And it continues…

…as I reach another destination on the road to the journey of my life. A change, another beginning, new people to meet and old ones to keep, new challenges to face and old ones to cherish; an exciting journey of continuous learning of course continues. It is incredible to look back on the road travelled so far; the accomplishments made, the accidents and the healing, moments worth cherishing, blessings to count and the lessons learnt the hard way! I've reached the turn that has a long drive ahead to look forward to, another sunrise to see and to wish the very best for myself and for the people around!

Moments of solitude

It was an awesome summer evening and was as inspiring as it should be. The sky reflected a blend of gold, pink and orange colors from the setting Sun. The serene waters stretched through the horizon reflecting a silvery luster of pearls. As far as eyes could see, the ocean looked very much complete and absorbing. Seagulls made occasional take offs between the rocks by the shore, cut off from the human contact. Sea lions popped up here and there as if they were entertaining the lone spectator. Cool breeze gently touched the cheeks, while gushing waves often high and low quietened down the not so very quite self. It was such a picture perfect weather, that everything was just as right, at the right time and in the right place, exactly the way it is meant to be. Awed at the splendor of the sky and the nature’s beauty, I quietly admired the creator while pouring out praises to his detail in putting things together. I soaked myself in those intimate moments with nature, which as usual was at it’s best. It was indeed the best solitude ever, where I’ve had those ultimate conversations with myself that I’ve neither had before nor could ever comprehend. As I filled up my eyes with the depth of the ocean, it is as if all of a sudden I saw everything afresh and clearer than ever before. It is as if blind sightedness just folded itself into eternity and the vision is all new. Nothing around has changed, everything appeared as it is, as it appeared several years ago but there was a dramatic change in perception and attitude, a very new side of it. I’ve had happiness that outweighed any other material joys of the world. My heart felt infinite emotions of joy, love, peace and serenity; I was in ecstasy.

One more time, I sensed positive vibes that gave a new strength, a new courage to keep going. Solitude is positive, when nature is, as inspiring and intriguing as it is. Moments of solitude open oneself up to the unknown dimensions; they help introducing 'yourself' to the other 'you' as they did to me by the Pacific coast!

Give time a chance!

It’s not an extra-ordinary theory that there is ‘a time’ for everything. In this context, 'time' refers to the ‘right time’. There is a time for everything. In other words, everything with an intended purpose, good or bad, makes a striking appearance in it’s own time whether we like it or not. When the moment arrives, things automatically start falling into place for the advent, with the least of the efforts or none at all and, nothing is inevitable; neither birth nor death, neither is success nor defeat, not even laughter or even sorrow.

The actual beauty of a flower is revealed only when it blooms in the intended time. One that is artificially forced open, will not only loose the fragrance but also the natural grace it supposedly carries. There is a loss of the natural, when we force things happen. Likewise, expecting to stop something inevitable is like wanting to live in darkness forever, depriving the brightness of the following day.

I like the lyrics from one of the Hindi film songs that says, “Maan kabhi kabhi saare jaha mein andhera hota hein, lekin raat ki baad mein hee toh savera hota hein”. It means that there are times when there is darkness all over, but it begins to dawn only after the darkness of the night lasts it’s due course"

A sum total of the forces that exist on this Earth does not have the potential to delay the event destined to happen, let alone stopping it from happening or to making it happen. When time cannot be controlled, it is wise to wait on the one that controls time.

Though it’s such a fundamental philosophy of life, it is the most common of human tendencies to be forgetful of this very truth about time and destiny. Unmasking the extreme human desperations in situations where waiting in patience is the most desired virtue, only makes worst things even worse. All it takes is to reflect upon life and stay calm in waiting. In total agreement to the fact that it is easy said than done, I want to emphasize that, a conscious effort to pause and ponder, can truly bring peace as huge as a mountain even in circumstances of inexpressible strife and pain. There is healing for everything and time is the best medicine.

It took me nearly a decade to realize this. Over and over again, life brought in many tough decisions to make and in most situations, staying calm and waiting in patience, worked wonders. What wonders me is the way things that were once believed to be impossible in the wildest of dreams were made possible by waiting on time. The outcome may not always be positive but at least time gives the positivity to deal with it. This self-realization has opened me up to experiencing life as it is in the present moment and to always keep waiting for the time to have the right things knock at my door!

Lone sights

Out of my dream world, these days I stepped into watching out for what nature has to teach me. After all, I knew, nature is the best teacher. I was at one of the ecological state reserves in the bay area last weekend and expected to see wild life in abundance; apparently, I caught sight of:

A single Snake –

A lone Seagull –

A Western Scrub-Jay by himself –

And of course, the one and only biggest of the stars – 

I’m confused!

Coincidence!

“I’m more interested in the dreams of the future than the history of the past”. I came across this statement recently and kept thinking about what it meant in those times when it was actually said and what it means now, some 2 centuries after it was said. I think the statement still makes sense, but after all perceptions differ between individuals! Knowing the past is certainly insightful in terms of the evolution and existence. History not only gives us an account of the past events and human affairs, it also gives us an evidence of the culture and beliefs of the earlier times that could be preserved for the benefit of the latter times. While it is important to know the past, it is even more important to live in present and of course look forward to future especially in the current times where growth very much depends on the ability to think beyond the impossible. Envisioning a better future way ahead of time as we always see, is one of the primary sources of development of an individual or a nation to that matter.

The corporate world has opened up my thoughts to growth and development more than ever. My observations constantly revealed that positive advancements in personal and professional life, always occur to people with the ability to think ahead of time. No doubt United States of America is thus far one of the most farsighted nations in the world in terms of advancement in almost every field, given the fact that it was ruled by great leaders with intellectual thinking. It was once upon a time under the presidency of someone called 'Thomas Jefferson' to whom the statement in context actually belonged and he is none other than the 3rd President of the U.S who has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest U.S presidents. With the ideals of republicanism in the U.S, he envisioned America as the force behind the ‘Empire of Liberty’ which is a theme to identify America’s responsibility to the world in spreading freedom across the globe.

While I had my lessons for the day on the emphasis of thinking about the future for the development and betterment of the self, I also learnt quite a lot about one of the great presidents of the U.S, Thomas Jefferson. To learn that this day in history, exactly 267 years ago happened to be his birthday, is of course a coincidence. He was born on the 13th April, 1743. The fact that he shared the date of his independence from his mortal life with that of the 13 American colonies that were then at war with Great Britain is another coincidence. Himself being the principal author of the statement of 'Declaration of Independence' on the 4th July exactly 50 years before his demise is yet another coincidence! It's also very much interesting to see how the numbers '13' and '4' are of a great prominence to the nation and it's leader.

God has preferences?

Every now and then, we offer help to someone at work, in the neighborhood, at Church or wherever possible. We do it knowingly and unknowingly too, at times. It could be a word of comfort, a little favor or even a gesture that shows we care. Though I don't mean to say, we should help with an expectation of getting something in return, it really feels nice to be receiving a note of "Thank You" no matter how small the favor really was.

Let alone a note of ‘Thank You’, how about receiving a cute little card, may be flowers or some very nice gift as a token of gratitude for the petty help we offered? I want to emphasize that it would be incredible to actually know, that little deed or that tiny gesture of care, was the real need of the hour to that someone on the receiving end.

If demonstration of gratitude can bring such a great sense of delight to someone earthly like us, I’m sure it surely does to God, the one who cares for every detail of our lives, guides us through the tough challenges of life and above all the only one who is always the first to love us. He holds the complete authority to be worshipped with our offerings for his free gift of grace and mercies that help us thrive each second. God is however, never demanding and yet mindful of the ‘quality’ of our offerings, no matter how small.

From the scriptures, it is understood that Cain and Abel both worshipped the Lord. They wouldn't have brought offerings if they were not thankful to God in the first place. However, there was a remarkable difference in the ‘quality’ of the gifts they each had to offer. Abel diligently offered the 'fat from the firstborn of his flock'. Ever since I was a child and until today, I have collections of all the first things I owned and a record of the first experiences, the first things that happened in my life etc...They come very special to me and I find it very hard to let go. All of us have that 'special' love for the 'first' things, let alone the 'first born'. Abel's gratitude for the Lord was far more measurable than his difficulty in letting go the first born of his flock. His ability to offer whole-heartedly came from the magnitude of his thankfulness for the blessings he received from the Lord, both spiritual and material. He exercised care in worshipping his master and chose the best from what he could offer; to him it was more than a duty, unlike it was to Cain. 

We also see that the Lord showed ‘favor’ to Abel. He got favor from God not because of the offering but because the Lord delighted in the immeasurable gratitude that urged Abel to give the 'Best' offering. Luke 21: 2-4 quotes, the small coins offered by the poor widow, who gave away everything she had not holding back even a single coin! We need to remind ourselves that 'best' counts from what we have and not from what can be offered.

God is always the provider and is never in want of anything whatsoever. He is mindful of what we offer him in the tangible, an obvious reflection of the intangible. And I believe, God has preferences. He prefers the ‘quality’ of our offerings! He wouldn't be pleased to accept an offering by duty; namesake worship would certainly be one of his profound dislikes. 

Touched by Friday

Past 2 days have been really heavy on me. Somehow the thoughts began and I carried them to the grocery store, to the shopping mall, to my work place, you name it. In fact these thoughts about my dreams for life would haunt me everywhere I went and I wouldn’t find peace with myself. There is a world of difference between where I am and where I wanted to be. Though I undoubtedly accept the fact that I am having a blessed life, I have to admit; this is not what my heart desired to be since the time I developed the sense of imagination.

God’s silence to years of prayers and the long-standing hope overwhelmed me. My heart sank in depression; my faith questioned. I was fighting the inner battle all night tossing on the bed until I fell asleep. As the Sun arose, I wearily reached to my laptop and opened up my email for the daily devotional. Tears filled my eyes to see and know that ‘he has not forgotten me’. He may seem to be away but is waiting to act just in time.

My hope rekindled, my heart grew stronger, my tears and sorrow vanished into darkness. Friday has touched me to health inside and it has indeed been a ‘Good Friday’.