Standing on The Rock:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer,my God is my Rock Psalm 18;2
Yes , with a light luggage, and much lighter hearts we shifted to Vijayawada in the month of April , 1984. It was because, the promise of God strengthen me to go further.The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer,my God is my Rock Psalm 18;2
Jesus told us," The one who listen to My word and do accordingly would be like the one who built his house on the rock, there was storm and wind, but the house was standing still because its foundation was on the Rock'. Matthew 7:24 Yes I want to do any thing basing on His word, this is safe for me, and it would give me security, It is the anchor of my life.
We lived in the railway quarters of Satyanarayanapuram . The life was very cozy, very comfortable ever since my marriage in 1979 I used to wake up at 4 am after retiring to bed late in the night at about 11 or 12 O' clock, to prepare breakfast and lunch for my husband by 6 am in the morning. Because he used to travel by the passenger train to reach his office, D.E.N office in Vijayawada..
I used to make different types of food, for him , never compromised in cooking I did not like to see my husband to eat in cafeteria, so I used to prepare dal, fry, curry, omelet, and chutney too for lunch and give breakfast of idly, dosa, pan cakes, or some delicious things along with Horlicks to him. I took care of him so well , I treated him as a king.. I used to teach the church women, "When you treat your husband as a king he will turn up into a king, if you treat your husband as a pauper, he will turn up into a pauper." Proverbs 31 chapter was my life, my guidance, of family life as a good wife. I toiled day and night in the kitchen ,take care of children and many other responsibilities in his absence, even I learned to go to ration shop, buy kerosene standing in a Que. In my maternal home we used to have 'orderly' a police constable to do all this mundane things at home, I never was accustomed to cook or to shop for mutton or kerosene... and sugar..! but I took every thing as a challenge in life and learned to rise up to the occasion.
Adaptability is the main thing to have a good family life. so I used to iron his clothes, polish his shoes, clean his bicycle too . I had no restrictions for my love for him. I had great regard for him. He is just an ordinary man, but I determined to love him when I married him. Determination is all that needed for love.
So our life when shifted to Vijayawada was easier one comparing to Eluru life. I need not be hasty to cook , as he used to come home for lunch, so I had all the time in the world. I was afraid about money matters, but God blessed us so much, we could buy a scooter for him, and also a small place in Manglagiri, and I started to take Sunday school in my little hall to the kids of that area and very active in church work among young girls and women meetings.
A godly couple were great help to me. Especially their daughter became my sweetest girl to give company to me, soon after her school hours. Later she chose the college studies where I work in Eluru, and did her Bsc degree and later finished her PG in AU and came as a lecturer in our college and again chose to stay with me in my home to help me with the little children. such was her love and commitment to our family.
Our bond had no knew no bounds or words to explain. One day one prayerful person told me that she was afraid for me for I was going to their house now and then with my little children through a short cut way. She told me that every body was saying that there was an evil spirit on the way, and asked me to come to their home the other way round. I was surprised, and did not believe that.
So I went home again in the same short cut rout and knelt down and prayed..." Lord what is this, how can people are afraid of such things? I am not afraid . never in life , your name is the greatest name " Thus I praised God and opened the Bible, do you know what was there in the BOOK?
It opened exactly at Isaiah 8:11 to 14 --" This is what the Lord says to me, with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. "Do not call conspiracy,everything these people call conspiracy( Evil eye) Do not fear what they fear and do not dread it. The Almighty is the One you are to regard as Holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread"
That settled everything, When We cling to His word, He is there to help us in all times. The problem with most of us is we do not ask God or read His word to find what His word is telling us.Instead people spend time in inquiring every one and take the opinion of others, in decisions of life. Even in such trivial situations too.
Once I was feeding my little boy, mothers milk was too much, and I found great curds of milk stocked in my breasts and it gave me so much pain and fever. However I tried to get rid of the pain and fever I was not healed due to too much of mother's milk.One godly elderly woman and her sister came to see me,she took me aside and told me like this "amma, my sister was born in a different way, all babies born first by coming through their head and later their legs and feet. But she was born as her legs and feet came first through the womb of her mother and later her head. ( They call such babies in Telugu as YEDHURU KAALLA BABY and in English Breach baby and many feel that baby is a great Omen) so if she touch your breast with her feet you will be relieved by those curds of milk and fever too"
I was bewildered by her advice, in fact the pain and fever was too much to bear. I said let me pray about this. and I went into my room and knelt down prayed and I remembered, this verse"Romans 14:23 "For all that is not of faith is sin" I kept my hand on my heart, and I asked myself, 'is it of faith? NO , its not'. So I rejected her idea, but waited upon the Lord for His mercy to bear this and to be healed of it. God was my refuge.
However, when life suddenly questions us, good advice of godly people, friends, and relatives impose on us, and tests us, When we cling to His word , we will stand as a rock..!His word is a Rock and on it we stand still as a Rock.
My daughter completed her three years in this place, I used to gather many children in my home to give the word of God. Hema was the main helper to me. Yesumani, her sisters were also great help to me. Later Yesumani played a wonderful role in fulfilling God's promise in my life. Recently my son went to Chennai there Yesumani met my son and was thrilled to see him and took the mobile number of mine and called me and talked to me long time about those good old days. God blessed her and parents big family in wonderful way The evangelists loved this poorest family who were literally stinking in poverty. we used to visit their houses, and encourage them to come to the Lord, now each of them are in great life, serving God and having good families.
Those were the good old days, where the gospel was given to the poor. Gal 2:4; Matt 11:5
In Vijayawada I spent my days very happily, while playing with my children, singing songs for them, dancing with them.. I invented a special song for each of my children.. we were such a happy family, though I did not have salary that year. Chinni bujji thallulu aachi buuchuluu, chinni bujji kannalu aach buchulu..aachi buchulu aachibuchulu. This so was for my daughter. Chinni chinni baabulu, bangaaru babulu chinnari baabulu yethukona baabulu lallalallall was for my son, the house was with my favorite songs, and dances along with the children. God proved Himself, that happiness and joy and peace of the family do not depend on money, but on His word.
In the month of November 1984 I saw an advertisement unexpectedly in Indian express English News paper, the advertisement was about Field supervisor in Maris Stella college, Social work department Vijayawada .
I told my husband about this, and I went to meet the Sister Subramanyam, principal of the college, She was very much impressed with me, and told me I can come and join the faculty immediately. But I told her as my name was on roll of the staff register still in St. Theresa college Eluru, and that I was seeking for a job in Vijayawada. She appreciated my frankness and asked me to come to college and take classes, on voluntary basis. She entrusted three or four Moral science classes beside field supervisor post. I was working voluntarily without any salary, College bus used to pick me up at my residence so life was more cozier than in Eluru.
But the time has come to choose the college where I should choose to work. The question was whether to to choose Vijayawada or go back to Eluru. God told me to come here for one year. Now the Lecturer/ /Field supervisor post was opened for me in this place. Sister Subramanyam created the Lecturer post for me asking a particular lecturer to resign the post as she was not much pleased with her. Therefore the post was clear vacant one.When God intended to give training to us to do His will, He brings many situations, to choose , many tests to face in our lives. He opens Heavenly Manna and tells us not to gather on Sabbath. It look like we have a blessing on one side and choosing on the other side.
Now the vacancy post for lecturer in Maris Stella college in Vijayawada was very clear. Because the lady who was working in that college was terminate from her post. Sister Subramanyam was very frustrated by her performance and created a clear vacancy and she requested me to come and join in Maris Stella. Look, I have a post and I can join in it. The management from Eluru also insisting me to come and join in my own post immediately, and they asked me to inform them whether I would come or not by the end of this academic year. Both principals want me to come to a decision immediately and inform them. The Lecturer post in undergraduate level in Social Work was/is available in only three college to this day, since 1976, i.e., only in three colleges. 1.Maris Stella College in Vijayawada. 2. St Theresa's College Eluru, and 3. D.N.R collage Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradhesh.After many years Vishaka Women's college Vizag created Social work department due to the pressure of the Social work department in Andhra University. The first two were catholic Colleges and as this subject is of moral values and service oriented to the Society. these colleges chose this subject to teach to the undergraduates. The management of D.N.R. College is interested in it as they were once upon belong to the royal dynasty and cared for the welfare of the people. No other college thought of taking this as one of optional subjects in undergraduate level in coastal area.
Its mere grace of God that I was sought to work in both places where I reside. Did I ever thought I would gain jobs in both colleges? If I did not see that small advertisement in Indian Express about the post of Field Supervisor in Maris Stella college that day, I would not had applied and entered into Maris Stella. God had given me a chance to opt for working in Vijayawada too. It was His doing, not human interference. Now I need to choose one. This or that.First of all the HQ wanted me to resign my job,in Eluru means, they wanted us to stay in Vijayawada . Any way they come to know that I already got a chance to work in this place too. They wanted me not to work in Eluru but in Vijayawada surely. Now I need to choose where to work. After tasting the leisure for one whole academic year and enjoying home I wondered whether I should work at all or not. Meanwhile I had a hint from the local evangelists that I need not to work at all. Therefore I decided to take everything to my Lord and seek His advice. Is He not the Great Counselor? Why I ever should be confused at all ? I see only a small part of whole big colorful design of the Big Picture of God, My Designer of my life.
Therefore I wanted to get the Super Advice from my Lord.. I set apart some days for fasting and praying. That was January 1st, 1985 whole day I was on meager food and drink and nights no food except some coffee, I set those nights for prayer and to seek His will.
I wrote 4 questions on the back page of my Bible.
I sat in His presence.. wrote the questions after my supplications and prayers. The gist of prayer was written in 4 questions.
1) Lord, Should I work or not? Is it YOUR will to continue to work?
2) Lord If you want me to work, where should I work? In Vijayawada? Or Eluru? In Maris Stella? Or St. Theresa's college?
3) Lord, If you want me not to work , can I sustain the same faith as of now? in spite of any financial problems I may have to face?
4) Lord , If you want me to work, Please provide me a HELP to carry on the work with my little children.
St.Paul said,"I will pray in Spirit and I will pray in my understanding."--1 Corinthians 14:13In what sense he said, I do not know, but I often experience, I pray something, which I never thought to pray or do not know how to pray or what to pray, I pray and write in such a way beyond my own understanding . Even sometimes I found my own writings in my books, or answers I give in the times of great confused incidents were beyond my knowledge or wisdom or understanding. They come from above, and those were precise and accurate and transparent and to the point.
Only the Spirit of God help me many times what to pray. The Holy Spirit prays, Romans 8:26 The Holy Spirit intercedes with sighs,the Spirit helps using our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Therefore the the Four questions I wrote on the back page of my Bible and started to pray, seeking His guidance.I started to pray one question after the other, all questions one by one were answered from above.
Did you see the hand of God? How come a clear vacancy was created for me in Maris Stella in that year? How come Sister Principal of that College and also Sr. Vincenza the Principal in charge of St. Theresa's college, both would ask me to give answer whether I will come and join the post?? Do you think its just coincidence? Do you think these things happen in our lives just accidentally? No No, God has a design and a plan for me, for you, only take time to know about it at His feet.
God answered me the second question, also gave me call for His ministry and a guidance to buy a house to live and place for His worship and the future plan for my life in ONE CHAPTER of the Holy Book.
Standing on Rock of Ages
Safe from all the storm that ragesRich from not Satan;s wages
I am standing on the solid Rock
For 3rd Chapter CLICK HERE
