Fragility of life

About 3 years ago, I attended a marriage in New York. It was one of the finest ceremonies I have seen where these two people in their youth came together with a lot of aspirations and dreams. With tears of joy they both read their wows to each other, frequently looking deep into each others eyes. Their parents and siblings stood next to them with pride, joy and mixed emotions.

After the ceremony, after lot of hugs and kisses among family members, we all traveled to a nearby hotel, one of the fine hotels in Long island for the dinner. There were a great number of people invited to attend this wonderful event of the most joyful day in this couple’s life. I watched them dancing, people wishing them all success and happiness, their parents standing there with tears of joy. The young man, Vice President of an IT division of a company in Manhattan, and the young lady, a lawyer in profession didn’t have much botherations or worries about the life ahead. All they had in mind was the upcoming honeymoon, life together in their own home and all the joy they are going to share in the intimacy of their relationship.

After 2 years of wonderful, joy-filled marriage, the wife was pregnant. The fact that she was carrying twins (boys) doubled their joy and excitement. Each doctor’s visit was so exciting for them, and on the first day they heard the heartbeat of their little ones in the womb, they almost exploded in limitless joy. Doctor gave them the heartbeat sound recorded in two different audio files, one of each boys. They sent the files to all their family members in email, sharing their excitement.

One day, the wife, 23 months pregnant felt an unusual discomfort in her tummy. Since her husband was on a business trip, she drove herself to the nearby hospital and they admitted her for checking. As the news came from the mouth of the doctor that she was having premature labor pains, she immediately called her husband who just landed in Florida for the next day conference. Without giving a second thought, he managed to get a return ticket to New York on the same day. To make things worse, her water broke and doctors suggested immediate abortion. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t even think about destroying their precious boys through abortion. Shattered, tired and confused, with the help of other family members they made a decision to continue the pregnancy, knowing fully well that there is a risk of infection for the mother since the water broke. She had to be on full bed rest, lying in an awkward position in all the discomfort, pain and emotional strain. She survived one week, thus reaching the magic 24 weeks pregnancy. Doctors started showing hope but they were still worried because the babies were still too tiny (less than a pound). The young couple counted each hour, day and night with all uncertainty, unpredictability, confusion and pain. The mother, in her pain made a comment, “these boys, in few hours taught me more than I have ever learned from my entire life”.

Well, they couldn’t go on like that for long. After couple more days, she had intense pain and the doctors had to perform an emergency cesarean. The tiny, fragile babies, weighing 1.7 and 1.4 pounds each were immediately moved into isolation. All the advanced technologies of medical science and expertise of world-class doctors were in place, to miraculously saving the two little lives. Prayers were requested and offered from many among the family and friends. Two days later, the condition of one of the boys was worsened; doctors gave a chance to the Dad and Mom to hold him in their hands during the last few hours of his life. Lying in his Dad’s hands he took his last breath.

I have no capability of writing the pain they went through because I have never been there. I don’t know how they survived. I don’t know what their spiritual condition is at this moment. I have no consolation to offer whatsoever. I am deeply saddened and confused. I am almost certain that no philosophies and bible verses work at this moment. The ability to have faith is shattered.

The second boy, weighing 1.4 pounds, already underwent a surgery and still fighting hard for his life. According to the doctors, he had brain damage in both the sides of his brain and 96% he is going to suffer from Cerebral palsy, a condition in which he require 24 hours human attention even after his survival.

The mother in the above story is my dear cousin. The little boy is still in hospital under the intense supervision of doctors and nurses. It is my desire and prayer that they get this child in good health. After reaching home from hospital, my cousin had infection at the surgery wound and had to be hospitalized again. Few days ago, I was told that she now fell from the stairs while walking down and broke her tailbone. I hesitate to give them a call, because I don't know what to tell them. There is no encouraging words coming from my mouth and now I am struggling with escapism.

The fragility and unpredictability of life is so real. This is what makes me to think about the temporal nature of life and our futile efforts in this planet. I don't know if I just throw up my hands into the air and give up all the efforts for being "success" in this world. What value such success has in the midst of unbearable pain? How ignorant I am when I give up the opportunities for love and compassion and constantly running to keep up with the clock? It wouldn't take more than a second to encounter the unpredictable in life. Are we prepared? Do we have a strong foundation on the Rock? Shouldn't we realize that, as long as life allows, we shouldn't forsake any opportunity to sharing the love of Christ with others?

Laying down the love of money, desire to be "successful", accumulating possessions, can we take moments of silence to think about the preciousness of the 'present moment' which God has given us? It is not the 'big' things what are important in life, rather it is the tiny things. A phone call to a hurting friend, a visit to the sick, a hug to the weary, a little time of childlike laughter with our kids, moments of silence in the busyness of our life are the things critical.

Jesus, through whom all things were created, having a friendly, compassionate talk probably for hours with an women at the well who was rejected by the society and considered immoral and outcast. This is a story which touches my heart. Who is talking to her? The promised Messiah, God of the universe, the God who created everything seen and unseen, even the star which is 26 trillion miles away from earth but still visible to our naked human eyes. Can we slow down just like He did? Can we stop measuring the time we spend for others, loving them and sharing the hurts and joy? Can we spot the tiny, little, but important things in life and ask God to use us to extend His love? That is my own prayer. His love reminds me of such in the midst of my ignorance.

The picture of God

The image imprinted into my brain about God wasn't very different from this picture where God keeps His finger at the "Smite button" ready to strike when we blow up. During the many years of human history, somehow we invented such a joyless, sadistic, controlling god and not many people even dare to question such a ridiculous theology. It is as if we keep forgetting the God who came down from the glory into the planet earth, offering us the way, the truth and the life by being a sacrifice on the cross. I am not talking about a God who compromises sin; but since He was a Holy and just God, he had to pour out His wrath on sin and He chose His own Son to do just that, there by providing forgiveness for the entire sins of the entire humanity through His one and only sacrifice. Deliberately or unknowingly forgetting this historic one time event, people still go back to Old Testament daring to point out a wrathful God and preach the sadistic sermons on God's wrath and hell. This is absurdity! It is not that God changed His standard 2000 years ago and ok'ed sins; but His punishment for sins were fulfilled (atoned) by the one sacrifice of Jesus.

How hard is it for us to picture a God who smiles, with full of joy and love waiting for us to run into His arms? No, He is not waiting for us; He is coming after us, not to punish us but to tell us about the punishment His son endured and offering us freedom and joy. Bible talks about a Jesus, 'who for the joy set before him endured the cross'. It was a joy for Him to redeem us, provide us a way to be renewed and to be regenerated into the true image of God which we lost in Adam. Such a joyful restoration of our true humanity has to be celebrated and proclaimed with overflowing joy instead of being debated, argued and ridiculed by wrongly dividing the Word of God.

I couldn't get rid of such an angry grandfather image of God by my own futile efforts, but He replaced it by giving me a brand new heart (which He offered us ages ago through His prophet - Ezekiel 36:26); opened my eyes to see His unending, unconditional love and awesome Grace. He is the cause and effect and guarantee of my salvation.

The angel who appeared to the shepherds, told them about the birth of Jesus, "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." (Luke 2) Jesus is the good news of great joy, He brings joy, He fills us with His own joy and gives us new hope to see God as He is... This is the truth what fires up our heart. The other picture, which the religion tries to portray is ridiculously false and depressing and thats is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible can be seen in Jesus - we may know Him and know His characteristics by reading the Gospel accounts - hangs out with hopeless people, tax collectors, prostitutes, outcasts, nonspiritual, messy... not to strike them, but to love them and embrace them dearly... and we may anchor our hope courageously upon this Jesus.

GoodSearch and GoodShop

I just received the following news letter from People to People Ministries, introducing GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com. Through these sites, as we do a web search or online shopping, there is money contributed to our selected ministry. It doesn't have to be People to People since any ministry (Non Profit) can be added to their database. Hey, if our favorite ministry gets a donation for just using that website for online search or shopping, why not use it?

News Letter:

What if you could help People to People every time you search the Internet or shop online? Well, now you can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to organizations its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates a percentage of each purchase to your favorite organization! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting People to People.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter People to People Ministries (Carrollton, TX) as the organization you want to support. You will only have to do this one time; after that, every time you use GoodSearch to search the internet or GoodShop to shop your favorite online merchants, People to People will receive a donation!

Please be sure to spread the word by sharing this email with friends and family! Thank you for using this new opportunity to raise funds to continue broadcasting the message of God's love and grace!

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