and if God is in the center of it, how strong that relationship becomes. How intertwined, deep and secure it stands. The two become one. One in the Lord.

Mark 10:8...and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.

Anchored.

My aunt passed away yesterday. She had a fatal accident last week, with a bus running over her thigh and ribs. We were praying for God's healing touch.

There are times, when we are helpless,when we don't understand why the good Lord seems silent. There are other day to day happenings, When our hopes are dashed, when dreams crumble, when future looks dark and dreary, when our legs go shaky, and the pit of the stomach feels hollow, when nothing makes sense, and all seems to be a mess around, with noway out. And that's when I realise, we need to be still.

Just be STILL. With Closed eyes. Closed Ears. Mouth shut. Knowing He Knows. And that He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

Stopping all logical reasoning, the facts, the statistics and get rooted only on faith.

The disciples SAW the storm, they HEARD the wind, they could FEEL the water in the boat. They screamed with their MOUTH 'We are dying' and there was Jesus, with closed eyes, ears, mouth and SLEEPING.

Peace, he has given to us. ALREADY. When we shut all our active system down, and focus on him, we'll live the peace, though nothing makes sense, though all around we see is a mess, confusion, and broken beyond repair.

He KNOWS.

Be still, and know that I am God Psalm 46:10
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Heb 6:19
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.Psalm 16:8

A L I V E ! !

THUD!! I jolted off my bed, my adrenalin pumping, I quickly turned around to see the origin of the sound so near... Was I dreaming ! There it was, in its wholesomeness, that which I have seen on the ceiling, was now where mom had slept last night. The ceiling fan. Intact with 3 wings on Mom's bed. Next to my bed.

It was 6.30 AM. Usualy I get up before mom, but today was different.God has saved us both. Mom had left the bedroom few mins before. Had it fallen earlier or later during the day or had fallen on my side, it would have been fatal. We lived through a miracle.

Every moment we live is a gift of God. By the grace and mercies of our good Lord.

For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways,they will lift you up in their hands,so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:10-12

The race...

It was a monday morning. Heavy traffic. Driving by itself is difficult. Requires perfect eyes, hands, legs co- ordination, demanding complete presence of mind. With Indian roads and no rules, each driver is the king of the road. It seems as one big circus adventure act. But oh, I know, driving a two wheeler was also scary once. But now, its a piece of cake.. and am sure, I will sure say the same for 4 wheeler driving!

So sitting in the rear seat, letting my mind wander, it stuck me, how we would need the following.
1. Destination. Know where you are headed. Be it to your workplace, shopping, park or beach, or just a long drive, you would have to have a sense of direction, the 'WHERE'. That keeps you in check for other secondary things like, where you have a U- turn, where you can park, where you can stop by for a snack, slow down, take a short route or anything.
2. Fuel. Are you fully loaded? or empty? Can you survive till your destination. Fairly simple eh?
3. Patience. Giving way.Be it traffic jams, an over bridge, a level crossing, or the highway, people are always on the move. They try to get ahead. And sitting behind the wheel, you learn patience, to sit still and give way, and yet move on.

Life is a rat race, in a competitive world. We all run, day in and day out. These 3 things do make lot of sense. 1. Destination. My purpose. What drives me on. Puts me in the right perspective. Helps me see every secondary thing WITH RESPECT TO my sense of purpose.
2.Fuel. Do I have enough energy, strength to move on? Am I charged up, for the days activity? Like a spring, you can get fresh living water every day. But do I dip in to drink it?
3. Patience. Oh I have so many fellow travellers like me. My aunt, my parents, my siblings, friends, in laws, my manager, my collegues, teammates everyone in their own vehicle. We share the same road, and we sure have to learn to give way and not honk at them.
Life is a journey.. very apt!

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Angels...

Complete strangers or friends who cross our ways unexpectedly, call in time of distress, or help out just at the hour of need are sure are considered as angels.

But recently read Frank E. Peretti's books 'This present darkness' and 'Piercing the darkness'. Good novels, fast paced in everyway, but opens your eyes to a new dimension. That you have unseen angels, beside you, encouraging, protecting, and leading you. And then you have lil devils, trying to distract you, and keep you in trouble. ALL THE TIME.

Complacency, Confusion, Hatred, Anger, Despair, Discouragement, Deception, Doubt, Fear,Lust,Jealousy are some of the devils that hover over us. The angels are helpless and bounded, unless the victim,draws strength from the Lord, or some third person is praying for the victim. Then the angels raise their enormous silvery wings, and take the shiny sword and fight the demons.

Though it is a fiction, it sure is scary to know, that you are surrounded by invisible beings. And to know in day to day activities, we could be easily fooled by the devil, IF we are not careful. .......... Discouraged? Confused? Check who's next to you... ;o)

It also, emphasizes the importance of prayer. Praying for your family, relatives, friends, colleagues, people in authority, govt, sick, homeless, orphans, prisoners, destitutes, people you happen to meet or see on the way. Every prayer has its answers, in ways we may never understand. But God is working, always working in the background.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;Psalms 91:11.
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?Heb 1:14

Seize the moment!

You can see it only in the open, and not in the city. The vast sky. In Mahindra City where I work, you have ample space. Every evening, the dusk brings a beautiful painting across the skies.

I bet, there's an angel appointed by God, whose job is to just paint the sky, blue, red, orange, pink and what not. The brush strokes are visible. But the catch is, they last for under a minute. If you don't see it, u have missed it forever. The evening sky changes every second that, it is breathtaking and you could just look at it in awe.

Oh yeah, I've wondered, that on one fine day, the angel will go on a strike, saying, that nobody watches his painting! How plain the sky would be then!! So, now I ensure that I look up, thank God for the painting he arranges every day, to just make my day!

I often, compare the present with the past or the future, for which a good friend reprimands, saying live the moment. "Just live the moment, dont let it go by to regret that later! " .
If you don't live it, u have missed it forever.

Lesson from Mr.Moon.

Fresh red plump tomatoes( in vegetable shop), bunch of flowers on trees( they look as if they laugh), single flower ( looks like smiling), Swaying trees( trees of the field clapping their hands), the drizzle on the face, the breeze against your hair and yr face( as you ride a vehicle) ..and all time favorite is the moon..half moon, the smiley moon, full moon.

So, this was one of those moon days. After a long day in office, started home late. That's when I spotted the moon. It was extra bright.white. Full, and almost bulging out from the sky. Just beautiful. Unable to contain it, I called one of my friend in prev company, to check it out. Bearing my pestering, he left his desk, to climb upstairs to check the sky. But lo, he couldn't spot it. We were, say 20 kms apart. When I could see the moon in a clear sky. There it was too clouded, and the moon was behind the dark clouds. Strange.Same moon, same city.

Learnt a lesson that day. Situation could be same. But perspective might/could differ. A fact. Got to accept it. Honor it. Agree to it.

Expectations!

To my orkut profile's "Inspite of everything, I still believe people are good at heart", a dear friend scraped, saying, 'You are bound for great disappointments then'. I had replied saying 'Expectations results in disappoinment, I don't expect them to be good, I know they are good'.

But at times, I do expect my family to be more understanding, my friends to be more caring, my team to be more responsible. I have an imaginary standard set, and when people fall short of it, I get all upset!

And as I was walking from home this morning, I realised how wonderful our God is! He is the only one who accepts as we are. Without any expectation. Then it struck me that the opposite of 'expecting' is not 'not expecting' but 'accepting' as they are.

Accepting them as they are, with tantrums, with disagreements, with mistakes and all shortcomings.We are called to be like Him, in loving, caring, understanding and helping each other. We are called to be as 'true friend' to people around us as He's to us.

Oh, this is difficult, if the first step, of seeing the good in them-as God's image is not achieved.

Eph5:1 Be imitators of God.

I hate walking!

Read that as "I used to hate walking". Not that I LOVE walking now. Just that I don't mind walking!
Since childhood, due to weak legs or what ever, I have excused myself from long walks. I declined to go to shops nearby, even in emergency. There have been times, when my bicycle had no air, or my 2 wheeler had no petrol, and the entire plans were cancelled. I just wouldn't budge.
It all changed. ONE-In Mcity, its mandatory you walk between buildings. TWO-Our road to home is being laid for the past 8 mths and has been impregnable. So I walk.As I am forced to.

But it all changed. I got a friend who loves walking. She doesn't hype about it. No air about it. But I've seen her enjoy it. Being friend, you imbibe some qualities. I guess, I am absorbing it slowly. I learnt an important lesson as well. You need not tell anyone about the Good news, the good things, or advices. You just live it. As they get close to you, they just read and imbibe the news. Just as I learn from my friend.

"Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks. So walk not in darkness as children of the night. Walk EVEN as Jesus walked. Walk as children of Light. "

Black or White

I've loved this song, from school days.
"I only see things black and white, Never shades of gray...." Everytime I humm this song, it reminds me of the gray areas in my life. There can be Black or White. No gray. I am not always good. Neither am I bad. Neither the best, nor the worst. I am inbetween. Sometimes. Attimes. Oscillating.

But I am called to be 'Perfect', to be 'Excellent', to imitate Christ. Huh. Practicaly impossible in this world. My entire life will be spent in 'trying'. But what it actualy conveys is, 'not to settle for mediocrity'. To strive and be focussed. TCS induction has a video of Tata, saying 'No growth without learning'. When learning stops, growth stops too. I must learn, I would fall, get muddy all over. But what if I settle and get comfortable being muddy. That's mediocrity. The challenge is to shake off the dust, get up and move towards my goal. That's excellence.

So, here I am, trying to be more loving, forgiving, more understanding, caring, praying, in humility and servanthood. I can't remain in gray shade. I've made a choice, and am pressing on. With His help.

' More of you in my life...' . 'My heavenly father, wants me to be like Him...' 'Be Excellent in what is good' Matthew 5:48 '...be perfect..' Phil 3:12 "..but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."
http://www.lyricsdownload.com/robbie-mcauley-teach-me-how-to-dream-lyrics.html - me n my bro changed lyrics and sing it in a diff way.. it is a lovely song :)

Walls or Bridges

Bricks. We all have that in our hands. Our words, our intonation, our facial expressions, gestures, the attitude, the mood, the way we carry ourselves.

Bricks can be used for building walls, or bridges, between us and people. To build someone, or break them/shut them up.

Like it or not, we do build something daily, everyday. Walls or bridges. Our deepest desire, to love, care, understand, respect, trust another person, to treat another person with dignity and put ourself in their shoes, to empathize, feel and love, ALL people we meet in our daily life is challenging.

Be it a driver, our house maid, yr mom, a friend, a colleague, a stranger, a security, a housekeeper, or just anyone.
What do I build? Walls or Bridges?

The love triangle...

I learnt this years ago, and its a simple truth. Any relationship on earth, is bound to have hiccups down the road. Be it a misunderstanding, a grudge, hurt or a disappoinment. It happens between mom-son, husband-wife, mom-daughter, friends. Reason being, our love is limited and expecting. To put yourself in others shoes all the time is difficult. To give 100% to someone, and receive lesser or none, is sure discouraging.

But when we see a person in God's image, and see God in him and love, not because of that person, because of your love to God, its a different experience. If you love the person directly, it has its own defects. Too much love/passion on a person, is bound to break up sometime as we see only the good in him/her initialy and then when we get to see the other side of the person, it stinks and hard to get by!. But when you love that person with God's love, it makes it possible. So even when there is mistake, or disappointment, we have a bigger love that can cover up everything.

Its important, that we bring God into ALL our relationship to make it strong and secure. We love the person not because of their character or goodness, but because of God's love for that person. I draw closer to Him and He draws closer to you. Thereby we draw closer to eachother and in Him we stand complete. It becomes easy to forgive, forget, understand, care, and love unconditionally. The triangular love becomes beautiful and unshakeable.

I Corinthians 13 only then becomes possible.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Ecclesiastes 4:12" ..A rope made of 3 cords is hard to break.. "

Taking a dip..

Difficult people. We have them everywhere. Be it neighbours, shops, buses, office, friends, relatives, or even family! Its just difficult to adjust and we are commanded to love them. Just as we love God.

Difficult. But taking a dip helps. Yes, another visualisation. I imagine God's love as a water pool. When I encounter an irritating person, I close my nose and take a dip. Let the water cover all of me. Water wets instantly. Fills all gap. Even minute hairline gaps. Getting drowned in His love helps. And as I come out of the water as if in baptism, my outlook changes, I could see as Christ sees. With love.

"Love your enemies.. " Luke 6:27
"Do unto others what you want them to do to you " Lke 6:31.

Ghosts!

The past at times, is difficult to forget. Especialy when it is painful. But it is important to move on. So what do we do? We put the incident behind, and think, we are nicely placed. But what happens is, it comes back, strong as ever. Imagine, burying a person alive. He'll be pounding his casket, to come back. Even if he dies eventualy, he'll come back as ghost! That is what happens.

We need to kill and bury the past. How? Just a simple visualisation, is what I do,and it works everytime, whenever I remember any bad past. I simply nail that issue to the cross. I remember the scenes from Passion of Christ, the pain He underwent. I think of the resurrection, the victory of the grave. He did it all. For everything. Any hurt is minor, when I compare His sacrifice and love. And so I forgive. and let God bury it. Forever. Its dead. There's no sting now! :D and it can't haunt me.

Lesson from the Gideons

"Who stays awake all night in a prison? " Gideon asked. He is a dear friend from TCS. I blinked, thought and said, "The guards". Its the same, when we have a hurt, anger, bitterness or resentment over someone in our life. The other might have no idea about it, while we brood over it constantly. Best way, is to get reconciled, before the sun goes down! Lesson for life!

And sarcasm, he challenged us to say one joke that doesn't hurt anyone. ONE joke. We were around 8 of us, and we couldn't! Surely there should be atleast 1. But he said, a joke always is targeted at someone. It sure hurts, no matter how funny it sounds to all around. I resented, said, I am the butt of most jokes, but I don't take it heart.. But he made me realise, that though I don't have a grudge, I do feel hurt and let it subside.. The more I am pulled, I get used to it, and become hard inside. It just aint healthy!

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath" Ephesians 4:26-27:
"Turn away from godless chatter.." 2Tim 6:20
"..if you make fun of someone you’re ruining someone’s life.." Nick Vujicic, lifewithoutlimbs.com

Interim...

Only when it is full, does it overflow. I emptied myself, inorder to get full again... and it has taken sometime to get filled. :) Just wanted to get away from advices, messages, sermons, and all the goody goody stuff for awhile. and now that I am refilled and charged up, I am back. :)

Confused?

A sudden rush of gentle breeze brought a bunch of leaves all over me. I smiled. (yeah, felt like a kid/bride) Looking up, I saw a tree, with not a single green leaf, but with countable brown leaves on its barren branches. Surprised, that Chennai known for having summer throughout the year, could ever have Autumn/Fall around, I checked other trees down the same lane.

I was confused. I saw few dark green trees ( dark green showing its healthy but old leaves), and there were few bright green trees ( they were new shoots all over, and it looked so beautiful) There were other barren brown/yellowish of the same kind of tree( the fall color was so lovely!).. I wondered how they would feel. Wouldn't they be confused? Wheather to wither leaves, grow new ones, or keep the old ones. I hope they dont get inferiority complex!

It just reminded me, of times I/we get confused. Am I in the right place? Did I say the right thing? Did I take the correct decision? Well, what I learn from the trees, is that instead of thinking/worrying/comparing and getting more confused, it is better to leave things as they are and just be content and happy with what we are at. It could be Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter, at the WRONG time of the year, but when we know, that our times are in His hands, we could just relax. (Psalms 31:15)

'..They will fight against you, but will not overcome you.. 'Jer 15:20 '.. the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. 'Daniel 3: 27'He has made everything beautiful in its time' Eccles 3:11

Am I a sadist?

Well, it occured to me when I was running to catch the train, hoping against hope that the train would start late. And it sure did. The funny thing is, if I am early, I expect the train to start immediately, and not wait long in other stations! ( Read: bus/shuttle/auto)

Same thing happens when I am on road and pray that the Railway gate doesnt close, while I cross it. But if am on the train, I just hope that train crosses and the Railway gate remains closed!

Again, while crossing a busy road, I want the vehicles to stop and give way to the pedestrians. But if I am on the vehicle, I press the gas and avoid stopping to let people cross. :( there are so many times, when i just want my way!

I now realise, that I shouldn't be impatient or complain when I am delayed, someone is in a hurry, and when I miss something, I am gonna meet or have a better experience.

"All things happen togethar for good, for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose" Rom 8:28. "Do to others as you would like them to do to you." Luke 6:31
and yeah, God can turn all evil to good! so why gripe? ""You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20

The Obvious stuffs!

I had the tomatoes ready and that was when I noticed, none of the 3 knives were around. I scanned the kitchen in sections, but I couldn't spot any last Thursday morning. My eyes then fell on a strange red flat small knife in out dining cum working table and I started using that to cut the veg. SNAP! The Knife though it looked blunt went right into my left forefinger. Blood was oozing out, I stopped its flow with some ice cubes, and continued my chopping,for it was getting late.
SNAP, SNAP! This was my right forefinger and this was painful though it had no blood. Dad had woke up by then and had come to help peeling onions. Elaborating my unsuccessful hunt for knife all morning,I gave him my only red knife and warned him to be cautious. He directly went to the usual place where we keep the knives, and to my amazement right under my nose, there it was!
It was only when mom came, I learnt what that red knife is used for. It seems it is for cutting paper and opening postal covers! No wonder both the edges were sharp and so I've been roaming around in office with bandaid on both my forefingers for 2 days now!

Funny, how obvious things things are missed. May be its time not to "look beyond what you see" hakuna matata style or even the "Beyond the obvious" TCS style! Another lesson for life learnt as I type this blog, sans both my forefingers.

Striking a balance!

Excited or Ground State. This is where I'll be most of the time and I try my best to strike the balance. The thing that induces this may be an event, a person, a news, a surprise, a situation. ( U know how I oscillate now.) Making it simple, the basic thing is expectation. If it is met, am in Excited state. If it is not met, I'll be down and out.

So how do I TRY to strike the balance?
A.First thing, if something upsets me, I put myself in tht person's shoes.
1. Have I done something similar to anyone. ( May be hurt, offended, or given a sarcastic/cutting remarks like someone did to me?)
2. Had I been in their state, may be I would have done the same thing. ( Ans could be yes or no) 3. I cant judge that person at all.. ( I have no other way to point that person. Instead point it to self) ( Matt 7:1)

B. Forgive that person.
1. First step helps put things in perspective. Even if it doesnt fit, just forgive tht person/thing off yr mind.(remember: Seventy times Seven) ( Matt 18:22)
2.The alternative is that we NEED to love the person. So this issue/misunderstanding cant come in the way. God's love is unconditional and we are forgiven.aint it? (John 13:34)

C. Confront the person, with issue, or thing.
1.This is delicate. Most of the times I dont. But if u r close to the person in subject better to tell the person in a subtle way, 'hey I dint like wht u said/did/doing'. 'I expected this/that'. (It could bombard, breach yr relationship, or on the other hands, helps u see thgs fr tht persons perspective, and bond u more)
2.Irrespective of the person's response, either positive or negative, we had forgiven that person/situation beforehand. So be prepared for anything here.

Well, it sure doesnt happen one by one. It happens instantaneously. within our mind, fraction of a second. The people who offend or hurt us a lot are our loved ones, parents, siblings, or our close friends.Funny aint it? Anyway, any relationship know in advance, that we can't expect anyone to be good/to do good, to say the right thing, to be our role model except God. Anne Frank's 'Inspite of everything, I still believe everyone are good at heart' ( Everyone includes terrorist, hypocrites, rapist, drunkards, everyone in this world) is amazing!

And I learn to get excited, not by people who can change any minute, but by small things around me. A monkey in the station, a sunset, a cloud, a
starless sky, anything that God had made.

"Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God. " William Carey, 1792. [ and I bet, he meant, Expect great things not from MEN, and yr loved ones, but from God alone]

and a little child will lead them...

I turned shocked to see a young mom shout and scold her lil kid in tbm railway bridge. The kid 1 feet tall, bare foot, thin legs, unkempt hair, shabbily dressed, clutching to a mini ponds talcum powder box, was held on one hand tightly by her mom.She was scolded as she dint inform there were stairs ahead.

The scene being strange, I stopped and then it sinked in. The Mother was blind, and her little girl was her only set of eyes. I've seen blind people walk, but this was hard to sink in.. The kid, who must be say 2 yr old, can barely walk, she cant even talk clearly, but the way she led was amazing! Telling/guiding her Mom, where to pause, where to walk or slow down! We followed her, afraid, they might hit a rick or a person. But the girl was pulling her mom to the bus stand, at amazing pace and that too precisely!

The kid was visibly malnourished. But her strength was incredible. The look she gave, to people who bumped on the way.. huh, it needs to be seen to believe and nothing could express it.

Strength comes from within...Not from food, clothes, money, power, belief in the future or even health. It seems to come from deep within. What we are, and where we draw our confidence from.
Prov 3:26 'For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.'
Isaiah 11:6 '...and a little child will lead them.'

On track !

We were travelling to office, me and my friend on Boghi, ( day before pongal) a Monday morning. Boghi is a day where the old stuff is burnt to make way for the new. The air was filled with smog ( smoke + fog).Practically unable to view anything clearer and the typical monday blues setting in , we boarded the 7.20 AM train.

As few stations crossed, it looked as if we were travelling on clouds! Either side of the train was white. Like a thick blanket. The trees, the road, the houses were all magicaly gone! We stood near the train door, puzzled and quite excited as it looked like travelling into a fairy tale land.

We were discussing, how the train driver would manage, if he cant just see where we are going? We then realised we need not worry, for we are on the track. Unlike a bus on the road, this had the least of worries, as, though unclear, we sure can proceed and move on to our destination, because WE ARE ON THE TRACK..

God taught us one beautiful lesson that day. In life, we may not know where we are heading. The opportunities might be closed. Thick reality might stare right on our faces. Fear and anxiety sets in. But we need not worry, for if we had surrendered our life to God, we are always on track. And haan, its the driver's headache to get us through! All we need is just to hold on and relax!

'.. All things that surround me become shadows in the light of You!