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God’s plans or our plans?

The article below reminded me about my discussion with my daughter the other day. She was saying how a music band, BTS was very inspiring when they said that with hard work you can achieve your dreams.

Although I had always subconsciously felt that you can achieve anything through hard work, recently, while reflecting back on my life, I have been feeling that all this running after dreams is futile since life does not work that way.

I’ve seen my daughter work hard for her high school final exams, but was unable to achieve very high grades due to her illness during the last two months before the exams. She has joined a good course at a good college, but it was not what we had planned for. Although now she is happy and feels that this is more suitable for her. This was as per God’s plan for her and we are very grateful to Him.

While looking back at this event and on various aspects of my life from my education, my marriage, my career and even my home, none of these were what I had planned for or even imagined would happen. But they did!

I have moved from my home in Chennai, India where I grew up and never imagined I would leave, to Kuwait and now finally I am settled in Kochi, India where we had bought an apartment a long time ago with no intention to stay. But I am here now!

I do not know what else God has in plan for our lives, but I know it will be the best for me and my family. Or He may use me for someone else’s benefit also. It’s upto him!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for handling every aspect of my life in your own way. I am leaving it to you take care of even the little things. Thank you so much!

Leave Room For God
But when it pleased God… GALATIANS 1:15
As workers for God we have to learn to make room for God — to give God “elbow room.” We calculate and estimate, and say that this and that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never looked for Him to come? Do not look for God to come in any particular way, but look for Him. That is the way to make room for Him. Expect Him to come, but do not expect Him only in a certain way. However much we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in. We are apt to over look this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. All of a sudden God meets the life — “When it was the good pleasure of God…” (RV).
Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left. Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.
From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

Beware of isolation; beware of the idea that you have to develop a holy life alone. It is impossible to develop a holy life alone; you will develop into an oddity and a peculiarism, into something utterly unlike what God wants you to be. The only way to develop spiritually is to go into the society of God’s own children, and you will soon find how God alters your set. God does not contradict our social instincts; He alters them
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

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Entrusting our unknown future to God

Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7

A Time to Think
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. –Corrie ten Boom, author
A Time to Act
Rejoice, the future is full of promise.
A Time to Pray
Father I hold tight to Your truth and trust You to work in my life.
Daily Scripture & Reflection, Guideposts

The above message is exactly the assurance I needed today.

With God’s help, my daughter was able to score well in her final school exams although she had not been well for more than two months before her exams.

Now, she has been able to obtain admission for a very good course which she is interested in and will give her a career that she should enjoy.

However, opinions are coming in from many quarters, making us wonder if the college is the right one for her or if the course might be too tough.

Each time we come to a conclusion, after a lot of research and thought, that this is good, something comes up which makes us wonder.

Today’s message to never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God reminds me that we do not need to worry about the future. God has brought us so far. He will take us through. He will not let us venture into anything that is not right for us.

Thank you so much oh Lord Jesus. We trust that you will ensure the best for our daughter, spiritually, emotionally, physically and career-wise. Thank you!

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Am I humble enough?

[Christ Jesus] made himself nothing.
Philippians 2:7

While reflecting on the devotional below from Our Daily Bread, I remembered the time when my pride led to a lot of stress at work especially when I was working in Kuwait.

I had this feeling that I was better than some of my colleagues who were given greater consideration due to their nationality. This made it difficult for me to accept insignificant work from them which were not suitable to my post, but I was forced to do since that was the work culture there.

At other times, I generally had a feeling that I was good at work and did not consider some of my colleagues capable of doing as well.

This attitude led to a lot of mental stress and complexes. I did not need to think like that. I could have done my work as I would have done for God and ignored any other issues. I could have also considered that all of us have something positive given by God irrespective of our differences.

Even now, I have the habit of arguing thinking that I am right when it is equally possible that the other person is right.

Our Lord Jesus humbled Himself so much for us when He had all the power in the world. He had no ego, pride or issues when He was mocked at and crucified.

When He humbly accepted His situation, how silly it was for me to stress over such petty issues.

Thank you Lord for showing this to me. Help me to change my attitude and to be humble always.

As the American Revolution concluded with England’s improbable surrender, many politicians and military leaders maneuvered to make General George Washington a new monarch. The world watched, wondering if Washington would stick to his ideals of freedom and liberty when absolute power was within his grasp. England’s King George III saw another reality, however. He was convinced that if Washington resisted the power pull and returned to his Virginia farm, he would be “the greatest man in the world.” The king knew that the greatness evidenced in resisting the allure to power is a sign of true nobility and significance.
Paul knew this same truth and encouraged us to follow Christ’s humble way. Even though Jesus was “in very nature God,” he “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:6). Instead, He surrendered His power, became “a servant” and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death” (vv. 7-8). The One who held all power surrendered every bit of it for the sake of love.
And yet, in the ultimate reversal, God exalted Christ from a criminal’s cross “to the highest place” (v. 9). Jesus, who could demand our praise or force us to be obedient, laid down His power in a breathtaking act that won our worship and devotion. Through absolute humility, Jesus demonstrated true greatness, turning the world upside down.
REFLECT & PRAY
Thank You, Jesus, that in Your most destitute and (seemingly) disgraceful moment, You demonstrated Your true power and greatness.
By Winn Collier

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Taking loved one for granted …

A wise man’s heart guides his mouth.
Proverbs 16:23

I definitely take my husband and child for granted.

I do not consider their feelings and emotions as much as I do for others.

I do not keep adjusting for them as much as I do for others.

I am guilty of “split vision” as they call it.

Outwardly, I am a kind, patient person with a smile on my face. No one can guess the pain and exhaustion that I endure due to my fibromyalgia.

However, when my sister pointed out this character in me, my daughter told me that I am indeed such a person to others, but not so much at home in front of her and my husband.

I was ashamed of myself on hearing this and today’s article reiterates the need for change.

If I am able to be patient with others, I should be able to be patient with my family also.

In saying so, let me say that I am not very nasty or rude at home, but I do need be more patient.

Below is the message that inspired me.

Split Vision
Isn’t it curious how in the midst of a nasty family argument we can shake our bad mood the instant the telephone rings or a neighbor knocks on the door? Have you ever been brought up short by a small voice questioning such a sudden turn to peaches and cream after twenty minutes of fire and brimstone? Sometimes we treat those we love the worst, and kids are quick to recognize this hypocrisy.
Mark Hatfield, a longtime senator from Oregon and the father of four, said his wife once stung him by saying, “I just wish you were as patient with your children as you are with your constituents.” He isn’t alone. We’re all guilty at times of what might be called “split vision”— treating acquaintances with forbearance while losing patience or even heaping contempt on those under our own roof. We assume the worst. We pounce on every shortcoming. We never miss an opportunity to harangue. In the process, we wound the people we care about most.
It’s time we cut one another a little slack at home. If we say our spouses, children, and parents are the most significant people in our lives, we can prove it by showing them the same kindnesses we would bestow on our most honored guests.
Just between us…
Are we as patient with each other at home as we are with guests and strangers?
Why do you think we can be so hard on each other?
How can we encourage each other to avoid this kind of “split vision”?
Father, open our eyes to see one another the way You do. Forgive us for the laziness and selfishness that so easily sour our family relationships. Help us guard our words and actions so that we may be pleasing in Your sight. Amen.
From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

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An all-powerful God is with us

Some of the biggest life blows come in the form of a diagnosis. Cancer. Disease. Chronic illness. Disability. Pain. It can send us spiraling. Yet nothing takes God by surprise, and he reminds us in the midst of bad news, we still don’t have to fear. We can trust him. Pray that God will flood your heart with the assurance that he holds you and will carry you through the toughest times in this life. Thank him in advance for his healing and strength. Believe his Word that assures you he is near to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirits are crushed.
Find Hope in the Storm, Crosswalk.com

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Psalm 112:7

Today’s quote reminds me of all the people who are suffering due to the Covid pandemic.

People who have fallen ill.

People whose loved ones have been diagnosed with the disease.

People whose loved ones have passed away.

I pray that God gives them strength and assurance to get through the situation. Only God can give healing. Only God can hold us through these tough times.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
Psalm 34:17-20

It is a very scary situation.

Anyone can get infected with the disease at any time.

Prince and Prime Minister, slum dwellers and labourers.

There is no discrimination.

Covid-19 can infect anyone.

All are human.

Whether technologically advanced or uneducated, we are all helpless.

It shows that as human beings, there are issues and situations beyond our power, but God is all powerful. He will carry us through.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

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Rose’s Board Finals – Mathematics Exam

For the days you can’t see a way out of your troubles, when desperation raises its head, and you don’t see an end in sight, know this: God is near. He reminds you that he’s fighting for you. He tells us to stand strong in his armor and in the power of his word. Read out loud every word of the armor of God, pray that he would help you to lift your head straight up to him, believing that he will see you through.
Find Hope in the Storm, Crosswalk.com

Well, my daughter’s mathematics exam is over. She worked hard during the few days before the exam, but she was not able to cover one chapter and so is not sure if the answers to questions from that chapter are correct. Due to her illness the last two months, she was not able to do her revisions in advance and hence needed more time to complete her portions.

Considering the situation, she did well and I thank God for the same. This is her favourite subject and she herself has admitted that if she was able to cover the last remaining chapter, she would have been able to score 100% marks. I know that God will do the best for her as he has helped so far.

I feel dejected a bit because if she had listened to me earlier and reduced the time that she had wasted when it was possible for her to study, she could have got all the answers correct. We had a lot of arguments and mental strain due to me reminding her to make the best use of her time.

Anyhow, in spite of all this, God has still helped her do so well. He gave her the strength and health to study on the days before her exams. We had worried if her hard work would take a toll on her health which had not yet come back to normal and I cannot thank Him enough. I feel guilty for the slight tinge of regret/sadness that is in me on my daughter’s behalf, but I know that God understands me.

Whatever the situation, whatever failings we have, I am confident that God will ensure a good outcome for my daughter. Her career will be as per His plans for her. In fact, the lessons learnt will be a learning curve for her, making her realize her mistakes so she can correct herself going forward.

Thank you Lord God for moulding and guiding my daughter through life’s path. Thank you so much Lord. I believe that eventually you will ensure the best for her.

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Drowning in the pressures and fears of life…

When troubles overwhelm and worry sets in, it can feel like we can hardly breathe. It might seem as if we’re drowning in the pressures and fears that life has thrown our way. God can cut through all that; He is powerful to work a miracle on our behalf. The same God who split the sea and healed the sick is the God who hears your prayers today. Tell him what concerns you, and thank him that he is helping you this day.
Find Hope in the Storm, Crosswalk.com

Thank you Lord that you are with me through the confusion and fears that our family is going through.

I know that the issues that bother us are actually nothing compared to the sufferings of so many people in this world.

Even then, as a little child comes to you for help to find a missing precious toy which is his greatest worry at that time, I come to you God for even these small issues.

I trust that just as you helped me find my pencil sharpener when I was three years old (the first miracle I remember), you will perform even more wonderful miracles in our lives.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the faith and love you have given me and my family.

Lilies of the Field

Often it’s hard to trust God when money problems, debt, and loss mount up high. Yet God knows what concerns us, he understands our every need, and he is more than able to provide all that we lack. Pray that he will give you wisdom in every financial decision, that he would help you to be generous in giving, and to trust him in providing for your family’s needs.
Find Hope in the Storm, Crosswalk.com

From the time I was young, I always remember that our family had just sufficient funds for a comfortable living although we did not have too much money stored up in bank accounts or assets worth millions. My parents were content with what they had, gave us the best under the circumstances and we had a happy life.

On completing our educations, all three of us children were able to obtain jobs almost the next day itself, which we can attribute to God’s Grace only.

At the time of our weddings when expenses were much higher, God provided. We know that it was God who guided us to suitable spouses and families.

My father is not rich, but his pockets are never empty. God has provided at all times, but never too much that we would forget Him.

Thank you Lord that you are always providing for us and that we do not need to worry.

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That Proverbs 31 Woman…

A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30

The below devotional that I read today is the answer to my quest on how to be a good wife. I shall fear the Lord and leave my thoughts, words and actions to Him to guide me to be the right wife, mother, daughter and sister for the good of my family.

Are you ever intimidated by the “Proverbs 31 woman”? Sometimes I am. How can we compete? Here’s a woman who brings her husband “good, not harm, all the days of her life”; gets up before the morning light; feeds her family; shows good judgment in her purchases; works “vigorously”; helps the poor; has time to make bed coverings for her household and garments for sale; has enough faith to “laugh at the days to come”; “speaks with wisdom”; has no use for idleness; and earns blessing and praise from her husband and children!
Let’s be honest, we can’t compete… but maybe we don’t have to. I’m not convinced, for example, that the woman described in Proverbs 31 is one literal person. Or, if she is, that she achieved all her accomplishments during the same period of life. Rather, I think that through the writings of Solomon, the Lord has provided us women with specific examples of the behavior to which we should continually aspire—just as all Christians aspire to be like Jesus, even though we’ll never actually reach His level of perfection.
I believe that the key to understanding Proverbs 31 is found in verse 30, the next to last passage in Proverbs: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” According to this verse, a “woman who fears the Lord,”—who seeks His will for her as wife, mother, and follower of Jesus—is the Proverbs 31 woman, no matter how a particular day or season of her life is going.
My encouragement to you as a wife is to seek God and submit to His direction—and add a dash of love in the process. I promise you that you’ll please your Maker, bring honor to your husband and family, and find a personal contentedness that will never be matched.
Shirley M Dobson, From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

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Couples – Friends and companions

Today’s devotional encouraged me to be a friend and companion to my husband in many ways.

I am grateful to God for carving out paths in my quest to develop my relationship with my husband to be happy and sound.

I have to spend more time to understand my husband, to participate in his interests, to encourage him and to intentionally find enjoyment with him even in activities that do not interest me so much.

We both have such opposite ideas, interests and viewpoints that I need to search for such things to do.

One mutual hobby of ours is reading, although genres differ.

I think I will start there and read an author that he recommends. Then we can discuss it and he will be happy that I took his advice.

Mr Homer Les, in a comment to one of my posts, enlightened me on how a wife’s duty is not just to obey her husband, but also to guide and support him to grow in God’s love. His wife had been “tough, stern, kind and gentle” to him, thus helping him grow out of his addiction. He has advised me to grow deeper in love with Jesus who will guide me to be the best wife for my husband.

Thank you Lord Jesus for guiding me step by step. Please show us new ways to get the most out of our life together.