Living testimony

The clock ticked 8 am, Nandi and her parents rushed towards their car, it was time for Sunday worship. Nandi was excited to go to church, sing praises, learn new songs and listen to the word of God. She was dressed in her best Sunday outfit, prim and prom. Cold waves hit the city, it was one of the worst winter mornings. A thick blanket of snow covered the car, the wiper freezed and the car croaked with every ignition. Going to church seemed impossible. Nandi's parents decided to take the public transport and walk the remaining mile.They did not want to miss any Sunday worship as learning new lessons from the bible filled them with joy and satisfaction.

The choir was singing praises in one accord, the congregation joined along with the choir. New voices, new tunes and a peaceful atmosphere!

The pastor addressed the congregation and thanked everyone for being present inspite of the bad weather. As he began to preach; Nandi noticed an old man seated diagonally on the other side. After the worship, she walked towards him and exchanged pleasantries.Few Sundays passed by, Nandi became quite acquainted with the new friend. Nandi was studying medicine and wanted to serve the people. Her desire of becoming a doctor was selfless and purely societal. Serving mankind is serving God was her basic philosophy.

The old man was Pastor Oliver. He retired from his pastoral ministry but never stopped serving the Lord. He lived all alone in the city. He had found a friend and sought solace in Nandi. Pastor Oliver always encouraged Nandi for her willingness to serve people. He felt this was Nandi's own way to serve and spread the goodness and word of God.

Pastor Oliver would visit old age homes, hospitals and orphanages. He would pray for the needy and read out parables from the bible. He encouraged people to ponder over the verses and act smartly. He served the City hospital for 20 years as a Chaplain and would visit each patient, ward and doctors personally, praying for them and their service.

Nandi had developed a liking for Pastor Oliver and was touched by his ministry. He was never tired of serving and his life exemplified Living Testimony.

Few months passed by and Pastor Oliver was no where to be seen. Months changed to years and he totally disappeared, he had stopped coming to church and would not visit the hospital anymore. Nandi missed her pal and thought she would never see him again.

Nandi completed her education and was posted in the City hospital . She was doing very well as a doctor and everyone loved Nandi and her service. She enjoyed going for medical camps in remote areas, nursing the tribes and village ministry.

One fine day Nandi was selected to head a medical camp and was sent along with a team of doctors and nurses in a village. The village was situated miles away from the main city. People there were deprived of any medical help. Their health was deteriorating and lack of medicines worsen most cases. Nandi visited each house and personally attended the patient. On the last day of the camp, Nandi decided to visit the remaining houses located in the interiors. To her surprise, she saw Pastor Oliver lying on the bed in a very critical condition. He was ill for a very long time. Nandi immediately got Pastor Oliver back to the City hospital. Pastor Oliver failed to recognise people, did not speak a word and was waiting for his last hour. Nandi would frequently visit him, sing choruses, speak to him about his ministry in City hospital. The ward boys and doctors would visit him and tried refreshing his memory. The man who would pray for others was now in need of prayers, lying on his death bed. No one knew how he landed in that village but definitely knew it was time for him to bid goodbye and be with The Lord.

                                Courtesy: Issachar initiative

Nandi felt sad, discouraged and demotivated as she couldn't save him, she wanted to talk to him a lot, know more, learn about life, she regretted about not trying to find him while he was missing all these years. Nandi missed the love of her grandparents as they left her at a very young age. She felt a strong connect towards him and sought him as her grandpa. She was touched by Pastor Oliver's ministry, he would always pray for everyone, strangers, sharing the word and doing every bit to comfort the needy. He never cribbed of his ministry or the situation. No one knew about his family but he was happy and content. The zeal to serve society and never say die spirit encouraged her to be like him. His life was a living testimony..a testimony that could be shared and told to the world. He served the same hospital and landed there during in his last days. The hospital was his family, he touched many lives there.We as humans are very self centered, we do things for our benefits and for our selfish needs, we create a small world of our own and never want to get out of it.We neither bother about people around nor lend a helping hand. We tend to forget the creator, the things he has done for us and forget to thank him for the small wonders he does in our lives.

While Nandi was in deep thoughts, Pastor Oliver breathed his last and bid goodbye to all. Over 5000 people attended his funeral and each one spoke about his ministry and the lives he touched. Truly he was a living testimony..

Are we a living testimony?
Cant we do small things, to spread happiness
Share the word, Be the shining light
Lend a helping hand and spread some smiles 
Pray for all, Bless your foes
Love, honesty, peace and humility
Let it unfold your woes.

Happy a blessed and happy Life!

Priyanka Sarang Ohol

The Aura of Optimism

“Life’s a journey, we are travellers here, our ultimate destination is decided as per the route we take along……, “Life’s too short to think a lot”, “Be practical, Move on….” are some of the phrases commonly used when we require solace.  But do these words really comfort us?

Taking an example of the most feared word ‘PROBLEMS’. What do really do in tough times? How do we tackle situations? How do we react to such glitches? Do we behave like cowards or run away from it….are we always worried and sulk each day or do we just never react to such circumstances.

Problems are faced indeed in the PRESENT and we are always concerned more about the FUTURE. Dealing with the situation at that present point is more important than worrying about what will happen next. We have no clue of what will happen the very next minute, and we think about what will happen few years down the line.

Life indeed is too short, let’s not make it complicated but actually enjoy each moment and live it to the best. Smiling through difficult times is the best medicine to overcome any problem. Troubles, misunderstandings, fight, arguments do take a toll on our relationships with loved ones but we need to decide as to what Aura we create around our self. Let’s be positive, have patience and be strong in our faith. That will keep us going.  

Hence, let us decide and think what kind of Aura we create around our self in tough times. Are we positive or just think negatively, losing heart and worrying about tomorrow.

What kind of Aura do you create??

"Beautiful thoughts and positive emotions are the stuff miracles are made of"

Regards

Priyanka

Welcome December....Welcome Christmas..

Joy to the world the Lord has come!!! ........A Ray of hope flickers in the sky........and then comes another carol...Mary's boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day...Wow..each morning you wake up to the music.....and you know its your favorite carol being played in the background. You realize the advent season is here.....and everyone's preparing to welcome the KING....The winter sets in, covering you with its cold breeze, weather looks windy and pleasant....the sun shines only for a while and mum holding you in her arms all stuffed and muffled; almost feeling her love and warmth in this cold season....Children gearing up for the choir practices, the big bright star shining right outside your window, enacting the nativity scene, the Christmas tree in your living room, Greetings sent to your loved ones, Santa Clause and my wishes.. and off course the yummy Christmas goodies prepared at home....Takes me right back when I was young..... feels nostalgic and awakens the child in me....

Amidst all this, we forget the true reason behind Christmas.... we get busy and involve ourselves completely in all the preparations and forget that its not only about the materialistic happiness but about doing something special for someone and touching atleast one life..... It could be your neighbor, a friend, an acquaintance, your maid at home, your office boy, someone you may just know or anyone who you think should have that smile on their face....No matter what faith you follow or what you believe but being a wonderful human being and having love for all is what keeps you grounded...We are blessed today with everything that we need and we should be grateful for all that we have.

Let this feeling not just awaken only once a year but let each day of our life be like Christmas.

So a warm welcome - December and Christmas!!! Hope you stay with us forever and each day of our life....

Love,

Priyanka :)