God’s grace and peace

I trust you all are fine and protected by God’s grace and peace.

I write to you today to share about Gods work in our family. 

 

In 2020 my family and I undertook a visit abroad for some work and also visited my brother for a month. But lockdowns were announced by India and flights got cancelled, right from the day we were to fly back, 23rd of March, 2020. And then one thing and another led to our extended stay..

At the same time, our daughter had to leave early to return back to India and thus we were separated during these dangerous times. Daughter in India and we are here, which gives us a lot of anxiety and worry. Believe me when I say we were in constant despair. Our constant endeavor was to be able to catch a flight and head back. But such was not God’s will. However, in June she was able to get permission to fly from the authorities and was finally able to come to us after landing here and spending 14 days in quarantine.

Today, we are all here, living at home in my brothers house and in peace and have been granted stay till June 2022.

I cannot but think of this as God’s grace and plan. Like Noah, we have been put in an Ark and taken high above the dangers which we would have faced. In retrospect, with the kind of travelling I have to do for my work, I am sure I would have got the virus and brought it home. In all probability it would have been fatal for my wife and/or me. But God willed otherwise.

God has not only brought us to safety but also provided for our needs as well, with my brother opening his home for us and his family adjusting with us for so long. When I think of this blessing, I think of this as nothing short of a miracle. There was no way this could have happened but for divine intervention.

Thinking back, I see His hand of mercy and provision every day of our life. Impossibilities becoming realities, personally as well as professionally. I think I am the living embodiment of the forgiveness of Christ and His blood. For I am probably the least person to deserve what I have received. There is no deservingness in any form of what God has done throughout, and what He is doing today. I do not know His plan, nor do I understand why we have been blessed so much. But what I do know is this: I have learnt my lesson of trusting in God’s plan for me, and not my own, and taking one day at a time, waiting on His will.

I have also learnt that He does speak to us. In my daily devotional, I keep getting messages with His promises of deliverance. When we were worried sick about our daughter, He spoke through His word and assured us of reunion with her soon. Of course, I took it in that it meant we will go back to India to her. We were reunited with her but not in India, and against all norms and government policies, in this country. Another huge miracle has been finances. I had not done internet banking in the bank account where we had our savings, nor did we take a debit card, for security reasons. We had our travel money but obviously not to last 2 years. God provided there as well. The General Manager of that bank (public sector) is a Christian and, unbelievingly, he transferred money to our other bank (private bank) without a check or a Draft or anything. Simply a request on mail. No signatures, no checks, on private gmail and to another Bank. This, in my experience, is an impossibility in a public sector bank in India!

Workwise we also were supported. Not one person from our team fell ill. Cash flow, though affected and jerky, still was there and payments received when we really needed them. Yes the financial strain has been huge but not back breaking. We still survived, though so many start-ups and SMEs closed shop.

Today, I believe we four are still in the Ark and sailing in safety from the storm and the flood. Where? I do not know, but I do know that He who has brought us thus far, will be there and not desert us.

Again and again Jeremiah 11:19 kept coming up and I take it as His promise for me and my family.

I share this story with you not only as gratitude but also as a testimony to encourage others in Christ. That forgiveness which I had taken for granted in the past as well as His blessings and miracles, has brought us here. I think we owe our very lives to God and His angel. 

I was somehow prompted to share this with you. This is not the first evidence of God's hand over our family’s lives but the most recent and relevant. For the rest, let me just say it has been many times He has snatched us up from disaster and ruin and, probably not the last.

Meanwhile, we continue to pray for all our brothers and sisters who have been affected by this pandemic or loss of jobs etc. We look forward to a new world soon. 

Name withheld by request