7 Reasons for Gratitude

"Count your blessings, name them one by one...."

Another year has slipped by - and Sheba and I are into a land-mark year for us. 

2019 will see us both bump into our Jubilee ages (with us cumulatively having completed a century on life on this planet).  Asha will come of age (that too in less than 2 weeks from now).   Both Asha and Enoch will be appearing for their external exams at the end of Feb and into March.  Asha may be off to the US for her further studies (finances are the question at this point).   At the end of the year Sheba and I will be completing 2 decades of married life.

Work-wise we are in for some pretty big changes here at HBM Hospital.  And our beloved Emmanuel Hospital Association is also going to celebrate its golden Jubilee this year too.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's look back and count a few of the amazing blessings we have received.

At our HBM Hospital Christmas function I mentioned that we had at least 2018 reasons to be thankful to God in 2018.  I ended up sharing 18 blessings that were linked to the hospital, and won't repeat them here (but am happy to send them to anyone who is interested).

There are just so many, many reasons to be grateful for this past year (though it has been a pretty quiet one on ye olde blogge for various reasons).  Who can count all the blessings received?

So instead of a long list, here is a short one.  Just 7.  Not necessarily the most important ones.  Not ranked in order.  But 7 reasons for gratitude for the past year.

Reason to be Grateful No. 1: Family

What can we say?  Our immediate family is now apart for most of the year with Sheba and myself mainly here in Lalitpur at HBM hospital - and Asha and Enoch at Wynberg in Mussoorie.   It has been *really* hard to be apart - but we are grateful for the times that we were together.

Ever since we were not given permission by the govt. authorities to bring Yohan with us to Lalitpur, he has been well cared for at an amazing set of folks just outside Mumbai.  But this November we were all together for the first time since April 2016...

Life has a lot of rough-edges and as a family we are far from perfect.  Many things seem messy, and we wish much was different.  But how grateful we are for each other.  And how amazing to see the trajectories the kids are taking. 

At present we have the present Sheba and I have the joy of having Asha and Enoch here for 2.5 months as they prepare for their external exams in Feb and March.  We are aware of just how precious these days are which seem to be just spinning away from us... 

It was an amazing Christmas to celebrate with some of our extended family like the 3 wise women (Sis. Leela, Sis Deena and Sis Mary Lima) who visited us for a dinner and afterwards a bonfire in the cold winter night.

Christmas day itself offered the remarkable experience of us going as a family to a distant village near the Madhya Pradesh border to celebrate with village followers of Christ.  The ride through the early morning sun, past bright green fields to that distant place remains in my mind.  The day was spent with many dances and soulful singing.  So glad that our family is able to assimilate in experiences far outside our norms.  Can you find Sheba in the picture below? 

To be living out our life as a family - even with the long periods that we are away for each other is such a blessing.  Very, very grateful for God's goodness.


Reason to be Grateful No. 2:  All's well back in Thane

All's well?  Well, maybe not everything of course.... 

But in November we made our first visit back to Mumbai as a family since we left in 2016.  What we did see is that our leaving Thane where we had worked for 14 years did not lead to the work among people with HIV shrivelling up and floating away.  The wonderful folks at Jeevan Sahara Kendra - lead by our dear bro Jolly Thomas - have continued to faithfully meet people living with HIV in their homes.  At the end of the year some 350 people affected by HIV and their family members got together in Thane to share about how God had been good to them over the year.  How different from the first group of about 20 folks who met at the end of 2002 in a small Thane slum-church...

More surprisingly for me, however, than the continued faithfulness of our colleagues at JSK (whom we knew was what I saw at the annual Family Camp that our cluster of house-fellowships in Mumbai hold over the Diwali holidays.

Besides the joy of meeting so many old friends (and making some new ones too!) one of the lovely things that I saw was just how *normal* it was to have people with HIV as part of the church.   I was taken aback to see just how many of the folks at the camp were themselves HIV positive, or were survivors of parents who had died of HIV, or had been care-givers for family members with AIDS.  And that these folks were so totally integrated into the weft and warp of the various fellowships that were part of the camp.  It is literally a dream come true - something so different from mid 2002 when we did not know of any church in Thane who had a known person with HIV as part of their fellowships.  Soli Deo gloria!


Reason for Grateful No. 3:  Travels
Well now, did this past year ever start with travels...   We rung in the new year 2018 in Berlin - attending an amazing Bach concert in the Berliner Dom and then braving the raucous fireworks that heralded in the new year near the Reichstag. 

Thanks to the generosity of many the 4 of us and our amazing 80 year old Oma were able to drive 2300+ kms around Germany in a big black VW Sharan, visit innumerable churches and historic sites, be spoiled silly by feast after feast, ponder at the horrors of the past (and the challenges of the present), get to know relatives that we had only heard of...

We returned back to India after our first international trip as a family deeply grateful (and hungry for more!)


Being in boarding school also has given us plenty of reasons to travel up and down between Lalitpur and Mussoorie - and we were able to squeeze in as many opportunities to see the young ones and Oma as possible.  It was a blessing to have to go to Dehra Dun / Mussoorie for 'work' and then be able to squeeze in a quick Shanti Kunj stop to see Oma or catch Asha performing in a play at Wynberg.  Grace and mercy has been given to us in dollops!

Besides our landmark trip back to Mumbai over the Diwali holidays, another special journey was a quick shot down to Chennai to spend some time with Appa a year after Amma was taken from us.  Travelling made it all possible - in this case a night train to Delhi and then a red-eye flight down to Chennai - squeezed in the middle of one of the most busy times of our lives...

Reason to be Grateful No. 4: Difficulties 
Ooh really?  Is it possibly to be thankful for times when we are glum, when things just don't seem to be going right?

Well, at the time it is very, very hard.  But it has been done before!  The good Book has many examples of folks who have stuck it out, and then said they are grateful for the challenges they faced.

This past year has been a hard one for us.  We've been pretty disappointed with a number of decisions made that have directly affected us and the work that we are doing here.  The thought of moving on has been more than just an idle notion.  We have prayed much and are still working through some of the issues to do with the running of our beloved HBM Hospital.

But one thing is certain.  Tough times have brought us closer to the Lord.  We asked for an exit-ticket, but did not get one.  Instead we heard Him say "dwell in the land!" (Ps. 37.4)

So (somewhat grudgingly) I want to be grateful for difficulties.  My own limitations are starkly shown, the bitter taste of defeat is not pleasant,  the niggling doubts and fogs of depression are no picnic, but through it all we can see the outlines of hope, the mercy of a good Father who walks along with us, holding our hands, speaking comfort and help along the path.


Reason to be Grateful No. 5: "Angels" 
I have yet to see one with wings, but this past year has brought us our fair share of non-aviatory angels. 

We have been so blessed by so many who have come alongside us and helped out in various ways.  Some have paid a visit and listened and prayed.  Others have give us their services.  Still others have sent financial help for the HBM Hospital.  Some have called up or written.  Many have prayed.

Angels such as Dr. Rajiv Choudhurie who did surgical camps with us this year.  Angels like Dr. Jesudoss who came to help with the anaesthesia at 3 of these camps. 

Angels like Jonathan Forte who gave and gave of himself to us and to so many around us during his time of service here at HBM Hospital.  And whose Dad Jerry Forte spent an amazing fortnight with us. 

Angels such as Dr. Frikkie Kellerman whose wise counsel and fresh love for Jesus touches the heart.  Drs. Manoj and Manju Jacob who flew up to spend time in prayer with Sheba and myself.    Those who met us in various fora and let us know that they were standing by through some of the challenges we have faced during the year. 

And so many others.  We use the term angels, but we mean people who love.  In deed.  In reality.  When things seem to be falling apart.  When our own inadequacies are painfully obvious.  Who come and give grace.  Alongsiders.


Reason to be Grateful No. 6:  Revelation 
In an age when everything is shifty, shady.  When 'fake news' is the flavour of the day and our global leaders seem to plunge to new depths of silliness and quackery, what deeper and greater hope do we have than knowing a God who reveals Himself through His word?

Over and over this year we have seen truth lived out both in the big picture and in the intimacy of our lives as the Word and the world come together.

As mentioned before, one of the deepest revelations we had this year was God speaking to us to 'dwell in the land.'  We had been asking for guidance about whether to give a commitment to serve here in Lalitpur long-term, or to move on to the next portion of our lives.  And there it was - when the dear lady read out the portion to us - it was as if a small clear silver bell had rung.  We knew that this was an answer to the knotty question we had.

Revelation doesn't necessarily mean that things are easier.  We have continued to walk down (and up) some stony paths, but knowing the direction you are going and knowing that it is worth it makes a slog much more bearable.


Reason to be Grateful No. 7:  A fresh start
2019 is 5 days old... make that 6 since it is now 2.07 AM.

But I am so grateful for the opportunity to live.  To make choices.  To begin again. 

Everyday is a wonderful chance to once again chart something new.

As we have closed the book on 2018 - with all its joys and sorrows - we are grateful to be able to chart a new course in 2019.

I realise that I need to spend more time in quiet.  Listening.   And want to action on this.  To seek my Lord and know Him deeper.  To do what He wants in the way He does.

There are still many lists of 'things to do' pending, but I think that will always be the case.  Life is short.  Eternity is forever.   I am very grateful for Sheba's patience with me and for the joy of living our life together.

Onwards!