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.

 

23rd Palm Sunday

Born and brought up in a Christian family, my parents were sure to take me around on a procession on every palm Sunday. As staunch as their belief in Christ and involvement in church was, I don't think I would've gone one palm Sunday without the palm leaves, the commotion and the joy it carried. Well not every tradition can be kept every year, right? Not every birthday of every year can be celebrated. And so on. Here is the reason for a break in the legacy we follow. The corona lockdown!

As I'm going to sit at home this palm Sunday, I was wondering what I'll do. (And I hope you realise, what I've concluded to do) For me, a palm Sunday was so much fun, before I really got behind to know the real meaning. (Even after that it was fun😀) What made it fun was that the entire church would get ready earlier than usual and go around the locality waving palm leaves, singing songs, praying for people and so on. When I was a kid, I used to dress up like an angel and form a part of the scene cast on a Bullock cart. Trust me, everytime or at least most of the times, I broke my wings while my friend was careful enough to preserve it😝. Oh the amount of make up we used to wear, literally would wear me out. The scariest thing was the bull in the Bullock cart, it was no happy car ride or an airy bike ride, it used to be like a bumpy boat ride amidst a turbulent ocean. My friend and I would help each other in balancing ourselves. No we didn't let anyone between us, at least then. We were given buttermilk which over the years was substituted by packed juices to help ourselves quench our thirst after the long procession.

After the ariyatha vayasu(childhood ignorancy) stage had passed and I started to understand about why things go the way they are, why we do what we do. What went wrong for God to put a redemption plan, who God is and all... Palm Sunday became different. I grew up too, so I no longer was invited to be an angel but had to walk the dusty road with the other people in the congregation. I always made sure I walked at least two metres before the bull and for safety left someone behind and before me🤪. I used to search for a good company each year and then walk the miles with them, in case I don't have good company I rest beside my mom, walking all the way. During these processions, I pray for families, I sing and I continue to pray for the meaningful outcome of the day. This doesn't mean I won't have fun at all, but for my temperament, I had little fun and seriously hoped that people would understand the meaning of the day. Holding placards even when my hands pained had become a changed duty instead of being dressed as an angel.

This palm Sunday, I can't do any of these and this has brought me here. I thought I could explain to all of you reading, as to why Christians hold a palm Sunday. What are they trying to say in conducting something like a campaign.

I'll get to the four Bullock carts we usually have to tell the story. Along with the walking Church mates these Bullock carts carry people as in a frozen play scene.

BULLOCK CART NO 1: we express Christmas in the first cart. The very scene will have Mary, the mother of Jesus and Joseph, a few Shepherds, and yes us, a few angels, some animals too, since Jesus was born in a manger. This typically represents that Christ came into the world adorned by angels, born into a humble carpenters family, on a mission as great as saving the World.

BULLOCK CART NO 2: The second cart will have the palm Sunday scene replicated. Jesus while he was on the earth, was praised by the mouths of humbled people while he was hated by a lot of other people. There were two groups. All these people on the road acknowledged Jesus as their king, praised him, sung songs for him and expressed their love for him. They used the leaves that they found in Jerusalem at that time and we use the palm leaves we find in our time. That's the reason behind Christians carrying palm leaves, walking around the streets on a palm Sunday.

And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!"
Mark 11:8‭-‬10 ESV

BULLOCK CART NO 3: Of all the carts, this one needs the most make up and props. Props being the cross and extra make up for the look of reality of blood that Jesus shed on the cross. The third cart has the scene of crucifixion where Jesus holds a cross surrounded by Roman soldiers waiting to crucify him. The group that in the previous cart praised Jesus watched as He was crucified. As History goes these carts are in order too. The death of Jesus on the cross is the reason for his birth on cart 1, to die for the sins of the world was His mission as on cart 3. To pay for the price of the sin was His passion and that's the message we carry on cart 3.

BULLOCK CART NO 4: Death is not the end in any victor's story and so is it not in this. Jesus was crucified, dead and his body laid in a tomb. On the third day Jesus rose again, once again defeating death once and for all. He rose up to show the world He was beyond death and that death could not defeat him. This we depict in cart 4.

On looking at these carts, the viewer may understand the story we're trying to narrate. Though often the view of people, their laughs, their talks, the palm leaves, the commotion, the juice and the white dressed procession on the whole distracts the point we're trying to convey. This palm Sunday I thought I could show people a closer view to the truth behind the jolly jolly procession we broadcast.

On thinking about the day and all its memories and how hard it will be for us to not go out on this palm Sunday, it saddens me but the joy of the story must never leave my heart. The tradition must never cover the truth. The display must not overrule the message. So it's not about the palm leaves, not about the procession, not about the white dress, not even anything about the fun. It's a reminder to praise my Saviour, to tell His story, the story that saves the World.🌴😇

The original post: https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/abelieversfairytale.wordpress.com/39

Stalkers of two kinds

On a bright sunny day, as goes my monotonous workday, I rode on my scooter to the place I work. I took the usual route, the one with a few twisty turns and short lanes. I started to ride my scooty again after a long gap since I had an accident (long story). The first day went well and so was the second. But I had this crazy feeling that someone was closely behind all the time I was on road. As most people do, I just brushed the thoughts away.

The third day and almost every other day that followed, the thoughts that I had brushed away came to be a striking truth. I saw this person who would wait near a park two minutes from my house and come closely behind all the way to my workplace. As my heart pounded and I thought of all possible ways I could overcome the problem I faced. (Give yourself a tap on the shoulder if this is your story too). The first thing I did, after telling my mom was to change routes. I took the longer route which will take more time than the usual one. I thought this route would relieve me of my small trouble. And yea, almost two days went well.

Then I got to see the same person in the evenings near the same park. This was getting a bit more intense and I had to do something about it. My mind and heart played their part in confusing, questioning, sorting, reasoning, comprehending the situation, they helped really😆. Then we all (myself and I) prayed that small prayer for guidance. That day at work, I saw the same person, and I didn't know who he was. There was this colleague of mine walking beside me, who is a senior. I asked him if he knew who my stalker was. He knew, and he didn't leave with that. The very next question was, "Why do you ask?" And yes I blurted out the full story. Thank God he was understanding, he promised he'd help with what he could.

There was a Sunday, meanwhile and my mom had told some people in our family too. One uncle dropped me at my workplace one day and rode his bike alongside me the next day. Strange as it seems, there was no stranger those days. On these investigative days, my colleague took a longer route and came past our house to see if he could find the stalker, plus he had called his friend too, just in case. On all these days, the stranger did not appear near the park.

And when people are not there to look for me, there he'd be... This went on for some days, say.
After one warning from my colleague and a caught red handed scene with a probable warning from my uncle, the series stopped. I don't have time to go into the details and I hope my story is not already taking your precious time as you read it. Only now am I coming to the point. Thank God, I had an understanding mother, a humane brother like colleague, time sparing and loving family that cared and trusted me. What about girls who don't have such a luxury? What about women who have to put up with such non sensitive behaviour from their fellow inhabitants. I really don't want my blog to have any statistics about these stuff, but any person who reads the newspaper, has sisters or friends would be aware of such things. I'm spared of any inhumane activity by grace but what makes us sure that all of us will be spared? As long as men of this kind walk on the planet, women can never feel safe.
I've just been there, I think I know how it feels, just the bit of it. I wouldn't want any of my sisters to ever be treated that way. Speaking about women, some feel the best way to overcome these stuff is to completely ignore such men. How could a woman do that? Are we to be silent onlookers while people do all that they want to. Even now, that's the general idea, this is quite common, you have to put up with such behaviour, bla bla.... It would be great if real life comes with a block feature like Facebook and WhatsApp does. It is much easier there to cut off unwanted faces.

There's a lot more agony to the issue and I hope we all take our stands in our own places and protect women while teaching stalkers a lesson for life. Yet there is hope in every situation just like in my case...

I hate to close my post with just negative things to think about. So here's what I love to say: Ever since that incident I've had two other beautiful stalkers behind me, I'd wish to mention them too. One was an uncle with whom I go to a choir practice. One day as we were running short of time and I had to take my scooter, he stalked me all the way back home just so that I reached safely 😄.. sweet isn't it? When we taste the bitterness of sin on one side God also helps us taste the sweetness of His grace. I had yet another benevolent stalker who cared to take my keys off my valuable so much loved scooty which I had carelessly left on my scooty. Had he not seen my keys and handed it over to the local guards, I could've suffered a major heartache of losing my scooter entirely. I haven't even seen the face of this benevolent stalker😇

Let's be stalkers of the second kind. Stalkers who relentlessly pursue the good for others and stalkers who walk second miles for others.

1 Timothy 6:11 (pic from Pinterest)

The original post: https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/abelieversfairytale.wordpress.com/29

Many small incidents in life reinstate the fact that God listens to every groan, every untold need every word that may not even be prayers.  It had been almost a week since the number plate on my bike had fallen down. I was still able to ride my bike without the authorities questioning me because there was one number plate in front too. I planned to take my bike to the only mechanic I knew, but when I went he already had a few bikes to look into and it was already a bit late in the night. I couldn’t get the work done so I had to keep my bike as it was… I didn’t even pray, I remember telling God that “It’s not my job to get the nameplate on my bike, even so I tried and it became a failure. So I’m not going to try again, you do it whenever you want to, it is your duty.” This I said knowing that God is my father, and that my earthly father has gone to be with him. After all it’s a Dad’s duty to take his daughter’s bike to the mechanic. Two weeks passed and whenever my mind reminded me to think about the nameplate, I’ll put the burden on God. And then, this happened:

One morning as I took my bike, I noticed that the hinges to which my name plate was connected had been tightened, the very reason my number plate had fallen in the first place. I was wondering how, when an uncle from my apartment, (one I barely knew), had screwed it tight for me. He asked me if I had my number plate safe so he could fit that also. When I said yes, he offered to help me in the evening. Evening came and that uncle was working so hard to fix things for me, he wasn’t able to remove one screw even after one hour of tireless trying. He promised me he would fix it by the next morning and yea, He kept his promise. When I took my bike the next morning I was awakened by the sweetness of God in caring for his daughter. I thanked the Lord much more than I thanked the uncle who helped me out. Since then I have called him Scooty uncle and we have been good friends. Little did my scooty uncle know about my prayer, but he himself was an answer to one. When I asked him how he helped, he told me that he knew the plight of women who work because he himself had a daughter. How often are we helping God help people? How often are we responding to his still small voice asking us to help people on our way? On the other side, do we trust God with the small and petty things knowing that he takes care of the big and small details likewise?

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?  Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:9‭-‬11 NLT

I have told this story so many times to so many different people boasting God’s goodness to me. And what should keep me from posting it? Here it is, on my blog!

Note: for all your big, small and petty troubles, there’s a dad who cares always… Never let’s go and loves you more than you know. Trust him, be quick you can make a prayer now.


Take away: 1)make small prayers with trust, 2)be an answer to prayers.

The original: https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/abelieversfairytale.wordpress.com/13