Blessed Monday-Thankful for small things....

Dear Dad,

Sometimes I take life and all the blessings for granted but today I want to take some time out and think parallel what's there in life to be thankful for. So we will start from the beginning of the day. Weather is playing tricks it have began to be cold in the mornings and the evenings and mildly pleasant with sunlight all the day, winters just reminds me of soup and hot drinks. Thank God for the seasons, I would have not enjoyed the variety of foods and clothing. It would have become monotonous if seasons were not there? Ever thought that way? So I am thankful for the day and night and different seasons and especially for the weather I enjoyed today.

I want to thank God for toothpaste the first need to freshen up, otherwise your mouth will stink ;-) Then for hot water. Nothing beats hot water bath and then for soap and shampoo for their color’s smell and ingredients which keeps my hair and skin healthy. Thanks God for all this small things that you provide for my hygiene.

Then I am very thankful for clothes that keep me warm in this chilly winter. Also allows me to flash colorful jackets and cool cap to wear. And thank You Daddy as I am an Indian and we Indians love colors. I enjoy being colorful, monochrome is not just boring but dull as well. Then I am thankful for nice home which protects me, which gives me small place where I can lie down peacefully and do my household chorus, eat food, meet people. Not just four walls but a lively place to live with lovely mom and brother.

I am thankful for my mom and brother who are always there to love me. Hug me, cuddle me and that makes my heart just so warm and no matter what I go through they are always just standing beside me. Sharing all the pains and all the joys. We have all things common and equally we share all things. Its indeed a blessing to have a loving family who is determined to serve You. Thank You Dadda for such a sweet, sharing, caring and most importantly loving family. We are determined to love You and serve You.

I am thankful for the small plants in my small home and thank you for stray cute kittens making voices all the times. For the stray dogs who comes every now and then just to say hello and grab some food. I am thankful for this little favor we get from this animals at least they don't fight you, shout at you or judge you, look down at you. Hahah... funny it is.

I am thankful for the work and my Ubuntu system at work, which just helps me work better. I am thankful for the excel sheets where I can put formulas and have fun with cells. I am thankful for the internet by which we are connected to the world and the ocean of knowledge and fun just a click away. I am thankful for my phone which I got as a gift (sometimes I forget and I think I am owner of it, sometimes I am too afraid to call anything “my” or “its mine”). Mobile which helps me to connect with bunch of my crazy friends who like share crazy things with me. We all do something crazy and we respect craziness and mostly celebrate this craziness and boast of the bonding over it.

I am thankful for the hot cup of coffee my office provides. The drink is not mere a drink but its a dangerous intoxicant yet does have lot of positive things. I like the aroma of this coffee and it keeps me from sleeping in office ;-) Also gives me a boost to stay alive and work. But mostly I am ignorant of this small things for this drink and all but then I am taking time out today to be thankful. Whether I realize or not, this small things make my day. So I am thankful for all this small things.

I am thankful for the songs that I can hear through internet because I believe music have its own magic which makes me forget all the blues of the world and stress of anything. It just takes me to a different world and the soothing music and soothing voices of the singers makes me think what a talent God you have given to all the singers. And different music instruments which makes total symphony, I cannot imagine how a conductor(master or chief musician) just by movements of his hands every group of musicians makes a different mood and a different symphony. I cannot fathom this earthly music what will happen when reach the place where angels worship You day and night.

I am thankful for the phone call from an old friend staying far away in Kerala whom I never met face to face but know only through help of phone. What a sweet music to ears to hear  voice of a good old friend. Sometimes its all that you want to do. Daddy, I am thankful for it is You who gives us good friends and the love and the strong bond of friendship.

As I always says there so many things I can just go on and on which makes me thankful and make me feel how rich I am. It humbles me and reminds me that every good gift comes from You. I am blessed and thankful for all things I have missed to take note of.

Thanking You,

Your loving son,

Shushant

Thankful Thursday: Simplicity

Sometimes I have simply prayed for a simple life. So that I can simply live my simple life. Where I am content and happy every moment where sacrifice is not very painful, so that life is not a drudgery even for a short while. So that I am mentally, physically and spiritually resting in God. By resting I mean no anxiety, no worries, no hurry, no tensions and no hustle and bustle.

Sometimes finding peace in city like gurgaon becomes very hard. We city people think of vacation for peace of mind for change. We don't enjoy the daily rush to office, daily overburdened tasks at office, long queues of cars and stuck in traffic, horrible power cuts, water drainage issue, rent issue, shifting issue, small fights over everything and gurgaon life gives so much of everything that you lose your peace very easily. But I remember that God says no matter what I will give you peace and rest just come to Me all you heavy and burdened. Sometimes we might ask God can you do a miracle and send me out of this town or most of impatient people like me sometimes do a weird request like God I know You and I am in safe zone can I come Home now (thinking like an immature kid).

But God I know that You have plans for me, and thats the reason I am in gurgaon and there should be no other good reason to be here. I know You brought me Here for purpose and unless its accomplished I will be here, whether I understand it or not, whether I like or not. I have called Him my Lord and my Master, I must obey. But God in midst of all this, I just thank You for all good things You have added in my life. For answering my prayer of a simple life. What a joy it is to be simple, teach me God not to be greedy and to be content with what I have.

Thank You God for 9:30 to 6:30 job, job where I enjoy working and look to work for You alone. God thank You for Your body, the local church who is more like a family to me, for my Mom and Rohan, then for my best friends and colleagues who are my extended family. Thank You God for Holy Spirit who is always with me, inspiring me, encouraging me, praying and interceding for me, loving me and being there for me. Thank You God for the cycle to travel, Oh! What a joy it is to ride it( only sports activity for me). Thank You for my boss and my office. Thank You for the governance who is taking care of the city. Thank You for all civil services people, thank You for the cobblers, for milkmen, for Hair cutters, for mall workers, for ice-cream sellers, for gardeners, for shopkeepers. For every single people on the street helping us to live a luxurious life. Thanks for helping us through all of them. May God bless all the people here, and strengthen us so that we can preach the good news to them and show them the love of Christ which we received freely for spreading it freely.

Thanks for making us simple and blessing us with simple life, but do I want to settle here, no I am not citizen of this place, my Hope and my eyes are set on You and for eternity. You my Rock, my salvation, my Redeemer, my lover for You alone I am alive and in You I find meaning of my life. May I always abide in You and in You alone and bear fruits for You.