A story to be told!

 

It was a special day, my husband’s birthday and we were far from the city’s hustle but near the heart of the Western Ghats of India. We woke up at leisure, prayed, played and got ready for a bath at the falls nearby. We had to walk around 3 kilometres along mountainous terrain to reach those falls. We both walked across tall grass, cows, a dog and many different kinds of plants. As we saw the falls, we took a dip in the cold waters. We strode back, got ready to do some sightseeing and be on our way to board the train. This happened in the morning and we finished our sightseeing, after which we stopped to eat. As we stopped to eat, I wanted to change my shoes for the slipper as it was getting hotter, when I saw my bare feet, I found a bleed. My husband and I both decided it was a leech bite which was common in the area we visited. We travelled further, boarded our train and in the night just before sleep, we noticed another bleed in the same area around my feet but like before, we decided it’s nothing and went to sleep.

We had reached Chennai the next morning and were back home safe. In the morning, we noticed a small bleed/clot in the same area. We didn’t take it to be serious and continued to watch our church’s online service. We had also decided to attend the session after the service in person. It was around 2 in the afternoon, when we decided to finally enquire about the cause of bleeding. As a first resort we went to a clinic where the doctor was not there. So my husband contacted a friend of his who is also a doctor with a picture of my wound. And he was alarmed and immediately told us that it looks like a snake bite!

We both were scared as soon as we heard it but I never experienced any symptom and I was perfectly healthy throughout the 30 hours that had gone by.

When we look at statistics, India accounts for over half of global snakebite deaths. Looking at my case,

(i)                  If a snake that was venomous had bitten me, I should have felt the pain.

(ii)                If a snake that was venomous had given me a dry bite which is 25% of the times that a snake bites, even then it has to have been painful or so the internet says.

(iii)               If a snake that was non venomous had bitten me even then I should have felt pain

(iv)               If a snake had bitten me and it was painless it is highly likely that the bite was poisonous and I wouldn’t have lived to tell the story as I wouldn’t have been able to reach a government hospital which has the anti-venom on time.

And even if I had felt the pain like in cases from (i)-(iii), it would’ve been a near impossible task for my husband to carry me from that 3 km trek or to have contacted someone because there was no cell phone tower.

Point 4 is self-explanatory.

Like you might think now, we also thought it could have been from a spider, a beetle or anything of the like till my puncture marks were too real and could only be explained by a snake bite.

Continuing the story, we went from hospital to hospital because now we knew how dangerous it could be, and not one private hospital in the areas of Anna nagar and Mogappair were willing to even test me. Since we had a mutual friend in one hospital who took us in we were able to get my vitals checked after 32 hours of the probable bite. That day we learnt that only government hospitals have the anti-venom that needs to be administered to a snake bite victim.

That wasn’t the only lesson I learnt, I learnt Psalm 91 in action which says, “You will tread upon the Lion and the Cobra, you will trample the great Lion and the Serpent.”

Also the promise in Mark 16, where even a deadly poison cannot harm you. I understood that God decided to not let me die on that day Oct 28^th, 2023 on my husband’s birthday because he had a reason for me to live. He wasn’t ready to allow the life of his daughter to be taken from her. Even so, he didn’t even want his children to be worried and spoil their holiday. He decided to cover it up, offer peace, healing and now a story to tell the world. I couldn’t imagine what all could’ve happened if God didn’t do any of the things He did. This reminds me that this life is not mine but His and in His hands.

Maybe everyday God protects us, is protecting us from a truck that should have run in our way, from a snake that didn’t bite you, from a building that didn’t collapse and they still are miracles. Sometimes God reveals it to us and other times He doesn’t. With what He has revealed let us trust him for his heart, for who He is as a person and give Him the glory He is due.

 

OUR STORY - GOD’S GLORY: How I met my husband!

It's going to be more than 9 months since we got married and here I am to tell our story and give God the glory...! This is how it goes.  

MARRIAGE TABOO:

Marriage, oh such a talked about topic in our societies, yet one thing I was personally so uncertain of. Well, for starters, it did not dawn on me that I have to fall in love with a person who is chosen by God, and get married to him and live with him for the rest of my life. I had a deep belief that the God who brought me my studies, work, home and everything else will also serve my husband on a platter. Well, he did bring my better half in the most unexpected way, but I thought it would be super easy. Yes, I've had crushes and I thought my Godly crush would be my husband one day. I never really bothered getting to know people, expanding my friends circle, or make Godly friends who could be potential suitors, all of which is good. I did my normal life, writing, playing, reading, baking and so on.

INDIAN AUNTIES, UNCLES AND FAMILIES:

In our dear country India, once a girl is matured, they begin looking for matches and all the aunties and uncles around start dreaming of someone they think would be a good match. It's sometimes so evident that the girl is like, Oh, these people are really jobless. When all of them started asking me, nagging me, even questioning me like a prosecutor does to the prosecuted, I was the least worried, because I was damn sure that God was going to send my prince charming on a horse, and he will sweep me off my feet like I watch on Disney movies. I didn't really understand the importance of dating, forming friendships until my family stepped into my personal life showing me a picture of a person, mostly someone I never knew asking me if I was okay to marry them. I had no clue on how I was supposed to actually live with someone I didn’t know and will have to get to know. I naturally thought I should love him and to an extent understand him, before we could travel and live together. My grandma, made her own assumptions that I planned not to get married and tried to force it on me. One thing about marriage is that no one can or should force it on you. If your parents want you to marry someone, they like the person for reasons, maybe they have your best interests in mind, but they have their own interests too.

Elders in the family who had no say in who I am supposed to choose as a spouse, had a say and were looking for someone who they thought would fit perfectly into the imaginary mould they had for my future husband. Thankfully, my mom and I were on the same page and waited on God, I didn't have to fight her thoughts or reactions, and she was a huge support. Others in the family started wondering who I was in love with because I gladly refused to say yes to people who had great jobs and came from better families than ours. I didn't give a damn, seriously and if you are going through the same phase of life, you don't have to worry a bit about what people say as long as you are in tune with God. My marriage was the hot topic for my family, people at church, people in the neighborhood, people in my mom's workplace, people in my workplace just about everywhere. I do confess that a handful did support who I am and believed that God would do what I believed him to do. 

MY DREAMING

I was dreaming, not doing anything about it. But yea, I was praying for my future husband, the list of qualifications that I looked for kept changing from time to time but, I always had a list. Sometimes, it went up to 3 pages, other times, a page, and I also had a tiny notebook with the details of what I was looking for in a husband. A stranger husband was not what I dreamed of, being a sucker for any fairy tales or even just romantic movies and good love stories. I looked back and I had lost two years on Covid and the earlier years on being a naive person who thought relationships were absolutely not necessary.

I dreamed of My Prince Charming as a perfect individual, someone who just fit into all my boxes, qualified all my personal degrees and loved me so much that he would work 7 years for me like Jacob did. (After all, we had quite an influence from Bible stories). My list was big too, a lot of negotiables which I knew I could compromise if I fell in love but still I needed them to fall in love! I set my standards pretty high because love was not a component yet in my heart, I thought if I see a guy who filled all these, I would naturally fall for them, head over heels in love. (I did fall in love with my husband, but I never really checked the negotiable list, not in any way, it was happening just as I prayed it would). Of all the men who liked me, I didn't like anyone and if I liked someone, I was in their friend zone anyway! To be honest, it never really worked with anyone but now I'm thankful it didn’t. Even during my prime times, I wasn't lonely or desperate for a relationship. On the other hand I prayed that I will fall desperately in love with the guy who was meant for me. That’s one beautiful thing about prayers, we literally tell God all that we feel like in our heart, most of which doesn’t make sense to us in the first place. Our creator however makes sense of all of those mumblings and gives us an answer we can blindly say was because of Him and that no one else could do it but HIM.

MY PRAYER

I was going to be 26 if my birthday arrived and when it was just four months before that, I made a prayer. I said, I will have to put myself on matrimonial sites if I turn 26, I’m deciding to do that but if you want the glory instead of bellsandrings.com or Christianmatrimony.com you will have to intervene in my life and bring the right one before I turn 26. Little did I know I’ll be recording it here right now “To God be the glory”!

& GOD’S INTERVENTION:

Probably a few days after that prayer, I was at Bangalore visiting my mentor’s place and on that Sunday I remember vividly the memory of listening to the sermon at their church. The pastor was talking about how Ruth had no idea what was waiting in store for her when she was peacefully gleaning at the fields of Boaz, maybe heavy over her dead husband, over the unknown people that she was surrounded by, burdened of having Naomi to feed and hopefully no hope for the future except the little trust she had in the sustenance by Naomi’s God. And in a quick turn of events, her life turned around and she was a wife and mother in no time. Sitting in the pews, I was like, will I ever have a story like that? It was just like that for me, I wasn’t ready to marry a stranger, I needed to fall in love and it didn’t look like it was going to happen anytime soon. Also I remember mentioning to my mentor the name of my future husband saying, at least I kind of know him a bit!

SKIP TO THE GOOD PART:

As soon as my Bangalore trip was over, I updated a picture of myself with my mentor on a social media platform, I wouldn’t forget it for my life. About that picture was the first conversation I had with my future husband. God works in mysterious ways and that’s where our modern love story started. And until that moment I fell in love, I didn’t really know how it felt. When Jesus tells the Sadducees that Heaven won’t have marriage, I do feel a bit bad about it, because now I know that if I have to choose someone to live with as long as Methuselah lived, I’d like to live with him, the love of my life.

 

 

 

Excerpts from THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE

 

THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE, a book by Randy Alcorn is quite a small one with 120 pages. It was given to me by a beloved uncle when I asked him a small question on finances while I just started earning. The book changed the way I saw and handled money. So to those of you who don’t have a copy or the time to read the book, please find time to read through these lines. Hope it helps!

1.      CHAPTER 1: Buried treasure

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose – Jim Elliot

The chapter starts with the story of the man who sold everything he had, to possess the buried treasure in the field.

LET’S JUST SAY, you are alive at the end of a civil war. You’re a northerner living in the South. You plan to move home as soon as the war is over. While in the south you have accumulated a lot of confederate currency. Now suppose you know for a fact that North is going to win the war, what will you do with your hard earned money? If you’re smart the only answer is to immediately cash in your currency to the North. Earth’s currency will be worthless when Christ returns or when you die and either of it can happen anytime!

TIME FOR SOME INVESTMENT ADVICE:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, because it is bad? No, because it is plain stupid as they won’t last. Every day is an opportunity to buy up more shares in His Kingdom. “You can’t take it with you but you can send it on ahead”

1.       CHAPTER 2: Compounding Joy

TALKING ABOUT AN EXAMPLE from his own life, Randy narrates an incident where his church high school group borrowed his new stereo and returned it in a not so great way. He also says that it was one of the first incidents through which God taught him that HE owned everything including his new stereo.  Another of His valued possessions was his books, with which God wanted him to begin a church library!

 INVESTMENT ADVICE:

He also talks about the joy of the poor Macedonian church in giving and quotes 2 Corinthians 8:2 in which severe trial, overflowing joy, extreme poverty and rich generosity are all contrasting words used to express the life of the Macedonians. One thing to notice is that overflowing joy and rich generosity go hand in hand even amidst severe trial.   

A steward manages assets for his owner’s benefit.

God owns everything, I’m his money manager.

Giving is not a privilege of the rich but of the poor.

The chapter concludes by saying that there is joy in giving and when you give you don’t sacrifice but gain.

1.       CHAPTER 3: Eyes on eternity

LET’S TAKE A LOOK at the graves of two people: Borden, a Yale graduate who rejected his life of opulence for four months of zealous ministry in Egypt after which he died of spinal meningitis at 25 and Tutankhamen, the boy king who was 17 when he died. The grave of one had so much gold in it for use in the hoped afterlife while the other grave was dusty. The truth that Tutankhamen cannot take his gold with him and that Borden already has his treasure in Heaven is quite a lesson.

Another important concept that I hope has stuck with me is this, the dot and the line:

(Pic courtesy: https://onthebigrock.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/live-for-the-line-not-for-the-dot/)

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

My heart always goes where I put God’s money.

I should live not for the dot, but for the line!

Moses left Egypt’s treasures “because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:26)

1.       CHAPTER 4: Roadblocks to giving

HAVE YOU TAKEN A TRIP TO THE JUNKYARD? Randy suggests that a road trip to the junkyard where all our things eventually land up is a beautiful object lesson. Isn’t it true that all the small toys that we have fought for, all the dresses we wanted because our friend had it, the music players, phones and computers, all of it lands up ultimately in the Junkyard?

When we think of Heaven as our home, we will never want to hoard things on this our temporary place. Randy suggests that there, and that gives a perspective of what actually we run behind. On the other hand, there’s an image that was impressed on my heart.

Heaven, not earth, is my home.

Well, on the road of giving and being generous, there are roadblocks and the only way to jump through those blocks is by Giving and giving more. He says, if affluenza is the disease, what’s the cure? If materialism is a poison, the antidote is giving.

Giving is the only antidote to materialism

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. I Timothy 6:17 – 19

1.      CHAPTER 5 – Getting started

A BIT ABOUT TITHE: Randy talks about how tithe is mandatory but does not make it sound like a legal statement. In truth, we do know that Jesus raised every standard from the Old Testament and so, giving may not be limited to but always over and above tithe. The point is to not ROB God, as he says in Malachi 3:8-10. He reinstates the fact that the affluent should never check off the box as if tithing was in the to-do list.

In the beginning, Randy shares that he could not own any possession or royalties in his name due to an issue with the court. In the last few chapters he speaks about how the court issue was sorted but then God had taught him how to live on what he had, so he and his wife prayerfully refused the royalties. He confesses that he had learnt to live well and comfortably with the money he had.

God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving

1.      CHAPTER 6: For such a time as this

C T Studd – Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT:Randy talks about how we need to talk about each other’s giving and encourage each other for the gift of giving. As an example he points out about how the exact weight of gold given to the temple of God was recorded in the Old Testament. Paul also talks openly about how the Macedonians gave encouraging the others to experience the joy of giving. 

FINAL INVESTMENT ADVICE : remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said:  It is more blessed to give than to receive – Acts 20:35

 Click to listen to a nice song about giving

 

 

  

Looking Back… @25

It has been about 4 and half years or so since I started my blog. It has been a bumpy ride, Life is isn’t it?

In this entry of my blog, which will be my 22^nd entry, I will actually be giving you a glimpse of how my life has been, for the past 25 years. I’m turning 25 today! Yea you got it, so if you’re reading it on 10^th Nov 2021, you could wish me, if not you must have wished me and I would’ve sent you the link. Both ways you are here, trying to make sense of what I’m going to say. So let’s plunge in.

Once upon a time, so long ago, even before the world began, there was a maker who thought of me. He knew there would be me, and he formed me. Is that hard to believe? It gives me a sense of being loved, loved by a maker. Now let me put it down simply. Let’s assume I did not go to school, my school friends would not have known me or loved me. If I had not gone to church, they wouldn’t know that I exist and extend their care for me, so before love comes Knowing. What if I had not been born? No one, would have known me and no one would have cared. But even then….

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16

 

He knew me by name, He knew how close we'd be and how much pain He would go through for the sake of me in the Cross. He loved me. Doesn't love cause pain? But in the end its fulfilment brings utmost joy and we forget the pain it brought to us. Saved by amazing grace and bought with precious blood! He cherished me, his masterpiece.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book, it says. Seriously? The days when my eyes were only full of tears, the days I barely got through, the mundane ones doing homework, the fast flying fun days, the super-fast VBS, the more mundane days of work.

If yes, then here are a few days. If you are going to continue reading.

Life, as we all know is a stretch of ups and downs. And mine too has pretty much been a bumpy ride and also a sail across the beautiful calm waves.

On the first day at earth, I was born amidst sweets, crackers, diyas and lights all over, since that day was Diwali. My mom had eaten a lot of sweets and was admitted in the hospital at Chennai, where she gave birth to me. Little did she know about me, yet I was loved. The whole of our nation was celebrating the festival of lights when light dawned on this baby girl. This baby girl had no idea who she was, what she will be named, what she would and wouldn't do (she doesn't know most of it even now, the basics are done, though). 😉 My birth into this world itself is a miracle just like yours is, just like everyone else's entry into the world. 1. Thank God.

2. From that day, the journey started, my heart has been beating, brain working and I was a healthy baby and I still am. Thanks to God who made me.

3. I don’t remember much, as I try to represent the history chronologically, but there was a particular robbery at home when I was young. The day was rainy and the thief could only take the purse near the window sill and most of it was papers, the papers were spilled in our staircase, it was scary but just like the lions couldn’t eat Daniel, the thief probably couldn’t do any harm to us. Thank God.

4. There was a fall when I was about 3, I was told. I fell from the bike, when my dad was about to drop me at my granny's place. I was probably fine or so my father thought, but I never spoke a word it seems, so I was quickly taken to the Hospital in an ambulance and later on I spoke after seeing my mother. (How different my world would've been, if I hadn't spoken but God in His mercy has opened my mouth to speak!) Thank God.

5. I remember the story of how I got the second place in a running race in my first year of kg, I’ve never done or been that ever since that time. Maybe the other kids did not know they had to run! However, those are beautiful memories that I thank God for.

6. Moving on, our house used to be in a small street and I had to come to the main road to board my school van, I used to ask and pray that our house would be in the main road, it seems and so it happened. We shifted. From our new house I could directly get on the van. Thank God.  

This new house is where I grew up for most of my 25 years.

7.  I had a friend at school, our class leader then, someone I admired and looked up to. As small as we were, I loved her pink frock. It was the trend then. The same kind of frock in yellow, white was I vogue 😉. As a lover of pink, I liked her dress! I don’t remember praying, but guess what, my Dad bought exactly the same dress for a New Year’s Eve. Thank God, thanks to daddy.

8. During my high school years, there were two opportunities for anyone to become a leader. One was during 9^th grade and another during 12^th. During my 9^th grade, I was one of the girls who stood for election and I had to prepare a speech. I still remember the verse I used.

30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Rom 8:30

That time, I lost. But in the eleventh grade I was one of the leaders. I do take it a privilege and Thank God for that. It shaped me in a few ways and gave lots of joy.

9. Our school has a grand prize day. I have been in the school choir for years. But then, I hadn’t won any special prize that would push me to attend the prize day and get a prize. I always wanted to stand first in class. (Don’t we think that’s the greatest joy at school? At least I did, for a time). But sad story, I never stood first in class. So, the prize day was a distant dream till I was awarded the Scripture prize, a special prize for scoring the highest in Scripture exams. With just the same grandness I received the prize, not just for a year but quite a few. There were other prizes I won on that grand day too! Thank God

10. As I had told earlier, I was one of the leaders; I had to lead my house. It was a huge responsibility. The thing about me, as far as I know myself, I like making people comfortable, I can be behind a leader and work well, but I don’t think I have the authority and other stuff that a leader also requires. I’m better at motivating, encouraging or so I think. Ever since I was a kid, I had never seen my house, the HELEN KELLER house win in Sports. It always stood in the fourth or fifth position while there were only five houses. I used to pray before every match, we lost many and won many. And by the grace of God, after a span of 13 years, our house won for the first time making History! Victory indeed, overjoyed I was. Thank God.

11. I have always been taught to be independent, in the sense to a certain extent wherein I try to solve most of my problems on my own. To aid this, I really wanted to get a scooter for myself. I was in third year of college, I guess. The process of selecting began, we even paid the advance. And then, there was a huge pause. At this juncture I’d like to highlight my weakness through which God’s light had shone. I am a girl who never really liked or rode a bicycle. The one without a side wheel would give me a scare. As a peak episode of my fearful nature, I hired a cycle during our school trip to Kodaikanal, even then I didn’t ride it. I was that good at it! So, the close family who knew this never really supported my decision to get a scooter. However, We made it! Jesus and I. Rather, he made me do it. I took the learner’s license earlier and then took the proper license (which is a testimony in itself). I’m pretty comfortable taking my mom on the scooty in Chennai’s traffic! Thank God.

12. College, those years… A bitter sweet memory. From year 2 I wanted my college to celebrate Christmas. We tried, for two years to only have them cancelled or unplanned due to RAINS that were heavy in Chennai.  But I remember God’s promises to me.

Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God and become like a clan in Judah. The Philistines of Ekron will join my people, as the ancient Jebusites once did. Zech 9:7

This helped me believe and continue praying and I only prayed. In Year 4, the last year of my college days, only my heart was praying, I didn’t move an inch regarding the Christmas program as I was busy with internship and interviews. I still remember the call from a junior when I was getting back from an interview. I was on the bus and I could hardly believe that she was telling me we have a Christmas program at college. I had the full pleasure of singing, decorating and praying. Most importantly, I rejoiced in my heart for all those who heard about the LOVE that came to save us on a Christmas day. All those small desires of giving a cake and a promise card also happened in my sight! Initially it was planned in a small hall but as per the dream of an ex college professor, it happened in the biggest auditorium in our college with all the final years and a few others who involved along with teachers. Oh what a joy. Thank God.

13. I’ve had a lot of life changing moments, Isn’t one moment shaping you for another always? Regarding life changing, redeeming… let me explain. Everyone who is born into a Christian family is called a Christian. But it’s not always they are really Christians, till they accept and believe that Jesus Christ is their Saviour. So, even though I had been going to church, been a “good” girl I wasn’t a Christian till that day. O what a wonderful day, a day at VBS, when I committed my life to Him saying, it’s no longer me, Jesus but you in me.

https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2017/09/this-is-what-i-believe-follow-religion.html

14. By far, the most heartbreaking experience I’ve had is that of losing my Father. Death of a loved one, takes a part of you away along with them. In fact every relationship that is treasured is like that because people are irreplaceable.  And God’s overwhelming presence and love literally led me through. Truly, He is a God of the Fatherless and the widows. In that phase did I start my blog. I remember crying through examinations, weeping through the night and a part of it still exists till God wipes away every tear on the other side. So what is there, to thank God for in this? It is His invisible presence and love that carried me and still carries me and my mom. I have a privilege and specialty with my Heavenly Father as I have lost my privilege of having a physical dad here on earth. Thank You Father, for all the good moments with my Dad, Thank you Father because I knew how much He could love me and thank you for being a Perfect Father!

https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2017/03/an-umbrella-in-rain.html

https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2017/11/defending-death-death-sound-of-very.html

https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-last-pizza.html

https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2018/06/having-god-as-your-dad-short-peep-into.html

15. As the years went by, we needed a bigger home. And God spoke to us with a beautiful verse from the Bible. He gave us a huge house that was better than what we expected or even hoped to have. If you’d like to read the story in a more detailed manner, here’s the link: https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2019/02/psalm-84-even-sparrow-has-found-home.html

Even today, when I sat on our cozy sofa amidst the wind and rain outside, I couldn’t thank God enough for our “beyond expectations” home. Thank God.

16. Just recently, I survived the Pandemic. It was an experience. If you’d like to read more, here’s the link: https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2021/05/with-pandemic.html

A week after my recovery I read about a girl of my age who died, sadly. Not in any way am I better than anyone else in the world, which brings me to THANK GOD, for the very breath I breathe.

17. I have met with a huge accident that broke my bone. I was riding with my cousin when our bike was approaching the car which had a halt that made my cousin put the brake suddenly. I don’t even remember how I fell or whether I fell. But yea, my legs were swollen and it was painful. The first thought that struck me after the fall was that I wouldn’t have to go to work the next day. (Sounds kiddish right? Or is it what each of us would feel like?) However, that was the first surgery that I had to undergo. The surgery was actually a good experience because of the anaesthetic, but nothing before or after the surgery was good. With my eyes wide open, I’m sure I gave the doctors a weird experience. As soon as the effect of the anaesthetic began to fade, I felt excruciating pain and somehow hoped it would all end soon. God took care of me, my mom was available since it was the month of May and schools didn’t work. I had a lot of books, good food, so many visitors to cheer me up and oh, and lots of love. Thank God for protecting me, road accidents are many times fatal, which reminds me to be grateful for the life I live, the feet I walk with and my whole body with me.

18. Kids and rain are always swift gifts of joy in a package to me. No matter what is going on in life, these two bring an instant smile. The innocent smile of an innocent child and the pure drop of cool water from the clouds, both are a treat to the soul in me. Thank GOD for both.

19. When I was a kid of about seven or eight years, I role played the angel who shared the good news about Jesus to Mary in a fancy dress competition. The big thing in that event was that, I didn’t have my mom or dad to help me at that point, I had to do it all on my own when everyone else had either of their parents to help. Also, the church was not mine and the people not so familiar but God gave me the first prize it seems. Wow what a great thing, Emmanuel God with us. Thank God.

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. Luke 1:30

20. It was board exam for class 12 and my brother had to write his first exam. I was in 10^th grade and spending my study holidays, studying! When I prayed for my brother to write His exam well, I was terrified because exactly after a month I’ll have to face the boards. God intervened with this verse:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Oh what courage carried me all through! I scored a whopping 97% in 10^th grade. Just before the tamil exam, I made 10 mistakes in a letter of 9 lines and managed to score a 92 % in Tamil. I still have the shield I received for scoring a centum during the centenary year of our school in that Grand annual day. Thank God.

20. Cinderella! One character that I really think I’m awfully attached to. For good or for evil, I do not know. By sheer grace, I got to act the character “Cindy” in a play at school. I still take joy and pride in that character, I do believe in a different kind of a fairytale! There were so many others more talented and oh so pretty over me, but yea, I was Cindy! Thank God!

21. One of the best gifts that I wanna thank God for is the people He has and always have carefully placed around me. It really does make me feel special at times. The company I have received because I may not really be my best version in their absence is amazing. People are the most valuable resource whether we realise it or not. The great neighbours, the awesome friends, the praying ones, the teaching ones, the treating ones, the talking ones, so on and so forth. Though there is always the good and the bad, God has been good. And I have always had what I needed when I needed it. For a sample of His concern and how he takes care of me you could read:

1. https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2020/07/many-small-incidents-in-life-reinstate.html

2. https://emyflorencemoses.blogspot.com/2020/07/stalkers-of-two-kinds-on-bright-sunny.html

22. Even from a young age, I was taught to find the truth by myself and not believe something because someone said it, to a certain extent. The same applied when I read the Bible; I tried to find out the truth about many things on my own. The Bible and what God has expressed through His written word has always been the code.

Disclaimer: I’m not saying I have completely obeyed or am doing what the Bible says, though I try. At present, I have a lot of questions for which I have no answers, yet. But I believe that God is faithful, though I may not be.

Coming back to the point, God helped me be a part of a Student’s ministry that really helped my relationship with him to grow. Thank God for that.

23. Just after I broke my leg and the time of rest was getting over for me, I bought an oven. I have always been a fan of homemade cakes and relished the same. I’ve always wanted to bake my own cakes too. It’s not a big deal, you may say but I’m thankful for the one who helped me start baking. To make things more interesting, I got this verse as a promise verse for the year 2019.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. Deuteronomy 28:5

For those who are wondering, we have the practice of taking a verse in the beginning of each year as a promise from God and it’s really precious and true. You could guess my level of curiosity when I got this verse, and yes God was true to his promise, I made plum cakes for Christmas and my brother loves my brownies. Good enough, isn’t it? Thank God

24. My aunt in Muscat usually brings us gifts from there J.  She does it so prayerfully that we all have exactly what we prayed for. One specific year, I wanted to get an optical mouse, I was looking for the right one and and I kept looking. (I’m quite indecisive when it comes to selecting gadgets or electronics or pretty much anything. I keep thinking, thinking and finally decide on not buying things until..) Well here, until my aunt gave it to me. It was great! Thank God, I’m still using it. There was another time when I was in fourth or fifth grade and I wanted a make up set, she bought me exactly that!

25. I have had the habit of writing down the small beautiful things that God had done in my life, for a while on and off some days. Most of the years I wrote it regularly, the container in which I saved the small notes would overflow. Likewise, I don’t have the time or energy to tell every story or write every detail for being grateful to Him. I have enough reasons and the above are a few.   Thankful for these years!

Why would I write this on this birthday? The purpose is to try and be grateful for all the 25 years (Silver Jubilee) that I’ve wandered on this earth.

Grateful!

#NeverLeft

#NeverForsaken

#Hebrews13:5

#25

 

 me with the Pandemic...

It was Monday, the start of a hectic week as it was on the end of March, the closure of the financial year. Also that week was the Holy week which ended in Easter. In addition, I had a transfer around the corner which thrust me to work things in a hurried manner. Within three days, I had to handover, finish the pending and pass it on. Monday was fine, a bit dusty maybe but Tuesday I was weak. I knew I was. I thought it was my frantic running around and wanted some rest. A leave was costly as I had too much work to pass on. The knowledge of leaving a familiar workplace to a different one left with me only little time to spend with people there, that complicated my leave process.😟

Tuesday went by, Wednesday was bad too, and I had temperature. For the kind of person I was, I didn’t want to take a paracetamol to forcibly reduce my fever. I expected it to go away on its own. Strangely, it did when I took rest. After bidding a temporary farewell to my friends there, I moved to the new place, with fatigue. It was Good Friday next, aww a relaxing holiday. I attended the shortest English service which encouraged me and took a whole day of rest. The next day was a tiring 1 hour travel to farther parts of Chennai with my scooty for election duty as a servant of the Government with election around the corner. One would say my life was running a lot, I would say it!

That day, I was too tired, I had the warning sign of losing my taste! To be mentioned, I didn’t have fever on Good Friday, so I concluded it was somehow related to the non-ending schedule that I was a part of. The warning sign of losing my taste and smell led me to conclude that I must not attend Easter service and take the awaited Covid 19 test. My next fear moved to my mother. I immediately started the distance I needed to keep from her, knowing she was diabetic. It was Saturday 3 pm, I knew the hospital wouldn’t have the test centre open, so on Easter day, off we went, to give the test.

Oh the wait for the message on the phone, it was something I can’t explain in words.😕 Some feeling that we have when we wait for results, when we wait for our progess card, for our marks, it was like that. I quite knew what the result would be but everyone had to know. The results didn’t turn up the day we expected it. I had to sleep over the doubt of it. The next day in the morning I knew. I was positive and mom was negative.

At once, I took the book I was currently reading, some of my belongings and went to the hospital. There they treated me like I was normal, well yea for them I was just another young positive patient having nothing serious to do with them. They got a consent from me for home quarantine, a signature that I won’t be out till 14 days are over, supplied me with the necessary drugs, a pulse oximeter, viewed my lungs through an X ray and I was back home.

A room was set aside for me, confined. It was my own little quarantine space! I loaded it with books; (quarantine was exactly what a Bibliophile would love). I had to do my steaming, take tablets, had to eat all that my mother gave including the kashayams and vegetable soups I had to push inside and take a lot of rest. The rests were easy as it was much needed and demanded by the virus. The quarantine was in one way a gift to me, who had continuously kept running everywhere or so I think. The gift part, I have no doubt, it’s the running part I’m guessing.

If there was one stark difference between a common cold and Covid(In my opinion, from experience), was that small difficulty in breathing. The steaming process exemplified the breath problem; it’s the subtle difference that makes a world of difference! But yea, I was doing great, thanks to God who made it possible! Who permitted and walked me through this endeavor, and UNTOUCHED.

I still had fatigue in my body after about two weeks of my sickness, it may be around for a month, they say. But I’m grateful.😃

• ·         Grateful for mom turning negative, as whatever was causing me trouble was not allowed to trouble her.
• ·         Grateful for being taken care of, provided for luxuriously.
• ·         Grateful for being able to stay at the comfort of my home.
• ·         Grateful for being loved. (Mom prepared food and so many other stuff, anna supplied medicines, Neighbours gave fruits, everyone helped, uncle helped with getting other stuff, sister sent flowers and a get well soon badge from a friend too. Above all this, a God who loved me whose love can’t be expressed in words)
• ·         Grateful for not having any complications, for being able to breathe in oxygen without support.
• ·         Grateful for life...... and many more

Ever since I have spoken to at least three people regarding overcoming Covid, I’m praying for a lot and I am aggrieved for the loss of many. With whatever this pandemic has to do with us, claiming some lives, leaving many lives, sucking some lives let’s remember that 

God is good.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 NIV

https://romans.bible/romans-8-28

Also a few things I did during the times I was sick (No complications or co morbidities, oxygen – good):

(Even if you’ve read it a 50 times, if this write up helps one person, then it’s ok if I bore the other 99 with the same advice)

• 1.       I took a lot of rest! Kept sleeping for the first few days.
• 2.       I can’t say I ate well, I did give my mom a tough time with finishing those unending kashayams and soups, but I say it’s better if you provide ammunition (nutrition) for your body to battle this out even if you lose your appetite and don’t feel like taking a bite. I ate a lot of fruits and juices too.
• 3.       Steaming was one thing I loved to do. I could feel my improvement while doing it. It was like a breath meter for me and it helped.
• 4.       I didn’t step out of my room! Books were my only physical contacts.

The Gardener knows to prune

PRUNING

We have quite a few plants in our terrace now. Taking care of them has taught me many things. One of which is this. A gardening tip, not exactly but yea, this may give you courage to snip off those leaves when you really don’t have the heart to. 

The plants, the lovely budding greens, suddenly had a hard day, I thought it was something related to the weather or waters, but then on looking closely I found that it was a pest. An insect that would eat them up. Not knowing what to do after trying out on neem medicines and home remedies, all I could do was chop off the infected leaves. Till the insect couldn’t eat any of it.

 I was immediately scared as to what may happen to the plant, but slowly they bloomed; slowly the leaves started showing up. It was like they had a new life, a new era. The transition was beautiful. 

This reminded me of how God would sometimes deprive you of something, even everything you hold dear. So that new leaves would come, you won’t be gone forever. The Gardener knows how to prune. 

In His Garden

 

                                                             Recently, for a good occasion, our house became the home of a few plants. We became the caretakers of the lovely inhabitants at home. The first day was a lot of excitement with oohs and aahs. But as they began acclimatizing to their new surroundings, we started feeling the heat. Some needed sunlight, some couldn’t bear much light, some needed lots of water, others a little and still others didn’t really care if they were watered. There was the touch me not, loved by kids who touched it a lot. There were lovely roses, the money plant for which we needn’t spend anything and the others that needed our heart, soul and hands.

 

                                                             Just in say, four days one plant that I named droopy was so tired and almost lost all of its energy that evening. Mom had checked the plant that morning and it had been good. But here just a few hours later, it was drooping. On further thinking mom and I decided to water it(that’s the only thing we know to do). Again within an hour it became lush green giving us great joy as we congratulated each other on our victory of making droopy alive again. Ever since, even if the others are watered a bit late, droopy is watered as soon as we wake up. Droopy needs our extra care and so we take an extra step.

Droopy:

 

                                                                  The roses, oh the fuss they carry. Everything about them is so delicate, that I wish to name them delicate darlings, but not yet. The red rose was something we all were waiting to bloom. On the day of its bloom or close, it faded. We left it for a day to see what happens and then, the whole plant, the entire plant was eaten up by a “plant eater” I have no idea what kind it is. Money plant, no problem, Thank God, those are low maintenance stress free plants, aloe doing good, jasmines slowly better. Hibiscus good enough. Checking on them has become part of the schedule now as if they were babies that needed our tending. True, these days we keep a check on all these plants to make sure droopy has enough water, roses are not eaten, jasmine’s branches are not broken, climbers have place to climb, so on and so forth.

 

                                                    This suddenly reminded me of God’s big garden with all his children, each crying for attention in their own way. While I need a nineteen confirmations over something God has already told me about, another one may swiftly jump into a beautiful promise and wonder why there are pretty many obstacles. One could be John trying to just find rest in the Saviour while the others quickly drawing their swords to kill their persecutors. One could be crying and weeping and still getting closer and the other crying and singing and also getting closer. One needs to hear everyday that His sweet Saviour is with Him while another already knows so much that he carries it to the other one. One needs regular warnings regarding the way not to be taken and the other one that is careful enough and stands as a traffic signal.

 

                                         A special mention about the creepers that need to cling on to something, oh the helplessness they carry and the way they depend on me reminds exactly of the helplessness I carry and the way I actually depend on Him. It is good to learn from the creation about the creator. We all must become caretakers of at least one plant, I guess. Money plant, succulents, best option so far! (low maintenance) Oh to be a part of God’s garden gives such pleasure to me.To be taken care of by the master planter, great creator, the best Gardener in the whole wide world who knows exactly when to water, how much to water, which nutrient I need and which one is eating me up.

 

                                     

Well, there is pruning too but the gardener does it so we may give more fruit. Hang on if you’re still in there, you’re in great hands.