Praising In The Midst Of A Pandemic

 While some (to be fair, the whole world) would probably remember 2020 as the year of pandemic and COVID-19, I can't say the same. To me it will still be the year when God taught me that He chooses to bless us even in the most dire of circumstances... and not because we deserve it even by a bit, but simply because He chooses to do so.

Last month marked the end of my five year long stay in the garden city of India. And as much as I am enjoying the relaxed countryside life in my hometown, I'm missing it. After all it was in that city that I met the man from whose ribs I am made (a very deep Biblical reference)!! Coming back to the pandemic scenario, I couldn't thank Almighty God enough for teaching me few of the most important lessons of life in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and lockdown... how to live each day by His grace and not by my own power or merit. We as humans plan a lot many things for our lives. Given the kind of people Mr. Fernandes and I are, we are content in small and not so flashy plans even... but ultimately it is God's plans that shape our lives. Because Jeremiah 29: 11 says, '"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' There couldn't have been a better author than God... for He writes the best love story. And there isn't a better planner than Him... or should I say wedding planner. Trusting God in uncertain times as this isn't easy, but the Bible is filled with incidences when the best outcome was received when God was handed over everything. And often times this part doesn't come naturally or easily: trusting God. That's when the prayer tool kit comes handy. I often wonder if it was possible for Daniel to have such a prayerful life in the midst of scary scenario that he lived in, then why would it be so difficult for us? And it is not just the lives of great men and women of the Bible, even in our simple lives, day in day out if we carefully keep noticing, we can very clearly see the fruits of prayers. That being said, let me be clear that we can't just pray for anything under the sun and expect Him to answer in assertive!! It is very important to be sure that what we are asking is indeed going to bring glory to God, or is it just like Balaam we want to coax God into doing our will.

As I write this my eyes happened to fall on the keychain my parents had given me when I was leaving for Bangalore. It had Psalm 128:5 inscribed on it, " The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion". And indeed He had. As humans it is very easy to get side tracked, to lose focus. But if there's anything I've learned in the past few years, it is this: keeping focus on God and aiming to live life for His glory will always lead to a content life... not rich maybe, not famous maybe... but definitely content. There might be a lot of self-help or relationship builder books out in the market, but nothing teaches how to live life better than the Bible!

It has the tips and wisdom to live life, it has the pointers to a happy relationship, how to be a good parent, how to act in all situations of life and most importantly how to use all of the aforementioned traits to live a life that not merely makes me appear a good person but glorifies God.

While reading this, one might think "oh sure it is easy to say these things when life's all good"... but it never is as perfect as it seems. It wasn't just the pandemic that clouded our lives this year. The loss of three dear grandparents (one in the past year) who played pivotal role in shaping not just Mr. Fernandes and my parents, but in both our lives too. There were life-altering decisions that had to be taken that in plain English can only be referred to as leap of faith or fool's commitment. But I know one thing for sure, if God is at the center of every decision made and every step taken, nothing can sink the ship. Sure the winds aren't always in favour. But He hasn't promised an easy sail, His promise is a perfect destination.

As I look forward to the next month, awaiting the biggest change of life all I can think of is that the only reason I could make this far is because of God's grace. The situations or people around us might not always be favourable, but God is good at all the times.