A Reminder of God's goodness.

Sometimes, when we complete a simple task at work or a mundane chore at home or cross-off a to-do item for an errand, we begin to wonder if God could ever be involved in such an insignificant work that we just got done, and if it even required God's strength or enablement at all. But if we pause, and look around, we will realize that there were a host of different internal and external factors working together in the right measure and in the right order, that was conducive to accomplishing the task (however insignificant it might seem on the outside).

It’s human nature to disregard these minute details, and take them all for granted. If you’d ponder more, and then list down those factors that were but a direct result of God's goodness towards us, we would be surprised how blind we’ve been to God’s goodness.

I came up with the following short list to help me get deeper into the awareness of God’s goodness over my life, when I completed a task that’s not even worth mentioning!
- I had the desire to complete the task
- I was healthy to be able to do the work at hand
- I had the sane and right mind to be able to know what to do and how to do it
- I had all my physical body parts working well and in sync with the brain, that aided me to do the actual work
- I had the right circumstances and other external factors, that helped me stay focused and undistracted
- I was breathing and I was alive!
and the list would continue if we looked more closely into the situation...
Then it occurred to me, that if not for God, I couldn't even be alive, let alone accomplish a task!

It doesn't take even a split-second, for God to withhold His goodness, and I could be as useless as anything inanimate. A healthy dose of gratitude towards God, is required to keep us focused on God's goodness and to keep the negativity and a sour attitude at bay. Every morning is a wonderful opportunity to take time to cognize all the wonderful gifts we are bestowed with (which we often take for granted) and to thank God for them. Not many had the privilege to see "today". And there are many who consider it a far-fetched dream to live a life that you now live. It's all a matter of God's goodness and His mercy, that we are here in the now, alive and well. We have all that we need, to live a life that God wants us to live. Let's thank Him for enabling us every single day for the tasks up ahead of us. God is not just in the mighty things He does through us, He is also in the every-day stuff we do, for He controls the minute details of our lives!

Whenever you think something could've been a mere coincidence, remember that you might be overlooking a miracle!

We are a people who believe in Grace and not luck! ☺

Don Moen’s song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8BEOHy9qBo

Where would I be
If You had not been by my side
How could I rise to meet
The morning of the day
Your tender mercy
Always calling from behind
At times I could not see You
Even though You were close by

Lord You are good, You are Good
And Your mercy forever endures

Help me to see Your loving kindness
Help me to see You as You are

As You really really are

And Your mercy forever endures

If life is a trekking..

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.

I had an interesting conversation with one of my friends, who identifies himself as an atheist. We usually chat about the philosophies of life and shared our views on the “purpose“ of life, about the morals that govern what's good and what's evil, and the million dollar question that's been intriguing humanity all through history - "Does God exist?". He introduced to me, a new school of thought called "existentialism that he had found to be very persuasive and reasonable. The essence of existentialism is that there is no inherent purpose for our lives; we create our own by exploring our passion. The sense of "fulfillment" is when you pursue and excel in your passion and start making valuable contributions to your field of expertise, making the world a better place, and leaving behind a legacy for others. When it was my turn to express what I believed, I told him how I found no meaning/satisfaction in what this world could offer, and that I found fulfillment in aPerson, and he quickly figured out that it was Jesus I was talking about. I told him that life didn't make sense to me a lot of times, and I saw a lot of evil in the world, and if I try to define my own purpose and try to pursue it, I'd mess up big time as I have no idea of how life works, as I am confined by the physical parameters of the natural world, and I have no foreknowledge of what can unfold in the future. Given these factors, and given the truth of my belief in the existence of Highest Wisdom called God, I'd prefer walking this journey with a Guide with unlimited wisdom, who defined the physical constraints of time, matter and energy, who knows the beginning from the end, who also lovingly offers to help me navigate this world. He wasn't very convinced of this belief system as it's not based on anything tangible. It all sounded like a fantasy and for a rational person like him, it's silly to believe in anything that lacked solid proof.

The conversation continued, and he narrated his experience on a solo trip he'd just been to, and how he loved the freedom of having to make his own decisions with no external influence or need to compromise. We discussed how life was, in a sense, like trekking - finding your purpose is like finding your mountain and the fulfillment is when you get to the mountain top. I asked, "What if you chose your own mountain, and once you make it to the top, feel empty on the inside and regret that you climbed the wrong one?" and added, "That's one of the reasons why I think having a Guide is so vital for me, for He knows all that could be known. I don't have to fret about choosing the right mountain, I only need to yield to His loving instructions, for His plans are greater than mine". My friend responded that making mistakes was okay, for you can always try again, a mountain at a time. He felt that it was okay to keep experimenting, but I stated that life was too short for such experimentation, and there's always a possibility that we could end up "unfulfilled" when we hit the finish line. To him, having to abide by the Guide's plans, and having to obey His instructions meant sacrificing his cherished "freedom". He then asked me, "What if the Guide made you to climb the mountain that he wanted to, and not the one that's necessarily the right one for you?". And I did not answer that one. I knew things about my Guide that He didn't and I couldn't find the right words for a satisfactory explanation. I knew that my Guide - the One who gave His life to save me from this dark world of sin and evil - always had the best in store for me, for am not just someone that's going on a trek with Him, am also His beloved child. I thought to myself, if only he knew my Guide and experienced His love, he'd know why I trust Him with my life, as He is not just a Guide, He is also my Father and also my Savior. As I pondered upon this, he kept the conversation alive by suggesting that I take a trek myself so I could know the beauty of traveling to unknown places. He said, "There are organized groups that travel together for fun, and there are "Guides" too. They help setup tents, show you the path, warn you of leeches. So it's safe, adventurous and really beautiful.". Hearing those statements, I knew that he knew what a Guide's role was, more than I did. And I said, "That's true. And that's why I trust my Guide, to help me wade through life.". I believe that he got the answer for why I trusted my Guide for he himself gave the best possible explanation for who a Guide really is.

So, to re-iterate on what Jesus, our Guide, does for us:
1. Setup tents - Divine Providence for this "temporary" life
Philippians 4:19 

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2. Show us the path - Guidance and Correction

Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

3. Warn us of leeches - Safety and Protection (Psalm 91)
Psalm 91:10-12

10: No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11: For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12: In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Let's remember that we're not going through life alone. We have a Guide, who is also our Father, our Provider, our Comforter, our Coach, our Healer, our Savior, our King, and our very best Friend. He promises to take us to beautiful places, to keep us safe, if only we trust Him. It doesn’t matter if we didn’t know where we’re heading in life; for it’s part of the thrill in this adventure called life.

One of my favourite songs from Tobymac, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFPq9p559II

Call it a reason to retreat
I got some dreams that are bigger than me
I might be outmatched outsized the underdog in the fight of my life
Is it so crazy to believe

That you gave me the stars put them out of my reach
Call me to waters a little to deep
Oh I've never been so aware of my need
You keep on making me see

It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me
Yeah it's out of my league
It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me 

It's way beyond

Anything that I got the strength to do
In over my head keeps me countin' on you
I'm leaving the sweet spot sure shot tradin' it all for the plans you got
Is it so crazy to believe

That you gave me the stars put them out of my reach
Call me to waters a little to deep
Oh I've never been so aware of my need
You keep on making me see

It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me
Yeah it's out of my league
It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me

You take me to the place where I know I need You
Straight to the depths that I can't handle on my own
And Lord I know, I know I need You
So take me to Your great
Take me to Your great unknown

It's way beyond me, way way beyond me
It's it's way beyond me, way way way beyond me