This was another time, that the bribe was asked of us in our college to give away to the concerned staff to get our arrears released. This time the whole college staff were against me, they were all angry , no body was talking to me, I was excommunicated, except by Ms Swarna Kamala Kumari, my friend and zoology HOD, and Suzan Psychology lecturer, but particularly three of the staff members, who had taken further step to see the end of my principle. They confronted with me.
One said , "How come you only have some principle ? Do you think I do not have any principle? I was against giving dowry in my marriage, but the one whom I married cheated me and took the dowry without my knowledge, when I came to know of it, I divorced him. So what do you think ? Don"t think that you are the only one with principles".
What message she wanted to convey to me I do not understand. But I kept my low profile, knowing how futile being I was in front of these stalwarts , and humbly told them I could not do this .
God spoke to me through Acts 18:9 "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent..."
The next day was the day the another principal was taken into task, she being a very God fearing sister, she by chance said to the staff , that "She is not giving (that is me)May be because there it is written in the Bible , not to give or take bribe " This statement enraged one lecturer to the core of her being, she started to shout loudly saying," Is it not written in our Puranas?,( Mythology) that we should not give , only in the Bible? How can You say so? Its written even in our books, but are we not giving ?" Funny what message she wanted to give is not clear even in this.
I believe the Lord brought up lot of confusion among them and made them to speak which was so absurd and meaningless. There was another one who was a spinster was very angry , and decided that my papers of application to release the arrears should be kept aside and should not be taken along with others. For which I gave my consent, I said, "Well, if you do not club my papers with yours keep them aside, I will not ask you to work on my papers, as long as you expect the bribe from me" I told the concerned clerk who was adamantly trying to convince me to give the bribe.
That morning it was announced by the sister Principal Winifred that there would be a special meeting for the most senior lecturers in a particular room. They were 40 in number. This piece of information was given to me also by some one, who was closely following me in my fight of this bribe issue. She was a karalite Psychology lecturer, Suzan. These lecturers were the staff who had 20 years and above service in the college. so we those who fall below that service were not called for this special meeting.
I did not know for what purpose they were called, but in my soul I was not at rest, the spirit of the Lord was pushing me and telling me that I should take this opportunity to address this group of lecturers and tell them the "reason of my hope"--why I would not and could not give the bribe. the promise Acts 18:9,which I got the previous night was compelling me to go forward "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent. for I am with you and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city"
This verse was in front of my eyes, I had a habit of writing the verse whatever He speaks to me on a bit a paper and keep it with me, and look into it again and again till I fulfilled it or He fulfilled it.
So this verse was in my fist, small slip of paper and I requested the senior most lecturer among them that I need to address them for 5 minutes before they disperse from the room, after their meeting with Sr. Principal: and I sought for permission.
She went into the room and told them that" Leela wants to talk to us for 5 minutes. By that time, I was at the door, and she asked me to come in. The haughty looks of some of the lecturers was piercing my whole body. But I was in front of them started my talk which not at all prepared , but to talk spontaneously then and there ------------ "" I am not worthy to stand before you like this, I am here not to tell you that I am only the righteous and you are not. This act of giving bribe I just cannot do, because Jesus cleansed my sins with His blood, my dad took the bribes as police officer, but he has returned those bribes and set right his consciousness, my husband also took bribes before he was touched by Jesus, he too returned the bribe and set right his consciousness, I want to tell you just one thing, I am neither claiming sinless, and perfect, I am only seeking to live according to the word of God. I am the most sinful person ever lived,I lived like a pig, but Jesus cleansed me and forgave me. This act of giving of bribe , I just cannot do, I cannot do this knowing this is against the word of God. Please forgive me to behave like this and hurting you all, please try to understand me. I know You cannot take my papers along with your papers to get the arrears, even if I do not get arrears, does not matter, I am not going against my conscious. You can keep my papers of application to release the arrears aside and you can work with your own papers. " I ended this pep talk with tears in my eyes. I could not control some how, but I rushed out of the room before I really broke down before them.///////////////////////////////////////////////////
The next day I was called by my principal, and she told me,"Miss, please meet the clerk so and so , she will give some files to be taken at Tanuku (180km from the place we are) and to the concerned office RJD and submit those to the officer. The clerk will let you know the rest of the details with regard to this work" There was a sort of twinkle in her eyes, she is the most beloved principal we ever had had. I told her that I will do and oblige her. So immediately I went to the concerned clerk and told her what principal told me, she immediately gave me some files and told me that those are the applications of the staff members whose arrears are not yet released, and the RJD is asking some clarifications, so she corrected those parts, and now I need to go and give those personally.
I did not say a word to her, I took those files and came home and told my husband, about the work we need to do. He immediately realized that I was hooked here, to go and see the concerned people who demand the bribe. He said, let us fast and pray to day Leela. I obliged him, that was Friday , he and me fasted that night and prayed about our visit to Tanuku. What exactly we prayed I do not remember but I was a little evasive about this task, intentionally vague and ambiguous, I just wanted to do this work only with the help of God.
The next day we both took a bus and went to the RJD office. The clerk in our college told me a few weeks ago that the concerned clerk was very hard man and a strong briber, and would not do any work unless we give money. So we now were going to meet the same person.
We went there by 10 am and waited for the clerk till 11 30 am then he arrived, he asked us to come in, and asked for the purpose of our visit. We told him that the college principal gave us some files to handover to him. He took those files on table, and said, like this., taking and opening each file he had commentary on those. ' see this is Miss. R's file, ( the one who challenged me about principles) I told the concerned clerk to clarify this quote, why she would not do the work properly, sorry mam this Miss R will not get arrears, and Miss L ( another colleague) also some items here , I underline here, ask the clerk to get it clarified, Miss M, her papers are ok, Miss Leelavathi, her papers are ok... I checked all those papers thoroughly now tell your clerk to do the work in proper way.
And he had given those files back to me. I was staring at him and some how spoke, " then shall we take leave sir'? Yes mam you can go"
You cannot imagine our situation there, we just got to our feet and briskly walked out of the room and started to walk to the gate crossing the big campus... I was so sensitive, wondering I may here any voice back calling us again for some more clarifications, but , oh no calls, we reached the gate at last and almost jumped out of the gate, we did not talk to each other, till we reached the bus stand. When we reached there I sighed, and said, "Emandi, shall we have a cup of tea here in this shed ? " Usually he never prefer for a tea outside , but he said ok" and we were about to go into a small kachda hotel, then we saw the bus to Eluru was just arrived there, without another word we just got into the bus. and kept quiet till the bus started. How we reached Eluru and what we talked I do not remember , but it was like a dream Next day I straight away I went to the Principal chamber and told her that we went and brought the files back.
The first question she asked was, " Didn't he ask you anything?" i was bit puzzled, I said, 'No , Sister , Nothing he asked?" i was so docile not understanding what she was asking for. I did not realized that it was coup set to trap me to give bribe by meeting the person to make me realize how difficult it it is to deal with the person.
she again asked me, " Nothing, Nothing he asked? No sister nothing he asked, he checked the files and he wrote his queries on the files, and asked me to give those to clerk V. . She was all in smiles, big sweet grin, happy she was, which I did not understand the reason of it. She said, ok ok go go and hand over those files to clerk V ..
I went to clerk V and told her,"sister principal asked me to give these to you, the Tanuku clerk wrote everything on those files, and you can call him for further information. I kept the files on her table. She and her co clerks were staring at me, I did not understand why they were looking like that, but I said, V, I have class now, so I will go" and left the office
later I got my arrears, Miss L also got her arrears, Miss M got , Miss L ( spinister)needed to get clarified some more quories, to get, Miss R ( principle of dowry)bluntly rejected her arrears, and she did not get her arrears then. She got only after two years.
Who is ruler of the world? Who reigns the lives of the people? Who is our Father in heaven who will not bring us to shame? When we honour Him , He will honour us.......
God is our Father, who is in Heaven, Such God we are serving and praying , how can He leave us in the wilderness. No never.
We were correcting the papers for the Annual exams, as ours is Autonomous Degree College associated with Andhra university we have the liberty to design our own Curriculum and Examination pattern , and valuation. I found a place where I would not be disturbed, also the climate as well outside and inside the hall was too hot to bear. The whole gang of the staff members were hostile towards me again. We got some pay commission pay scale, so again and I was supposed to give some money as bribe.
That morning while I was signing in the staff attendance register, one senior Lecturer, Miss M ( another one who did not marry because she oathed her life to the same idol as Miss L, we used to call her as Meerabai and L as Radha bhai.. though they worship the same idol there was fire in between them. They became enemies at certain time which we were not aware of the reasons.
So as usual when i saw her at the Register I just wished her as ' Good Morning Miss" She had a very shriek and loud voice, and still raising it further, she shouted and said,
" What Good morning, are you a btold me all other lecturers also signed already.
The next day I finished the valuation of the examination papers, and went to receive the remuneration at the Controller room, where the sr. M was giving money to the staff.
When I went there she asked me to sit in front of her , there was a table between her and me, and she said to me,
" Miss, You cannot get any remuneration this time"
I was literally shocked and said,"
" How come? I did my duty and finished my work. sister!?"
The staff insisted that your remuneration money should be given to them to use it as part of the bribe they have to give in AG office, Hyderabad "
I was fully shocked, but I spoke slowly and steadily, took a deep breath, and said;
"Sister How can you give my money? I have to sign on the receipt, is it not?"
"Sorry miss, to say like this, You remember that you already signed the receipt papers before, and Sr. Principal also told me to give your remuneration money to the staff."
I was taken aback , my whole being was trembling with agony and shock, I said,
" Sister.. I believe you just cannot give my remuneration to any one without my consent, You have given that bribe without my consent, I have no part in it."
The tears were rolling down on my cheeks..my voice was low and steady, I added my words, like this.
" Sister , you know that I resigned my job as Air hostess in Air India just because they asked me to put bottu( tikka) on my forehead, this ...this is not greater than that. I am so sad.."
I found myself shivering and tears were rolling down. I took leave from her and went into the hall where my friend Miss Swarnakamala was correcting her Zoology answer sheets. I went to her, and she asked me whether I got my remuneration. I said ,eggar? Tell me if you are a beggar all of us share the money you owe to us to spend in Hyderabad office. We will give our money for your work. Tell me Are you a beggar?"----
I was shocked, this is a very unexpected thing that happened, as she was looking at me straight away demanding the answer from m;, I had to answer her;
'No Mam, I am not a beggar, I do not ask you to pay for me even, please do not send my papers to AG office, I will take care of those papers myself."
And she was shouting very loudly in the corridor, all the non teaching staff were bewildered and looking at us perplexed.
My husband was waiting for me at the gate on some errand, so immediately I ran to him and told him what has had happened and how I was called by names.
He looked into my eyes and told me,
" Do not get angry , I will go home and pray."
I said,, 'no hubby I am not angry, I just want to tell u this.'
He told me later, straight away he went home knelt down and prayed for me.
And I went back to take some answer sheets from our Vice principal and Controller of Examinations
Sr. Marietta P.
She said,' Miss, if you want to sit in my room and correct the papers You can sit here"
I was shaken in my heart by the way I was shouted at, so her offer was a shield to me to protect me from others insults.
That was the last day , and some attender came to give me some papers to sign, I asked her what were those papers, she told me, " miss all lecturers signed these papers, I was searching for you, I did not know you are here, "
I signed the papers as those were the receipts of the amount of money we would receive after we finished the valuation.She "No", seeing my condition she made me to sit on a chair nearby her, and elicited the matter that happened in the Controller room, she said,
One said , "How come you only have some principle ? Do you think I do not have any principle? I was against giving dowry in my marriage, but the one whom I married cheated me and took the dowry without my knowledge, when I came to know of it, I divorced him. So what do you think ? Don"t think that you are the only one with principles".
What message she wanted to convey to me I do not understand. But I kept my low profile, knowing how futile being I was in front of these stalwarts , and humbly told them I could not do this .
God spoke to me through Acts 18:9 "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent..."
The next day was the day the another principal was taken into task, she being a very God fearing sister, she by chance said to the staff , that "She is not giving (that is me)May be because there it is written in the Bible , not to give or take bribe " This statement enraged one lecturer to the core of her being, she started to shout loudly saying," Is it not written in our Puranas?,( Mythology) that we should not give , only in the Bible? How can You say so? Its written even in our books, but are we not giving ?" Funny what message she wanted to give is not clear even in this.
I believe the Lord brought up lot of confusion among them and made them to speak which was so absurd and meaningless. There was another one who was a spinster was very angry , and decided that my papers of application to release the arrears should be kept aside and should not be taken along with others. For which I gave my consent, I said, "Well, if you do not club my papers with yours keep them aside, I will not ask you to work on my papers, as long as you expect the bribe from me" I told the concerned clerk who was adamantly trying to convince me to give the bribe.
That morning it was announced by the sister Principal Winifred that there would be a special meeting for the most senior lecturers in a particular room. They were 40 in number. This piece of information was given to me also by some one, who was closely following me in my fight of this bribe issue. She was a karalite Psychology lecturer, Suzan. These lecturers were the staff who had 20 years and above service in the college. so we those who fall below that service were not called for this special meeting.
I did not know for what purpose they were called, but in my soul I was not at rest, the spirit of the Lord was pushing me and telling me that I should take this opportunity to address this group of lecturers and tell them the "reason of my hope"--why I would not and could not give the bribe. the promise Acts 18:9,which I got the previous night was compelling me to go forward "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent. for I am with you and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city"
This verse was in front of my eyes, I had a habit of writing the verse whatever He speaks to me on a bit a paper and keep it with me, and look into it again and again till I fulfilled it or He fulfilled it.
So this verse was in my fist, small slip of paper and I requested the senior most lecturer among them that I need to address them for 5 minutes before they disperse from the room, after their meeting with Sr. Principal: and I sought for permission.
She went into the room and told them that" Leela wants to talk to us for 5 minutes. By that time, I was at the door, and she asked me to come in. The haughty looks of some of the lecturers was piercing my whole body. But I was in front of them started my talk which not at all prepared , but to talk spontaneously then and there ------------ "" I am not worthy to stand before you like this, I am here not to tell you that I am only the righteous and you are not. This act of giving bribe I just cannot do, because Jesus cleansed my sins with His blood, my dad took the bribes as police officer, but he has returned those bribes and set right his consciousness, my husband also took bribes before he was touched by Jesus, he too returned the bribe and set right his consciousness, I want to tell you just one thing, I am neither claiming sinless, and perfect, I am only seeking to live according to the word of God. I am the most sinful person ever lived,I lived like a pig, but Jesus cleansed me and forgave me. This act of giving of bribe , I just cannot do, I cannot do this knowing this is against the word of God. Please forgive me to behave like this and hurting you all, please try to understand me. I know You cannot take my papers along with your papers to get the arrears, even if I do not get arrears, does not matter, I am not going against my conscious. You can keep my papers of application to release the arrears aside and you can work with your own papers. " I ended this pep talk with tears in my eyes. I could not control some how, but I rushed out of the room before I really broke down before them.///////////////////////////////////////////////////
The next day I was called by my principal, and she told me,"Miss, please meet the clerk so and so , she will give some files to be taken at Tanuku (180km from the place we are) and to the concerned office RJD and submit those to the officer. The clerk will let you know the rest of the details with regard to this work" There was a sort of twinkle in her eyes, she is the most beloved principal we ever had had. I told her that I will do and oblige her. So immediately I went to the concerned clerk and told her what principal told me, she immediately gave me some files and told me that those are the applications of the staff members whose arrears are not yet released, and the RJD is asking some clarifications, so she corrected those parts, and now I need to go and give those personally.
I did not say a word to her, I took those files and came home and told my husband, about the work we need to do. He immediately realized that I was hooked here, to go and see the concerned people who demand the bribe. He said, let us fast and pray to day Leela. I obliged him, that was Friday , he and me fasted that night and prayed about our visit to Tanuku. What exactly we prayed I do not remember but I was a little evasive about this task, intentionally vague and ambiguous, I just wanted to do this work only with the help of God.
The next day we both took a bus and went to the RJD office. The clerk in our college told me a few weeks ago that the concerned clerk was very hard man and a strong briber, and would not do any work unless we give money. So we now were going to meet the same person.
We went there by 10 am and waited for the clerk till 11 30 am then he arrived, he asked us to come in, and asked for the purpose of our visit. We told him that the college principal gave us some files to handover to him. He took those files on table, and said, like this., taking and opening each file he had commentary on those. ' see this is Miss. R's file, ( the one who challenged me about principles) I told the concerned clerk to clarify this quote, why she would not do the work properly, sorry mam this Miss R will not get arrears, and Miss L ( another colleague) also some items here , I underline here, ask the clerk to get it clarified, Miss M, her papers are ok, Miss Leelavathi, her papers are ok... I checked all those papers thoroughly now tell your clerk to do the work in proper way.
And he had given those files back to me. I was staring at him and some how spoke, " then shall we take leave sir'? Yes mam you can go"
You cannot imagine our situation there, we just got to our feet and briskly walked out of the room and started to walk to the gate crossing the big campus... I was so sensitive, wondering I may here any voice back calling us again for some more clarifications, but , oh no calls, we reached the gate at last and almost jumped out of the gate, we did not talk to each other, till we reached the bus stand. When we reached there I sighed, and said, "Emandi, shall we have a cup of tea here in this shed ? " Usually he never prefer for a tea outside , but he said ok" and we were about to go into a small kachda hotel, then we saw the bus to Eluru was just arrived there, without another word we just got into the bus. and kept quiet till the bus started. How we reached Eluru and what we talked I do not remember , but it was like a dream Next day I straight away I went to the Principal chamber and told her that we went and brought the files back.
The first question she asked was, " Didn't he ask you anything?" i was bit puzzled, I said, 'No , Sister , Nothing he asked?" i was so docile not understanding what she was asking for. I did not realized that it was coup set to trap me to give bribe by meeting the person to make me realize how difficult it it is to deal with the person.
she again asked me, " Nothing, Nothing he asked? No sister nothing he asked, he checked the files and he wrote his queries on the files, and asked me to give those to clerk V. . She was all in smiles, big sweet grin, happy she was, which I did not understand the reason of it. She said, ok ok go go and hand over those files to clerk V ..
I went to clerk V and told her,"sister principal asked me to give these to you, the Tanuku clerk wrote everything on those files, and you can call him for further information. I kept the files on her table. She and her co clerks were staring at me, I did not understand why they were looking like that, but I said, V, I have class now, so I will go" and left the office
later I got my arrears, Miss L also got her arrears, Miss M got , Miss L ( spinister)needed to get clarified some more quories, to get, Miss R ( principle of dowry)bluntly rejected her arrears, and she did not get her arrears then. She got only after two years.
Who is ruler of the world? Who reigns the lives of the people? Who is our Father in heaven who will not bring us to shame? When we honour Him , He will honour us.......
God is our Father, who is in Heaven, Such God we are serving and praying , how can He leave us in the wilderness. No never.
We were correcting the papers for the Annual exams, as ours is Autonomous Degree College associated with Andhra university we have the liberty to design our own Curriculum and Examination pattern , and valuation. I found a place where I would not be disturbed, also the climate as well outside and inside the hall was too hot to bear. The whole gang of the staff members were hostile towards me again. We got some pay commission pay scale, so again and I was supposed to give some money as bribe.
That morning while I was signing in the staff attendance register, one senior Lecturer, Miss M ( another one who did not marry because she oathed her life to the same idol as Miss L, we used to call her as Meerabai and L as Radha bhai.. though they worship the same idol there was fire in between them. They became enemies at certain time which we were not aware of the reasons.
So as usual when i saw her at the Register I just wished her as ' Good Morning Miss" She had a very shriek and loud voice, and still raising it further, she shouted and said,
" What Good morning, are you a btold me all other lecturers also signed already.
The next day I finished the valuation of the examination papers, and went to receive the remuneration at the Controller room, where the sr. M was giving money to the staff.
When I went there she asked me to sit in front of her , there was a table between her and me, and she said to me,
" Miss, You cannot get any remuneration this time"
I was literally shocked and said,"
" How come? I did my duty and finished my work. sister!?"
The staff insisted that your remuneration money should be given to them to use it as part of the bribe they have to give in AG office, Hyderabad "
I was fully shocked, but I spoke slowly and steadily, took a deep breath, and said;
"Sister How can you give my money? I have to sign on the receipt, is it not?"
"Sorry miss, to say like this, You remember that you already signed the receipt papers before, and Sr. Principal also told me to give your remuneration money to the staff."
I was taken aback , my whole being was trembling with agony and shock, I said,
" Sister.. I believe you just cannot give my remuneration to any one without my consent, You have given that bribe without my consent, I have no part in it."
The tears were rolling down on my cheeks..my voice was low and steady, I added my words, like this.
" Sister , you know that I resigned my job as Air hostess in Air India just because they asked me to put bottu( tikka) on my forehead, this ...this is not greater than that. I am so sad.."
I found myself shivering and tears were rolling down. I took leave from her and went into the hall where my friend Miss Swarnakamala was correcting her Zoology answer sheets. I went to her, and she asked me whether I got my remuneration. I said ,eggar? Tell me if you are a beggar all of us share the money you owe to us to spend in Hyderabad office. We will give our money for your work. Tell me Are you a beggar?"----
I was shocked, this is a very unexpected thing that happened, as she was looking at me straight away demanding the answer from m;, I had to answer her;
'No Mam, I am not a beggar, I do not ask you to pay for me even, please do not send my papers to AG office, I will take care of those papers myself."
And she was shouting very loudly in the corridor, all the non teaching staff were bewildered and looking at us perplexed.
My husband was waiting for me at the gate on some errand, so immediately I ran to him and told him what has had happened and how I was called by names.
He looked into my eyes and told me,
" Do not get angry , I will go home and pray."
I said,, 'no hubby I am not angry, I just want to tell u this.'
He told me later, straight away he went home knelt down and prayed for me.
And I went back to take some answer sheets from our Vice principal and Controller of Examinations
Sr. Marietta P.
She said,' Miss, if you want to sit in my room and correct the papers You can sit here"
I was shaken in my heart by the way I was shouted at, so her offer was a shield to me to protect me from others insults.
That was the last day , and some attender came to give me some papers to sign, I asked her what were those papers, she told me, " miss all lecturers signed these papers, I was searching for you, I did not know you are here, "
I signed the papers as those were the receipts of the amount of money we would receive after we finished the valuation.She "No", seeing my condition she made me to sit on a chair nearby her, and elicited the matter that happened in the Controller room, she said,
" Leela you look devasted, please sit , and have this hot tea, and she poured out from her flask and gave it to me. I was so hot and shivering,.. and drinking the tea, at that moment an attender came and told me,
" Miss , Sister Principal asked you to meet her now"
I got up from the seat in the middle of my drinking the cup of tea, and went into the Principal room. There she was Sr. Winifred, with the remuneration receipts in her hand.
She said, Miss. The staff asked me to take your remuneration and give it to them to meet the expenses in the office work."
I said, now I am calm and quiet , I did not know what made me, like that but I was not trembling any more, my voice was steady and firm I told her,
' Sister , you have taken my remuneration without my consent, I have no part in this bribe."I found my voice was shivering while I was saying so.
She was looking at me and said,
" See Miss, the staff is saying that "Where is your consious, when you happend to come to college a bit late or go from the college a bit earlier than the college hours? What answer you will give them?"
( All the staff, including me were not taken into task by our kind principal when we go to college a bit late, that is , college is 9:30am but if we do not have the first period class, the register was available to sign till 10am. And so is in the evening, if we do not had class in the last period, we can go home a half an hour before the college closes.. esp mothers like me with little children were not taken into task)
So this point of breach was taken into blaming me by my friends, to find the flaw in me and point out at me and tell me that I am not a good in keeping perfect disposition.
Though I never expected this accusation on me, I could answer her,
" Yes sister, I am late to college and go from college a bit earlier. I accept it, but...... it is only a mistake, I can rectify it, but giving bribe is a crime. I cannot do it"
She as looking at me straight, ( even now when I think back about that answer I gave to my dear principal I am still amazed and for that beautiful answer,
----yes, when we were taken in front of the Authoritarians, " But when they deliver you up take no thought how and what shall you speak but it shall be given in that same hour what ye shall speak"Matt 10 19
God, only God had given those words to me then. Also I did something very strange which I never thought to do so, or contemplated to do so.
She was looking straight into my face, and I looked into her eyes and said,
" Sister hereafter I give a word to you that I will come to college on time and leave the college on time. If you want I will write it on paper and sign it and give it to you."
Saying thus immediately I took my journal which used to be all ways with me in my hand, opened it on a empty paper, and wrote like this, I put a Heading like this--
"FOR THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR 1990--1991"
I, M. Leela vathi give you in word, that I will be in college by 9:30 am and leave the college by 4:30 pm.
I signed my name
I tore the paper then and there and gave it to her.
Even now I did not know who made me to do so, why and how I did like that in an instant, it was not contemplated thing, or premeditated thing to do. In an instant I did it, and it was it.
I do not know why my sweet Godly sister Principal smiled at me, taking that piece of paper from me , but said,
' But Miss they would say, that you are money minded."
"They may say anything Sister, but you know what I am"
She took the money , my remuneration from the drawer and gave it to me.
I thanked her, and took the money and came out of her room; and walked fast to reach the staff room in the same corridor, there I saw Suzan the same sweet girl , and Psychology Lecturer sitting and doing some work, as soon as she saw me she asked me, What happened Miss?" I told her, she immediately got up and closed the doors, and told me to sit for awhile and take rest and you can go after some time.
While we both praised God and praying, Sister Principal peeped into the room through the slightly opened door and smilingly said, " Miss, sorry I disturbed, I gave you those receipt papers by mistake along with the money, can you take those and give in the office please.?"
I briskly stood up and said, Yes sister"
She went away telling me that.
suzan said, "Miss I will take those papers and give in the office, you go home now."
I wonder how beautifully God had arranged everything for me, why Suzan was there? I do not know.
I went home as usual children wait for me on the last day of my paper correction, because every year I take them to a hotel to eat.
It was the month of May, I started to pray, I knew that the next year, if I am late even one minute to college, I will not be forgiven , the whole staff will devour me, especially Miss R who was very particular about this issue will take me to task. I could not be at rest, So I started to pray about this issue. Every day I was praying the Lord, to give me strength to face the next year college timings. I was asking Him to give me proper help to face this situation. My husband was working in the AEN Railway office, it was the 12th year, of his shuttling from Eluru to Vijayawada every day of the these 12 years. Some times the passanger train he boarded in used to be stopped at the boarders of vijayawada , ie., SinghNagar, and wait hours together to get clearance from the Station Master. Though he was going from at 6am he was not able to go to office and sign in the register at 9:30 am, sometimes there used to be red mark at his signature place, and it means he has to apply leave and work, because he could not come home for that half day leave. We were praying the Lord to get a transfer for him to Eluru since three years by then. but my husband used to tell me that his Boss is a briber, and he would not look into any application or file unless he is given bribe. So what we can do? We used to pray and wait even though there is no scope for the transfer within near future, We trusted in Him who could do impossible things to be possible.
When I came home after the college last working day, I started to pour my heart at His feet. " Lord now you know the staff in the college would devour me if go to college one minute late. Because I had given a word to them through the Principal every one will have an eye on me. Especailly Miss R is very particular about this, and she challenged me many times, saying that she too had principles by giving divorce to her husband because he took dowry. What shall I do Lord please help me , Please help me.. I was in prostrate condition infront of His feet and begging Him pouring my heart to help me. I do not know for what I am asking but I could not contain the burden in my heart anymore, I need to tell Him what had happened and how I was committed to , While I was praying, in that month I heard a voice in that front room, at Chelamayya house, a rented house.
" You were asking for a helper, previously I sent Fridge in the form a helper, now Your husband will be your help , and you will fulfill your commitment to college"
"My hsubiand? How it could be Lord?"
" He will get transfer"
The voice was so clear and in that instant I knew I heard His voice and His voice I can recognize.. immediately. as the sheep knew the voice of its shepherd.
Then I remembered the promise I got in 1984 in Vijayawada When I asked for a helper he sent Yesumani to stay with the children to Eluru, then in 1985 he sent the Fridge by telling me that its a form of helper for me, and now this is the third time God was telling me that He is going to send His helper in the form of my husband, by he getting a transfer to my place where I am working.
for just little step of faithfulness , by not giving the bribe my Father in Heaven was so kind to give me the blessings in abundant.
you will read the miracle story of that transfer..in next episode. Remember that our Lord is living God, He promises and fulfills in miraculous way.. if only we give Him time to do so. Wait in Him.
In India there is bribery everywhere, officials and clerks every one beg the money for the work they have to do. Government is paying their salaries, but they think it is paying to them freely, now that they must get money for the work they do separately from persons. Though they get 50 thousand salary, they are much more happy with the money they have taken from the people under the table, even though it is only 10000 or 20000/-
Taking bribe and giving bribe is the common process in the offices. Any work yes any work, to be done one should give some money under the table. To get electric connection or water connection to the house the owner should pay to the officials , some money, to get transfer one should pay to the officers.
some shameless ask the other person or some shamelessly tell others that apart from the salary they would get some "other"money in that "seat" of the office work. Even the parents check with the bridegroom how much 'other' money he gets, and on basing on the other money they bargain the Dowry .. and buy the groom for their daughters.
All this is so hateful to think even but in our country as they do not feel any shame for any thing, like even worshiping the male and female sex organs by pouring milk and flowers on it in the temples. They do things which are so utterly shameful and never think that they are doing a shameful thing.
so even Christians also do not think that giving bribe or taking bribe is sin and shameless thing.
Dowry taking and giving is not a shameful thing even for Christians in India. There is a money god in our country, so they worship that idol too and they worship those paper money too or some coins. If they slipped the paper money or a coin on the floor , they feel so remorse and take it and put those to their both eyes asking that idol to forgive them.
So taking or giving bribe is not a shameful thing in India, even Christians think its the rule of the day. They cannot trust in God who can do everything possible. They do not want to take risk or wait upon the Lord.
Yes its really a difficult think, we will be looked down by every one, our work will not be done, we will never get things done the way we want them to get done, or in the time we need to get those, but still its worth waiting upon the Lord.
We tried many times and applied for a transfer to Eluru to my husband, but we knew those applications were thrown into the dustbin is we did not even think of giving bribe. His boss is briber, he is known for his bribing talent. He never look at any personal file if the money is not given before the file go to his table and in front of him.
But that summer, 1991 when I was accused by my staff that I am not keeping the timings of the college to the seconds , I promised the principal I will not be so, thereafter, and gave a paper signed by me that for the next academic year I will keep the punctuality at any cost. So I prostrated in front of my saviour and prayed and got the promise from Him that 'my husband would be my 'help' in going to college in time. and when I asked Him, how could it be, His answer was straight and simple, ' he will get transfer'--- That settled my mind and heart, no more tears, no more fears,and I was enjoying the verse alive in my life,i.e., Ephesians 5:19 'singing and making music in my heart for the Lord.
As usual he was going early in the morning at 6 am and coming in the evening only after 10pm. sometimes he runs for the passenger train to catch , because he would not misuse his set of Railway Passes by travelling in the super fast trains, or avoiding theT C to sign on the pass.
In case the passenger train is late to go , and if he is late to sign in the register one 5 minutes, they put red x mark in his place of signature, and there were days he could not come back to Eluru that time, and so he used to work that morning in the office even though there is leave granted forcefully to him. He is not a person who lingers hither and thither and waste time in office hours, or not a person to go out and spend time with friends etc, so those forceful leaves were nightmare for him.
One day , after I got an assurance from my Lord, that he would get transfer and he would be a help for me to take care of household affairs, and children care along with me so that I can go to college in time, it so happened that the passenger train was stopped at Singhnagar halt just before the Vijaywada railway station some 15 kilometers away. he waited and waited for the train to move to railway station where his office DEN office is nearby.
As the train is not going further, and the time for sign was short, he got down and begged some sccoter wallah to give him lift to Ramavarappadu where he was going, there he was dropped and got another scooter fellow to drop him at Benz company circle, ( ring road circle) from there he got a Lorry which was going to wards the railway station, there he got down and with lunch carriage basket he started to run in the DEN office compound to go and climb the steps to reach his office. At last he reached and signed.
That afternoon one lady who is known to him asked him that she saw him running in the compound furiously and asked him what was the matter. Then my husband answere her' What to tell you mam, my life is so miserable....' and he started to tell her all that happened that day . to reach the office.
After hearing him she sympathetically said, " Ayyo sir, so sorry to hear this , why don't you try for a transfer to Eluru?"
Even for that my husband told her that he tried so many times for transfer and applied but it could not be done.
Understanding the plight of my husband she said,' sir, again you try , your supervisor is my husband, i too will tell him about your problem."
This time its the turn of my husband to be shocked. because he never thought or knew that she was the wife of his supervisor, because this lady is Scheduled caste person, and the supervisor was a Brahman man by caste.
Without another word , he thanked her and went and met the supervisor and when he was told to submit an application for transfer he did it and he came and told me about all this episode. In heart of hearts I knew that God, my Father started to move the pawns to do what He promised me to do about the transfer of my husband. I knew that God in His great mercy arranged all these steps to happen in a beautiful way.
But if you think that we got transfer, in this short way, it means you are ignorant of His ways. There were hurdles,obstacles to overcome.... Which I will give an account into the next episode.
That day as per the suggestion of the colleague who was a christian and whose husband and supervisor of my husband's section was a Hindu Brahman, my husband went and met him and told him his predicament.
That gentleman was kind enough to inform my husband that," There is man in AEN Railway office in Eluru, by name Bhasha who applied for the transfer to Vijayawada, it means you may get a mutual transfer, but the thing is he applied in the year 1984, so you need to meet him and get a fresh application from him, and we will try for your mutual transfer."
That day when my husband came in flying colors, to home and informed me that the next day as it was weekend holiday for him in DEN office ,vij , but working day for AEN office, elr. he would go and meet this man B. I knew that the Lord was doing wonderful thing in our life, and that He is going to keep His promise that my husband would get a transfer to Eluru to be a support to me to go to college in time for the next academic year.
So thanking God we retired to the beds that night, and the next morning my husband T Yesuratnam went to the AEN office with great expectations. That afternoon when I came from College he informed me,
" Leela, praise the Lord, B accepted to go to vijayawada as he wanted to do Polytechnic studies, and improve his career performance and he asked me to meet him next weekend that he would draft the letter of application for transfer and give it to me.'
We praise God once again with deep gratitude in our hearts. All through the week we were praising God for His great love for us. Again the week end, Saturday, my husband went to the AEN office with great expectations, but he was utterly disappointed by the answer he received this time.
He told me that weekend afternoon, like this, " Leela, B has changed his promise, he told me that his in laws and his parents live in Thangellamudi, and they do not want him to go to Vij/ on the other hand it seems his wife is BA., B.ed. graduate, and that she applied for Municipality teacher post, and she might get it soon , if only he would pay Rs.30000/- as bribe in the office. Therefore he is not willing to give application for transfer to Vij/ now"
I saw the disappointment in my dear husband eyes, but the voice of God told me that he would get transfer is it not? so I told him, " hubby, this is only an obstacle in great miracle that's going to happen .. So let us pray much more and see how God would do His plan for us" ( I knew God is going to get this transfer, by all means )
So we both took our supplications to the Lord, who knew our problems, our sweat, our agony, One month passed on, no news of any sort, but I knew that he will get the transfer.
That evening he came a bit early from the office, with a suitcase in his hands, Whenver he comes like that, he was supposed to catch a train that night to go to Hyderabad on office work.
I was sitting on the mat along with my two little children teaching them the lessons of the school, we did not have any sofas or good chairs to sit, still we were married in 1979 and that year was 1991.. we had 4 folding chairs for the visitors, and we used to keep those aside.
I saw him all in smiles, so I asked him, 'What hubby, are going to came tonight, you came earlier today?"
He did not answer but sat on a chair unfolding it and took off the shoes still smiling and opened the suitcase and brought out a typed paper, and gave it to me saying, " See, See, what is in it"
I could not believe my eyes, this July 1991, I got the promise from God in the month of May 1991, about his transfer, now what I was seeing in the Government Order was....1) A request Transfer of a man from Guntur to Ongole, 2) A requested Transfer of B from Eluru to Vijayawada, 3) A requested Transfer of Mr. Yesuratnam from Vijayawada to Eluru
It was sealed by the Office of the DEN. and signed by the highest authority of DEN office who was known for his Bribary life.
I found myself in utter joy and merry noise, many ohs ahas I said, " Emandi , what happened, what is this miracle?"
He told me like this like a story in the Suspense novel, That morning the supervisor, the gentleman came to his desk at 10 am and asked him, hurriedly and , "mr Yesuratnam, do you have the copy of the application for transfer you gave to me one month back I need it urgently , very urgent.. can you give it now?"
" yes, sir,"
My husband was known for his meticulous and tidy habits, he keeps the things in order, and in their place all ways., whereas me could not keep pace with him all ways and often get scoldings from him for my untidy way of keeping things here and there, I used to change the furniture or books or things to different positions, which often irks him , who wanted the paper or book in the same place all the time. Because I could not do like that and as I used to change the things often, he used to call me by nick name T><M = Thalakai Marchipadesthavu.... ( You change Thalakai means Heads Marchivesthavu menas you change )
So as per his meticulous habit he opened his his desk draw and picked the application from the file and gave it to him.
By 3pm the same gentleman brought this GO of transfer order and gave it to my husband.
What happened in the Boss office was explained to my husband outside the office before he started to come home. it seems, That morning at 10am the Boss called the gentleman and told him that he is going to leave for USA next day, as visa is ready that day, and told him if he needed any papers to be signed , he would sign and go, and this trip is top secret, and no body should no about this. so this gentleman asked my husband for the application copy and he drafted the letter then and there and got it typed and gave it to the Boss to sign with other urgent papers. PRAISE THE LORD. Do you know why the boss was so hurry to leave the country..? The month June 1991 was the month we were praying for the transfer, and the Lord send Vigilance on hotline on this Boss to check with his bribe habits and drag him into the trap. Knowing this the Boss left the country immediately without telling any one, and without any news of his departure leaked out to any one, except the Supervisor the gentleman, a Hindu, and a kind person. God used him to help us in this spectacular way. God loves every one , Hindu , Muslim or Parsi, He use any one for His purpose to be fulfilled.
Do not think the story had come to an end.. No no no no.... the real story started that night.
So before retiring to the bed after the family prayer, after the session of praise and thanksgiving, my husband said,' Leela, today Friday, tomorrow even if go to office B cannot give his Relieving letter because he cannot join in Vij because its weekend holiday on saturday. so I have to go to AEN office only on Monday to get my joining report., though I got my relieving letter from today. I said, "ok you can do like that." Then just before he lied down on the bed and say goodnight, he said, " Leela, B is very famous person, he being a muslim a member of the Majdur Union of Railways, its a very strong Union, if B tells them he got transfer like this they would take it a challenge and stop the transfer, on the other hand B got a very close relative an uncle in Railnilayam Hyderabad, in a very high position in Railways, if B called him on phone and tell him to stop the transfer it would be done." I was staring at him the dark night, in the zero bulb light, I did not speak any thing, but as the day was a hectic day for me, very tired, I closed my eyes to sleep. But I had to get up at 3am, wide awake, no more sleep, my thoughts went to the words he spoke at the end of the day. Great fear took hold of me, what if B goes to the Muslim Union, what if he called his influential uncle in Railways Hyderabad, What will happen..? the transfers will be stopped? I got down from the bed, the room was small one I did not have much place after we spread the beds ,everyday , in the night shift them to the wall in the day time. so I got down and make a little space for myself, near the bed, almost my knees under the cot, and poured my fears to Him, my Friend who lends His ears all the time in a crooked place even like this. My Bible was with me , I opened it, it opened at 62 Psalms, I was reading the Psalm, as if God was asking me to read it, "For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be shaken. the verse 9th goes like this.----"those of low estate are but a breath; those of higher estate are low delusion, in the balanaces they go up; they ae together lighter than breath. ----hey who is this of LOW ESTATE... surely B, and Mujdhur Union, yea they are just a BREATH to Him. who is this HIGHER ESTATE-----Surely B's uncle in higher position in Railways ---but he too is a low delusion... What will happen to this LOW ESTATE & HIGHER ESTATE both in the balances go up; they are together lighter than breath...
My heart is lighter than the feather reading this 9th verse, they are together lighter than breath, ? I am more lighter than the feather, It is God who is telling me both would go up in the balances; then the last verse of the 62 Psalm
Once God has spoken twice I have heard; that power belongs to God.
Yes God spoke to us ONCE, i.e., Relieving Order is given, once for all, But TWICE I HAVE HEARD. oh yes twice I am hearing that POWER BELONGS TO GOD. , TWICE... twice... the second time ... that is Joining report... Yes Lord I know you will do this , Once your brought him from Vij/ now you will join in him in Eluru. wonderful... Wonderful. !! I was praising God.
Jesus told us that we should believe everything that we possessed already, whatever I prayed for , yes now I knew that He is going to help us in joining in the Eluru office just as he helped us in relieving from vij/ office. I knew it even while we were praying for it.
On Monday, in stead of going to Vij early in the morning at 6am , he dropped me at my college at 9 :15 pm and as he was going back , I told him, "Hubby, I have class in the first period, after it is over, by 11 am I will come down from the first floor to the office. you call me on office phone and I will be there in office, let me know about the office." We both are light hearted and happy. Knowing God is with us.
After the first period of class I was rushing to the office then I heard the phone ringing. The clerk who was sitting there her name Miss Leela. , seeing me entering the office room said,
"Miss this phone call is for your only"
yea I know... I thanked her and told her yea I am expecting this call, and grabbed the phone at once, and on the other end of the line my husband's sweet voice , I heard, "Praise The Lord , Leela" I said, Oh yes, Praise the Lord, what happened? I suppose No problem with B ?
" No , No, poor B he is suffering from fever since three days, so he did not come to office till this morning, and when he is given this GO, he did not say anything but signed and took his relieving order from the Superintendent here, I gave my joining report and joined in the office.
" Oh praise God, I shouted,
he said,
Leela I need to go to Vij now taking some files from here, so now i am going from here, catching some train, so evening I will come back."
" What about Lunch?
" Never mind today I will eat in the cafeteria"
I told leela about this good news, and rushed in one step like to the chamber of Sr. Principal, Sr. Winifred, and entered into it asking "May I come in' , blurted out , 'you know sister, good news, my husband got transfer to Eluru." My face was beaming with a big grin on my face, my godly sister also beamed with joy and an big grin as well, said, " Oh Miss congratulations, so you will be in college by 9;30 am ? hahah ?" she was laughing with joy ful heart. I said, ' Oh no no Sister I will be here by 9:15am itself because he has to be in the office by 9:30am, both of us laughing like little children who found a nice toy to play suddenly.
I rushed to the staff room and not knowing how to tell all the 14 lecturers in the room I shouted, "Hey A good news for all of you" and again I said, oh nono, its a good news for me, its, it my husband got transfer to Eluru." All of them know how much I was suffering because of lack of his presence in Eluru, this group of lecturers belong to the department of ARTS we share every thing with each other so they were sympathetic.
That evening there was a greater narration of the story that happened in his office that morning. my husband told me like this, " Leela do you know what had happened this morning in this office in Eluru, I went there to give my joining report after B gave his relieving report, the superintend said that there is no Head Drafts man post which is mine to work in this office, saying that he wrote with his green ink across the GO underneath of it , that there is no HD post for me and he could not take joining report from me.
At that moment the Head clerk came into the room saw the GO and said, " sir , there is this post in our office, when you were not joined in this office , one week back there was a GO sent from head office that the post for Head drafts man was created.
With this the superintend could not say anything, so he accepted the letter from my husband. After this work was finished and while B and Head clerk and my husband were talking about the Office work then the post man came with a card for B from the man from Guntur, who was transfered to Ongole, in that he wrote, Dear B I got transferred to Guntur which I asked for one year back, now I think I do not want to go on transfer, so you too do not give the relieving report, we both will go to Hyderabad this week and try to stop these transfers. " that was the gist of the post card which was read by B aloud for my husband, and HC.. head clerk said now we cannot do any thing as Mr Yesurathanm all ready joined 10 minutes back.
When my husband was telling me all this , I heard him intently and said to him, " Hubby, I often had an idea before my conversion that my dad would do any thing , he is so powerful as a Police officer, , in this case as an earthly father he might have helped us in one step or two steps, but not in so many steps, like this ..7 steps.... oh yes we walked 7 steps with the Lord.... and its wonderful to walk with Him.
God was preparing me to stand for the Lord, and not to trust in the money god, or Mammon, from the very first year of my job as a lecturer, I was writing all those wonderful stories in the previous 5 parts under the heading now this is the 6th part, of those series. May of us are under the impression that taking bribe is drastically a sin because it shows the greediness of the man, but what about giving bribe, most of us think its inevitable, and it is a way of life, and especially in India, nothing can be done in the offices unless we give bribe, and so many think there is no problem if we give bribe as a 'gift' or do something for those bribers, even if it is out of way... to get things to be done.
But beware friends, God sees the heart, John 2:25 No one need to testify to Jesus , Christ knows what is in the heart of man without any external evidence.. " He did not need any testimony about mankind; for He knew what was in each person.." He knows whether You trust in His mighty power to do things for you, or you believe that your might, your power your trust in money will do things for you... Though it looks as a trivial thing, in everyday life it reflects our faith.. our trust our righteousness, We cannot serve God and mammon .. admired , trusted in, and worshipped as if they were god for no one can serve two masters... you can serve both God and money..... Abraham trusted God and it was considered as righteousness....Trusting God that He would do any thing, change the minds of the bribers is one such thing, but if in stead if we think that the money in the vallet will do that work ... God sees even that. Whether we are in group or alone, whether our files are along with others or solely on the table of the briber, can we trust in a God who is all powerful or trust Him alone?
Here comes the test ... very stealthily, its not a test like Joseph got, or Daniel and his friends got, but its undercover, we think we have to give because they are going our work, we conviniently for get that its their job to do our work and Governemnt is paying their salaries for that work... and we think we are obliged to pay extra money for the briber is expecting for his extra work, in fact its not extra work, its his work , he has to do, he will give a pose that he is working for us alone and demand a gift.. which in other words nothing but bribe... so when one sits and think about this keenly in the presence of God , one has to answer to God ... whether he believes in God or the money in his wallet. !
so while we purchased the house at the time of registration, I was challenged by the staff that I cannot escape from giving the bribe in the registrar office, But God spoke to me through the verse " Is the Lord's power limited?" Numbers 11:25 ....Even at the time of getting Muncipal tap water, or electricity to the house God wrought miracles and helped us to get things done without giving a single pie as the bribe.
Now after I was retired, in the year 2010, I need to get my pension, I got terrible fever and chickngunea and suffering a lot... my papers were in DHE ( Deputy Higher Education ) office and they say in college unless I pay the bribe the DHE office people never work out the pension and never release it in time. The office clerk Ms V was pestering me to give away Rs. 10000/- as bribe and that she will look after everything thereafter. As the office staff and even the new principal Sr. T C knew that I would not give the bribe, as a matter of fact told me that I need to give that amount, or otherwise my papers would be set aside along with the other 3 or 4 lecturers who were retiring that season. I bluntly told them ' I will not give even one single pie.. and its your duty to send the service register and the pension papers to DHE office. I was also told once the papers moved to AG office every thing will be on computer visible to every one to know the process of work out, so if the work in DHE office is over half work is over.
so the clerk v one day called me on phone and told me that my pension application papers were returned back from DHE office. Not knowing what was all that about I went and met her. She told me,' Mam, in your Service register its written that you were given post as Lecturer from 1976 but DHE office says, there were no posts of Lecturer at that time only Jr Lecturer posts were there." I said , but as there was no Social work Subject at Intermediate level I was not posted with intermediate Board but with UGC from the very beginning so you cannot say that I was jr Lecturer at the time of my posting. She said,' I do not know mam, there is a GO which says that all who were posted in that year were considered jr Lecturers for three years, and thereby your service as Lecturer will be cut of those three years. It means you cannot meet the required years for full pension, and your emoluments after the retirement also will be lessen to half"
I said, if it is so give me those GO orders for further enquiry, and I want to apply again with my own explanation, through the Principal. " With that I requested principal to sign the requisition letter on my behalf, but she called Miss V to the office and asked her in front of me is there any other way to solve this problemDHE office and we will try to change the year 1976 appointment as Lecturer, and she can escape the retrenchment of three years of service..for counting the pension. I knew these people are dancing to the tune of the bribers there in the DHE office and trying to fool me, what they were talking is absurd, I was shocked to hear Principal T also asking me to give away the bribe. I told her and Miss V, all this look like a planned thing for me, and how dare are those DHE people to tamper my Service Register and change the dates or appointment? What I deserve I will get, even if it is only half of the pension, or half of the emoluments it is enough for me,, I will get only what I deserve.. but I will not give one single pie. If you ask me for Rs20000/- for the poor I will consider to give , but as bribe I wont give not even single pie.." Then the principal told me,' Miss then you need to take your service register and papers to DHE office all by yourself... will you go?" I said , yes I will go, but as usual Thota Venkateswaroa is going with this work, is it not... send him on behalf of me, I will pay the TA and DA to him. " with this words I took leave and came home, and knelt down and yeilded to His will.
After two hours, I got a phone call from Principal, telling me the papers will be sent to DHE office by courier, and Thota Venkatewarao is busy on some other work. Was she threatening me that my papers would be thrown into the dustbin if not given by hand. But whatever be theri intention good or bad, I trusted in the Living God, so immediately I told her, "Sister, that would be the best thing to do, I am praying and everything will be done according to His will"
I was retired on 31st of August, 2010.. and I was attacked with high fever of 104 degrees F heat, and terrible joint pains, and bed riddenb for 3 months, later I started to walk but could not make it in full health. in this stature one day I went out to buy some vegetables but could not reach home, so I sat in the church which was adjacent to my home and asked one boy to go and open the door from other side and gave him the main gate keys to do so. I sat and praying for my pension, and that moment one couple was coming out of the hall and saw me and asked me, the man was led to the Lord by my husband, I used to take care of him and his mother, very lovingly by providing food and meeting other needs as they were from a village, he got a good job so they came and met us long back. now he was married, and told me that day was their wedding anniversary day. His name is Mr M R so after I congratulate him I answered them why I was sitting there, and when he enquired me about my pension was settled, I informed him that all tht happend and asked him to pray for the issue. He said, 'Aunty, once those papers move to AG office from DHE office let me know , the AG general Mr Israel is honest man, he is my room mate when I was doing my PG in Agl in Bapatla, I have met him only a month ago in a seminar, he gave me his mobile number and told me if there is any work in AG office I can call him." ----I was fully sick my body , legs, face and even skull was inflamed, and watered, so what I was hearing was like a dream for me.. I thanked them and came home praised God and informed to my children and one other friend, about God's good hand on me by keeping God fearing man as General of AG office who was the friend of my spiritual son...who offered to help me in this regard.
I know that Power belongs to God, His power is not limited... Faith does not come instantly, it has to be exercised daily in every event, it comes only when we listen to His word carefully and by experience we have to taste it... God prepared me from 1976...even before that my dad a police officer , took many bribes, in his job, but he sold the fertile land in E.G.Dt and gave that lump sum money as restitution money in the House of God, we never regret for it, we did not have any property as we parted with the lands we had as restitution, we were happy to do so. We sought a place in heaven not in this world. So my heart was prepared to face any consequences about this bribe right from my beginning of the job... so at the end of this job this temptation of bribe did not move me an inch.
The story did not stop here, there were still more hurdles, and I had to exercise my faith basing upon that promise I got in case of my husband's transfer in 1992...Psalms 62:11 One thing God spoken two things I have heard Power belongs to God----
God was preparing me to stand for the Lord, and not to trust in the money god, or Mammon, from the very first year of my job as a lecturer, I was writing all those wonderful stories in the previous 5 parts under the heading now this is the 6th part, of those series. May of us are under the impression that taking bribe is drastically a sin because it shows the greediness of the man, but what about giving bribe, most of us think its inevitable, and it is a way of life, and especially in India, nothing can be done in the offices unless we give bribe, and so many think there is no problem if we give bribe as a 'gift' or do something for those bribers, even if it is out of way... to get things to be done.
But beware friends, God sees the heart, John 2:25 No one need to testify to Jesus , Christ knows what is in the heart of man without any external evidence.. " He did not need any testimony about mankind; for He knew what was in each person.." He knows whether You trust in His mighty power to do things for you, or you believe that your might, your power your trust in money will do things for you... Though it looks as a trivial thing, in everyday life it reflects our faith.. our trust our righteousness, We cannot serve God and mammon .. admired , trusted in, and worshipped as if they were god for no one can serve two masters... you can serve both God and money..... Abraham trusted God and it was considered as righteousness....Trusting God that He would do any thing, change the minds of the bribers is one such thing, but if in stead if we think that the money in the vallet will do that work ... God sees even that. Whether we are in group or alone, whether our files are along with others or solely on the table of the briber, can we trust in a God who is all powerful or trust Him alone?
Here comes the test ... very stealthily, its not a test like Joseph got, or Daniel and his friends got, but its undercover, we think we have to give because they are going our work, we conviniently for get that its their job to do our work and Governemnt is paying their salaries for that work... and we think we are obliged to pay extra money for the briber is expecting for his extra work, in fact its not extra work, its his work , he has to do, he will give a pose that he is working for us alone and demand a gift.. which in other words nothing but bribe... so when one sits and think about this keenly in the presence of God , one has to answer to God ... whether he believes in God or the money in his wallet. !
so while we purchased the house at the time of registration, I was challenged by the staff that I cannot escape from giving the bribe in the registrar office, But God spoke to me through the verse " Is the Lord's power limited?" Numbers 11:25 ....Even at the time of getting Muncipal tap water, or electricity to the house God wrought miracles and helped us to get things done without giving a single pie as the bribe.
Now after I was retired, in the year 2010, I need to get my pension, I got terrible fever and chickngunea and suffering a lot... my papers were in DHE ( Deputy Higher Education ) office and they say in college unless I pay the bribe the DHE office people never work out the pension and never release it in time. The office clerk Ms V was pestering me to give away Rs. 10000/- as bribe and that she will look after everything thereafter. As the office staff and even the new principal Sr. T C knew that I would not give the bribe, as a matter of fact told me that I need to give that amount, or otherwise my papers would be set aside along with the other 3 or 4 lecturers who were retiring that season. I bluntly told them ' I will not give even one single pie.. and its your duty to send the service register and the pension papers to DHE office. I was also told once the papers moved to AG office every thing will be on computer visible to every one to know the process of work out, so if the work in DHE office is over half work is over.
so the clerk v one day called me on phone and told me that my pension application papers were returned back from DHE office. Not knowing what was all that about I went and met her. She told me,' Mam, in your Service register its written that you were given post as Lecturer from 1976 but DHE office says, there were no posts of Lecturer at that time only Jr Lecturer posts were there." I said , but as there was no Social work Subject at Intermediate level I was not posted with intermediate Board but with UGC from the very beginning so you cannot say that I was jr Lecturer at the time of my posting. She said,' I do not know mam, there is a GO which says that all who were posted in that year were considered jr Lecturers for three years, and thereby your service as Lecturer will be cut of those three years. It means you cannot meet the required years for full pension, and your emoluments after the retirement also will be lessen to half"
I said, if it is so give me those GO orders for further enquiry, and I want to apply again with my own explanation, through the Principal. " With that I requested principal to sign the requisition letter on my behalf, but she called Miss V to the office and asked her in front of me is there any other way to solve this problemDHE office and we will try to change the year 1976 appointment as Lecturer, and she can escape the retrenchment of three years of service..for counting the pension. I knew these people are dancing to the tune of the bribers there in the DHE office and trying to fool me, what they were talking is absurd, I was shocked to hear Principal T also asking me to give away the bribe. I told her and Miss V, all this look like a planned thing for me, and how dare are those DHE people to tamper my Service Register and change the dates or appointment? What I deserve I will get, even if it is only half of the pension, or half of the emoluments it is enough for me,, I will get only what I deserve.. but I will not give one single pie. If you ask me for Rs20000/- for the poor I will consider to give , but as bribe I wont give not even single pie.." Then the principal told me,' Miss then you need to take your service register and papers to DHE office all by yourself... will you go?" I said , yes I will go, but as usual Thota Venkateswaroa is going with this work, is it not... send him on behalf of me, I will pay the TA and DA to him. " with this words I took leave and came home, and knelt down and yeilded to His will.
After two hours, I got a phone call from Principal, telling me the papers will be sent to DHE office by courier, and Thota Venkatewarao is busy on some other work. Was she threatening me that my papers would be thrown into the dustbin if not given by hand. But whatever be theri intention good or bad, I trusted in the Living God, so immediately I told her, "Sister, that would be the best thing to do, I am praying and everything will be done according to His will"
I was retired on 31st of August, 2010.. and I was attacked with high fever of 104 degrees F heat, and terrible joint pains, and bed riddenb for 3 months, later I started to walk but could not make it in full health. in this stature one day I went out to buy some vegetables but could not reach home, so I sat in the church which was adjacent to my home and asked one boy to go and open the door from other side and gave him the main gate keys to do so. I sat and praying for my pension, and that moment one couple was coming out of the hall and saw me and asked me, the man was led to the Lord by my husband, I used to take care of him and his mother, very lovingly by providing food and meeting other needs as they were from a village, he got a good job so they came and met us long back. now he was married, and told me that day was their wedding anniversary day. His name is Mr M R so after I congratulate him I answered them why I was sitting there, and when he enquired me about my pension was settled, I informed him that all tht happend and asked him to pray for the issue. He said, 'Aunty, once those papers move to AG office from DHE office let me know , the AG general Mr Israel is honest man, he is my room mate when I was doing my PG in Agl in Bapatla, I have met him only a month ago in a seminar, he gave me his mobile number and told me if there is any work in AG office I can call him." ----I was fully sick my body , legs, face and even skull was inflamed, and watered, so what I was hearing was like a dream for me.. I thanked them and came home praised God and informed to my children and one other friend, about God's good hand on me by keeping God fearing man as General of AG office who was the friend of my spiritual son...who offered to help me in this regard.
I know that Power belongs to God, His power is not limited... Faith does not come instantly, it has to be exercised daily in every event, it comes only when we listen to His word carefully and by experience we have to taste it... God prepared me from 1976...even before that my dad a police officer , took many bribes, in his job, but he sold the fertile land in E.G.Dt and gave that lump sum money as restitution money in the House of God, we never regret for it, we did not have any property as we parted with the lands we had as restitution, we were happy to do so. We sought a place in heaven not in this world. So my heart was prepared to face any consequences about this bribe right from my beginning of the job... so at the end of this job this temptation of bribe did not move me an inch.
The story did not stop here, there were still more hurdles, and I had to exercise my faith basing upon that promise I got in case of my husband's transfer in 1992...Psalms 62:11 One thing God spoken two things I have heard Power belongs to God----
Thus my pension papers were sent to DHE office, I resolved to pray for this pension to be sanctioned without any bribe to be given. I went to Vizag, where my dad built three storied building, telling us each floor consists of 8 rooms belongs to one to each girl, The ground floor was mine and middle floor is for next girl, and the top floor to the last girl. I went there to renovate the building which was in ruined by 2010.. ( why and by whom I will write in another blog) So I was with my swollen legs was toiling to the core of my life all alone ... I was there for three months to complete this task at that time I got information that those papers were sent to AG office, now I have to pray for this issue. When I told about this and asked for prayer, my friend reminded me that Mr M promised me to help me once the papers sent to AG office. So immediately I called him and told him the details of the pension. He contacted his friend The General of Ag office, and told me that the papers were signed and he was asking him to send any one immediately to pick the papers by hand lest if they fall in the hands of the clerck concern again they would demand bribe. This is something extraordinary on behalf of the boss telling the lay people to pick up papers from his table. then and there before the file go to the desk of the briber. Mr M told me," aunty do u remember one particular girl L whom you lead to the Lord? her husband Mr B is now in Hyderabad , he took his daughter to attend an exam , and the center of that exam is just opposite to AG office and I told him to pick the papers from General table before the briber clerk comes and claim the papers. So he picked those papers and will bring those to Eluru tomorrow, when you come you can take those from me. "
What a wonderful God is He. The next day I went and received those papers from Mr M and entrusted those to a friend who was a journalist and my right hand in every work of mine in the absence of my children. He took those papers to the Treasury office where he was given due respect and finished the work quickly without asking for a sing pie of bribe as it was their wont. Next he only took the papers to Sub treasury office and submitted on behalf of me, on the day of receiving the check he asked me to come to the office and I was giving right into the chamber of the officer and the clerks who were known for bribe taking , came to my table and got my signatures and gave the cheques... by evening I received all my emoluments and pension orders without any delay. I felt like I was with my Police officer Dad with this friend of mine Mr MM journalist while this work being done... My friends my colleagues still feel this is a mystery as they did give lot of money on percentage basis to these offices, whereas I escaped it without giving even a single pie as bribe.
But the story of pension did not end here, it so happened I retired the post with old pay scale, and the revised pay scale is applicable so I need to send those papers of revised pay pension again to DHE office.. this time the real urge to claim the promise of 'Once I heard, but twice it happened, the Power belong to God ' came in handy to my rescue. I started to pray louder claiming this promise.
But this time as I was not in the service, I had to take the papers to DHE office for scrutiny and again went there to get the papers be sanctioned, this time the particular clerks played a game with me. Making me to stand there for hours together, the attender comes and tell me if I pay some money, the papers would move etc etc.. This is the first time I ever was told to do so on my face. I know the money to give is in my hand bag, but where my faith lies, in my bag or in my God. I had to talk sternly, and also act docile , asking those clerks to finish the work or else I would see Suneetha IAS and would ask her why they are not able find out my service register and give to me for further dealings. Telling them like that I went and sat at the portico of the officer, the attender came asked me whether I want to meet Suneetha, but i denied to meet her, because I knew my Lord is the higher authority and as I was sitting there and praying Him I knew He would do this on my behalf, later they called me and gave the papers i needed asked me to go and meet someone who was not there, but on christian attender rescued me took me to the concern engineer who was about to leave for home as the time was 5pm. He immediately signed my papers, while he was signing the concerned clerk came and was trying to object to sign as I need to get fresh application again from the college. for which the officer answered sharply, " I have signed, no more to do now" and gave those papers to my hand. This was just a glimpse of the whole story, as I was not healthy at that time, my memory is lost for many minute details, of miracles which I forgot to record here.
Thus I recieved my pension full and emoluments full. But in the year 2014 again I got some arrears , say 1000000 /- again the college clerk tried to woo me for the bribe to get those released. I was adamant as it was, and did not pay a single pie... tried many means to win, see the people of this world to do wrong things, they are all ways very obstinate they never give up even on hard cases like me. but we as christians do loose hope so easily to win a soul..
" Miss , Sister Principal asked you to meet her now"
I got up from the seat in the middle of my drinking the cup of tea, and went into the Principal room. There she was Sr. Winifred, with the remuneration receipts in her hand.
She said, Miss. The staff asked me to take your remuneration and give it to them to meet the expenses in the office work."
I said, now I am calm and quiet , I did not know what made me, like that but I was not trembling any more, my voice was steady and firm I told her,
' Sister , you have taken my remuneration without my consent, I have no part in this bribe."I found my voice was shivering while I was saying so.
She was looking at me and said,
" See Miss, the staff is saying that "Where is your consious, when you happend to come to college a bit late or go from the college a bit earlier than the college hours? What answer you will give them?"
( All the staff, including me were not taken into task by our kind principal when we go to college a bit late, that is , college is 9:30am but if we do not have the first period class, the register was available to sign till 10am. And so is in the evening, if we do not had class in the last period, we can go home a half an hour before the college closes.. esp mothers like me with little children were not taken into task)
So this point of breach was taken into blaming me by my friends, to find the flaw in me and point out at me and tell me that I am not a good in keeping perfect disposition.
Though I never expected this accusation on me, I could answer her,
" Yes sister, I am late to college and go from college a bit earlier. I accept it, but...... it is only a mistake, I can rectify it, but giving bribe is a crime. I cannot do it"
She as looking at me straight, ( even now when I think back about that answer I gave to my dear principal I am still amazed and for that beautiful answer,
----yes, when we were taken in front of the Authoritarians, " But when they deliver you up take no thought how and what shall you speak but it shall be given in that same hour what ye shall speak"Matt 10 19
God, only God had given those words to me then. Also I did something very strange which I never thought to do so, or contemplated to do so.
She was looking straight into my face, and I looked into her eyes and said,
" Sister hereafter I give a word to you that I will come to college on time and leave the college on time. If you want I will write it on paper and sign it and give it to you."
Saying thus immediately I took my journal which used to be all ways with me in my hand, opened it on a empty paper, and wrote like this, I put a Heading like this--
"FOR THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR 1990--1991"
I, M. Leela vathi give you in word, that I will be in college by 9:30 am and leave the college by 4:30 pm.
I signed my name
I tore the paper then and there and gave it to her.
Even now I did not know who made me to do so, why and how I did like that in an instant, it was not contemplated thing, or premeditated thing to do. In an instant I did it, and it was it.
I do not know why my sweet Godly sister Principal smiled at me, taking that piece of paper from me , but said,
' But Miss they would say, that you are money minded."
"They may say anything Sister, but you know what I am"
She took the money , my remuneration from the drawer and gave it to me.
I thanked her, and took the money and came out of her room; and walked fast to reach the staff room in the same corridor, there I saw Suzan the same sweet girl , and Psychology Lecturer sitting and doing some work, as soon as she saw me she asked me, What happened Miss?" I told her, she immediately got up and closed the doors, and told me to sit for awhile and take rest and you can go after some time.
While we both praised God and praying, Sister Principal peeped into the room through the slightly opened door and smilingly said, " Miss, sorry I disturbed, I gave you those receipt papers by mistake along with the money, can you take those and give in the office please.?"
I briskly stood up and said, Yes sister"
She went away telling me that.
suzan said, "Miss I will take those papers and give in the office, you go home now."
I wonder how beautifully God had arranged everything for me, why Suzan was there? I do not know.
I went home as usual children wait for me on the last day of my paper correction, because every year I take them to a hotel to eat.
It was the month of May, I started to pray, I knew that the next year, if I am late even one minute to college, I will not be forgiven , the whole staff will devour me, especially Miss R who was very particular about this issue will take me to task. I could not be at rest, So I started to pray about this issue. Every day I was praying the Lord, to give me strength to face the next year college timings. I was asking Him to give me proper help to face this situation. My husband was working in the AEN Railway office, it was the 12th year, of his shuttling from Eluru to Vijayawada every day of the these 12 years. Some times the passanger train he boarded in used to be stopped at the boarders of vijayawada , ie., SinghNagar, and wait hours together to get clearance from the Station Master. Though he was going from at 6am he was not able to go to office and sign in the register at 9:30 am, sometimes there used to be red mark at his signature place, and it means he has to apply leave and work, because he could not come home for that half day leave. We were praying the Lord to get a transfer for him to Eluru since three years by then. but my husband used to tell me that his Boss is a briber, and he would not look into any application or file unless he is given bribe. So what we can do? We used to pray and wait even though there is no scope for the transfer within near future, We trusted in Him who could do impossible things to be possible.
When I came home after the college last working day, I started to pour my heart at His feet. " Lord now you know the staff in the college would devour me if go to college one minute late. Because I had given a word to them through the Principal every one will have an eye on me. Especailly Miss R is very particular about this, and she challenged me many times, saying that she too had principles by giving divorce to her husband because he took dowry. What shall I do Lord please help me , Please help me.. I was in prostrate condition infront of His feet and begging Him pouring my heart to help me. I do not know for what I am asking but I could not contain the burden in my heart anymore, I need to tell Him what had happened and how I was committed to , While I was praying, in that month I heard a voice in that front room, at Chelamayya house, a rented house.
" You were asking for a helper, previously I sent Fridge in the form a helper, now Your husband will be your help , and you will fulfill your commitment to college"
"My hsubiand? How it could be Lord?"
" He will get transfer"
The voice was so clear and in that instant I knew I heard His voice and His voice I can recognize.. immediately. as the sheep knew the voice of its shepherd.
Then I remembered the promise I got in 1984 in Vijayawada When I asked for a helper he sent Yesumani to stay with the children to Eluru, then in 1985 he sent the Fridge by telling me that its a form of helper for me, and now this is the third time God was telling me that He is going to send His helper in the form of my husband, by he getting a transfer to my place where I am working.
for just little step of faithfulness , by not giving the bribe my Father in Heaven was so kind to give me the blessings in abundant.
you will read the miracle story of that transfer..in next episode. Remember that our Lord is living God, He promises and fulfills in miraculous way.. if only we give Him time to do so. Wait in Him.
In India there is bribery everywhere, officials and clerks every one beg the money for the work they have to do. Government is paying their salaries, but they think it is paying to them freely, now that they must get money for the work they do separately from persons. Though they get 50 thousand salary, they are much more happy with the money they have taken from the people under the table, even though it is only 10000 or 20000/-
Taking bribe and giving bribe is the common process in the offices. Any work yes any work, to be done one should give some money under the table. To get electric connection or water connection to the house the owner should pay to the officials , some money, to get transfer one should pay to the officers.
some shameless ask the other person or some shamelessly tell others that apart from the salary they would get some "other"money in that "seat" of the office work. Even the parents check with the bridegroom how much 'other' money he gets, and on basing on the other money they bargain the Dowry .. and buy the groom for their daughters.
All this is so hateful to think even but in our country as they do not feel any shame for any thing, like even worshiping the male and female sex organs by pouring milk and flowers on it in the temples. They do things which are so utterly shameful and never think that they are doing a shameful thing.
so even Christians also do not think that giving bribe or taking bribe is sin and shameless thing.
Dowry taking and giving is not a shameful thing even for Christians in India. There is a money god in our country, so they worship that idol too and they worship those paper money too or some coins. If they slipped the paper money or a coin on the floor , they feel so remorse and take it and put those to their both eyes asking that idol to forgive them.
So taking or giving bribe is not a shameful thing in India, even Christians think its the rule of the day. They cannot trust in God who can do everything possible. They do not want to take risk or wait upon the Lord.
Yes its really a difficult think, we will be looked down by every one, our work will not be done, we will never get things done the way we want them to get done, or in the time we need to get those, but still its worth waiting upon the Lord.
We tried many times and applied for a transfer to Eluru to my husband, but we knew those applications were thrown into the dustbin is we did not even think of giving bribe. His boss is briber, he is known for his bribing talent. He never look at any personal file if the money is not given before the file go to his table and in front of him.
But that summer, 1991 when I was accused by my staff that I am not keeping the timings of the college to the seconds , I promised the principal I will not be so, thereafter, and gave a paper signed by me that for the next academic year I will keep the punctuality at any cost. So I prostrated in front of my saviour and prayed and got the promise from Him that 'my husband would be my 'help' in going to college in time. and when I asked Him, how could it be, His answer was straight and simple, ' he will get transfer'--- That settled my mind and heart, no more tears, no more fears,and I was enjoying the verse alive in my life,i.e., Ephesians 5:19 'singing and making music in my heart for the Lord.
As usual he was going early in the morning at 6 am and coming in the evening only after 10pm. sometimes he runs for the passenger train to catch , because he would not misuse his set of Railway Passes by travelling in the super fast trains, or avoiding theT C to sign on the pass.
In case the passenger train is late to go , and if he is late to sign in the register one 5 minutes, they put red x mark in his place of signature, and there were days he could not come back to Eluru that time, and so he used to work that morning in the office even though there is leave granted forcefully to him. He is not a person who lingers hither and thither and waste time in office hours, or not a person to go out and spend time with friends etc, so those forceful leaves were nightmare for him.
One day , after I got an assurance from my Lord, that he would get transfer and he would be a help for me to take care of household affairs, and children care along with me so that I can go to college in time, it so happened that the passenger train was stopped at Singhnagar halt just before the Vijaywada railway station some 15 kilometers away. he waited and waited for the train to move to railway station where his office DEN office is nearby.
As the train is not going further, and the time for sign was short, he got down and begged some sccoter wallah to give him lift to Ramavarappadu where he was going, there he was dropped and got another scooter fellow to drop him at Benz company circle, ( ring road circle) from there he got a Lorry which was going to wards the railway station, there he got down and with lunch carriage basket he started to run in the DEN office compound to go and climb the steps to reach his office. At last he reached and signed.
That afternoon one lady who is known to him asked him that she saw him running in the compound furiously and asked him what was the matter. Then my husband answere her' What to tell you mam, my life is so miserable....' and he started to tell her all that happened that day . to reach the office.
After hearing him she sympathetically said, " Ayyo sir, so sorry to hear this , why don't you try for a transfer to Eluru?"
Even for that my husband told her that he tried so many times for transfer and applied but it could not be done.
Understanding the plight of my husband she said,' sir, again you try , your supervisor is my husband, i too will tell him about your problem."
This time its the turn of my husband to be shocked. because he never thought or knew that she was the wife of his supervisor, because this lady is Scheduled caste person, and the supervisor was a Brahman man by caste.
Without another word , he thanked her and went and met the supervisor and when he was told to submit an application for transfer he did it and he came and told me about all this episode. In heart of hearts I knew that God, my Father started to move the pawns to do what He promised me to do about the transfer of my husband. I knew that God in His great mercy arranged all these steps to happen in a beautiful way.
But if you think that we got transfer, in this short way, it means you are ignorant of His ways. There were hurdles,obstacles to overcome.... Which I will give an account into the next episode.
That day as per the suggestion of the colleague who was a christian and whose husband and supervisor of my husband's section was a Hindu Brahman, my husband went and met him and told him his predicament.
That gentleman was kind enough to inform my husband that," There is man in AEN Railway office in Eluru, by name Bhasha who applied for the transfer to Vijayawada, it means you may get a mutual transfer, but the thing is he applied in the year 1984, so you need to meet him and get a fresh application from him, and we will try for your mutual transfer."
That day when my husband came in flying colors, to home and informed me that the next day as it was weekend holiday for him in DEN office ,vij , but working day for AEN office, elr. he would go and meet this man B. I knew that the Lord was doing wonderful thing in our life, and that He is going to keep His promise that my husband would get a transfer to Eluru to be a support to me to go to college in time for the next academic year.
So thanking God we retired to the beds that night, and the next morning my husband T Yesuratnam went to the AEN office with great expectations. That afternoon when I came from College he informed me,
" Leela, praise the Lord, B accepted to go to vijayawada as he wanted to do Polytechnic studies, and improve his career performance and he asked me to meet him next weekend that he would draft the letter of application for transfer and give it to me.'
We praise God once again with deep gratitude in our hearts. All through the week we were praising God for His great love for us. Again the week end, Saturday, my husband went to the AEN office with great expectations, but he was utterly disappointed by the answer he received this time.
He told me that weekend afternoon, like this, " Leela, B has changed his promise, he told me that his in laws and his parents live in Thangellamudi, and they do not want him to go to Vij/ on the other hand it seems his wife is BA., B.ed. graduate, and that she applied for Municipality teacher post, and she might get it soon , if only he would pay Rs.30000/- as bribe in the office. Therefore he is not willing to give application for transfer to Vij/ now"
I saw the disappointment in my dear husband eyes, but the voice of God told me that he would get transfer is it not? so I told him, " hubby, this is only an obstacle in great miracle that's going to happen .. So let us pray much more and see how God would do His plan for us" ( I knew God is going to get this transfer, by all means )
So we both took our supplications to the Lord, who knew our problems, our sweat, our agony, One month passed on, no news of any sort, but I knew that he will get the transfer.
That evening he came a bit early from the office, with a suitcase in his hands, Whenver he comes like that, he was supposed to catch a train that night to go to Hyderabad on office work.
I was sitting on the mat along with my two little children teaching them the lessons of the school, we did not have any sofas or good chairs to sit, still we were married in 1979 and that year was 1991.. we had 4 folding chairs for the visitors, and we used to keep those aside.
I saw him all in smiles, so I asked him, 'What hubby, are going to came tonight, you came earlier today?"
He did not answer but sat on a chair unfolding it and took off the shoes still smiling and opened the suitcase and brought out a typed paper, and gave it to me saying, " See, See, what is in it"
I could not believe my eyes, this July 1991, I got the promise from God in the month of May 1991, about his transfer, now what I was seeing in the Government Order was....1) A request Transfer of a man from Guntur to Ongole, 2) A requested Transfer of B from Eluru to Vijayawada, 3) A requested Transfer of Mr. Yesuratnam from Vijayawada to Eluru
It was sealed by the Office of the DEN. and signed by the highest authority of DEN office who was known for his Bribary life.
I found myself in utter joy and merry noise, many ohs ahas I said, " Emandi , what happened, what is this miracle?"
He told me like this like a story in the Suspense novel, That morning the supervisor, the gentleman came to his desk at 10 am and asked him, hurriedly and , "mr Yesuratnam, do you have the copy of the application for transfer you gave to me one month back I need it urgently , very urgent.. can you give it now?"
" yes, sir,"
My husband was known for his meticulous and tidy habits, he keeps the things in order, and in their place all ways., whereas me could not keep pace with him all ways and often get scoldings from him for my untidy way of keeping things here and there, I used to change the furniture or books or things to different positions, which often irks him , who wanted the paper or book in the same place all the time. Because I could not do like that and as I used to change the things often, he used to call me by nick name T><M = Thalakai Marchipadesthavu.... ( You change Thalakai means Heads Marchivesthavu menas you change )
So as per his meticulous habit he opened his his desk draw and picked the application from the file and gave it to him.
By 3pm the same gentleman brought this GO of transfer order and gave it to my husband.
What happened in the Boss office was explained to my husband outside the office before he started to come home. it seems, That morning at 10am the Boss called the gentleman and told him that he is going to leave for USA next day, as visa is ready that day, and told him if he needed any papers to be signed , he would sign and go, and this trip is top secret, and no body should no about this. so this gentleman asked my husband for the application copy and he drafted the letter then and there and got it typed and gave it to the Boss to sign with other urgent papers. PRAISE THE LORD. Do you know why the boss was so hurry to leave the country..? The month June 1991 was the month we were praying for the transfer, and the Lord send Vigilance on hotline on this Boss to check with his bribe habits and drag him into the trap. Knowing this the Boss left the country immediately without telling any one, and without any news of his departure leaked out to any one, except the Supervisor the gentleman, a Hindu, and a kind person. God used him to help us in this spectacular way. God loves every one , Hindu , Muslim or Parsi, He use any one for His purpose to be fulfilled.
Do not think the story had come to an end.. No no no no.... the real story started that night.
So before retiring to the bed after the family prayer, after the session of praise and thanksgiving, my husband said,' Leela, today Friday, tomorrow even if go to office B cannot give his Relieving letter because he cannot join in Vij because its weekend holiday on saturday. so I have to go to AEN office only on Monday to get my joining report., though I got my relieving letter from today. I said, "ok you can do like that." Then just before he lied down on the bed and say goodnight, he said, " Leela, B is very famous person, he being a muslim a member of the Majdur Union of Railways, its a very strong Union, if B tells them he got transfer like this they would take it a challenge and stop the transfer, on the other hand B got a very close relative an uncle in Railnilayam Hyderabad, in a very high position in Railways, if B called him on phone and tell him to stop the transfer it would be done." I was staring at him the dark night, in the zero bulb light, I did not speak any thing, but as the day was a hectic day for me, very tired, I closed my eyes to sleep. But I had to get up at 3am, wide awake, no more sleep, my thoughts went to the words he spoke at the end of the day. Great fear took hold of me, what if B goes to the Muslim Union, what if he called his influential uncle in Railways Hyderabad, What will happen..? the transfers will be stopped? I got down from the bed, the room was small one I did not have much place after we spread the beds ,everyday , in the night shift them to the wall in the day time. so I got down and make a little space for myself, near the bed, almost my knees under the cot, and poured my fears to Him, my Friend who lends His ears all the time in a crooked place even like this. My Bible was with me , I opened it, it opened at 62 Psalms, I was reading the Psalm, as if God was asking me to read it, "For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be shaken. the verse 9th goes like this.----"those of low estate are but a breath; those of higher estate are low delusion, in the balanaces they go up; they ae together lighter than breath. ----hey who is this of LOW ESTATE... surely B, and Mujdhur Union, yea they are just a BREATH to Him. who is this HIGHER ESTATE-----Surely B's uncle in higher position in Railways ---but he too is a low delusion... What will happen to this LOW ESTATE & HIGHER ESTATE both in the balances go up; they are together lighter than breath...
My heart is lighter than the feather reading this 9th verse, they are together lighter than breath, ? I am more lighter than the feather, It is God who is telling me both would go up in the balances; then the last verse of the 62 Psalm
Once God has spoken twice I have heard; that power belongs to God.
Yes God spoke to us ONCE, i.e., Relieving Order is given, once for all, But TWICE I HAVE HEARD. oh yes twice I am hearing that POWER BELONGS TO GOD. , TWICE... twice... the second time ... that is Joining report... Yes Lord I know you will do this , Once your brought him from Vij/ now you will join in him in Eluru. wonderful... Wonderful. !! I was praising God.
Jesus told us that we should believe everything that we possessed already, whatever I prayed for , yes now I knew that He is going to help us in joining in the Eluru office just as he helped us in relieving from vij/ office. I knew it even while we were praying for it.
On Monday, in stead of going to Vij early in the morning at 6am , he dropped me at my college at 9 :15 pm and as he was going back , I told him, "Hubby, I have class in the first period, after it is over, by 11 am I will come down from the first floor to the office. you call me on office phone and I will be there in office, let me know about the office." We both are light hearted and happy. Knowing God is with us.
After the first period of class I was rushing to the office then I heard the phone ringing. The clerk who was sitting there her name Miss Leela. , seeing me entering the office room said,
"Miss this phone call is for your only"
yea I know... I thanked her and told her yea I am expecting this call, and grabbed the phone at once, and on the other end of the line my husband's sweet voice , I heard, "Praise The Lord , Leela" I said, Oh yes, Praise the Lord, what happened? I suppose No problem with B ?
" No , No, poor B he is suffering from fever since three days, so he did not come to office till this morning, and when he is given this GO, he did not say anything but signed and took his relieving order from the Superintendent here, I gave my joining report and joined in the office.
" Oh praise God, I shouted,
he said,
Leela I need to go to Vij now taking some files from here, so now i am going from here, catching some train, so evening I will come back."
" What about Lunch?
" Never mind today I will eat in the cafeteria"
I told leela about this good news, and rushed in one step like to the chamber of Sr. Principal, Sr. Winifred, and entered into it asking "May I come in' , blurted out , 'you know sister, good news, my husband got transfer to Eluru." My face was beaming with a big grin on my face, my godly sister also beamed with joy and an big grin as well, said, " Oh Miss congratulations, so you will be in college by 9;30 am ? hahah ?" she was laughing with joy ful heart. I said, ' Oh no no Sister I will be here by 9:15am itself because he has to be in the office by 9:30am, both of us laughing like little children who found a nice toy to play suddenly.
I rushed to the staff room and not knowing how to tell all the 14 lecturers in the room I shouted, "Hey A good news for all of you" and again I said, oh nono, its a good news for me, its, it my husband got transfer to Eluru." All of them know how much I was suffering because of lack of his presence in Eluru, this group of lecturers belong to the department of ARTS we share every thing with each other so they were sympathetic.
That evening there was a greater narration of the story that happened in his office that morning. my husband told me like this, " Leela do you know what had happened this morning in this office in Eluru, I went there to give my joining report after B gave his relieving report, the superintend said that there is no Head Drafts man post which is mine to work in this office, saying that he wrote with his green ink across the GO underneath of it , that there is no HD post for me and he could not take joining report from me.
At that moment the Head clerk came into the room saw the GO and said, " sir , there is this post in our office, when you were not joined in this office , one week back there was a GO sent from head office that the post for Head drafts man was created.
With this the superintend could not say anything, so he accepted the letter from my husband. After this work was finished and while B and Head clerk and my husband were talking about the Office work then the post man came with a card for B from the man from Guntur, who was transfered to Ongole, in that he wrote, Dear B I got transferred to Guntur which I asked for one year back, now I think I do not want to go on transfer, so you too do not give the relieving report, we both will go to Hyderabad this week and try to stop these transfers. " that was the gist of the post card which was read by B aloud for my husband, and HC.. head clerk said now we cannot do any thing as Mr Yesurathanm all ready joined 10 minutes back.
When my husband was telling me all this , I heard him intently and said to him, " Hubby, I often had an idea before my conversion that my dad would do any thing , he is so powerful as a Police officer, , in this case as an earthly father he might have helped us in one step or two steps, but not in so many steps, like this ..7 steps.... oh yes we walked 7 steps with the Lord.... and its wonderful to walk with Him.
God was preparing me to stand for the Lord, and not to trust in the money god, or Mammon, from the very first year of my job as a lecturer, I was writing all those wonderful stories in the previous 5 parts under the heading now this is the 6th part, of those series. May of us are under the impression that taking bribe is drastically a sin because it shows the greediness of the man, but what about giving bribe, most of us think its inevitable, and it is a way of life, and especially in India, nothing can be done in the offices unless we give bribe, and so many think there is no problem if we give bribe as a 'gift' or do something for those bribers, even if it is out of way... to get things to be done.
But beware friends, God sees the heart, John 2:25 No one need to testify to Jesus , Christ knows what is in the heart of man without any external evidence.. " He did not need any testimony about mankind; for He knew what was in each person.." He knows whether You trust in His mighty power to do things for you, or you believe that your might, your power your trust in money will do things for you... Though it looks as a trivial thing, in everyday life it reflects our faith.. our trust our righteousness, We cannot serve God and mammon .. admired , trusted in, and worshipped as if they were god for no one can serve two masters... you can serve both God and money..... Abraham trusted God and it was considered as righteousness....Trusting God that He would do any thing, change the minds of the bribers is one such thing, but if in stead if we think that the money in the vallet will do that work ... God sees even that. Whether we are in group or alone, whether our files are along with others or solely on the table of the briber, can we trust in a God who is all powerful or trust Him alone?
Here comes the test ... very stealthily, its not a test like Joseph got, or Daniel and his friends got, but its undercover, we think we have to give because they are going our work, we conviniently for get that its their job to do our work and Governemnt is paying their salaries for that work... and we think we are obliged to pay extra money for the briber is expecting for his extra work, in fact its not extra work, its his work , he has to do, he will give a pose that he is working for us alone and demand a gift.. which in other words nothing but bribe... so when one sits and think about this keenly in the presence of God , one has to answer to God ... whether he believes in God or the money in his wallet. !
so while we purchased the house at the time of registration, I was challenged by the staff that I cannot escape from giving the bribe in the registrar office, But God spoke to me through the verse " Is the Lord's power limited?" Numbers 11:25 ....Even at the time of getting Muncipal tap water, or electricity to the house God wrought miracles and helped us to get things done without giving a single pie as the bribe.
Now after I was retired, in the year 2010, I need to get my pension, I got terrible fever and chickngunea and suffering a lot... my papers were in DHE ( Deputy Higher Education ) office and they say in college unless I pay the bribe the DHE office people never work out the pension and never release it in time. The office clerk Ms V was pestering me to give away Rs. 10000/- as bribe and that she will look after everything thereafter. As the office staff and even the new principal Sr. T C knew that I would not give the bribe, as a matter of fact told me that I need to give that amount, or otherwise my papers would be set aside along with the other 3 or 4 lecturers who were retiring that season. I bluntly told them ' I will not give even one single pie.. and its your duty to send the service register and the pension papers to DHE office. I was also told once the papers moved to AG office every thing will be on computer visible to every one to know the process of work out, so if the work in DHE office is over half work is over.
so the clerk v one day called me on phone and told me that my pension application papers were returned back from DHE office. Not knowing what was all that about I went and met her. She told me,' Mam, in your Service register its written that you were given post as Lecturer from 1976 but DHE office says, there were no posts of Lecturer at that time only Jr Lecturer posts were there." I said , but as there was no Social work Subject at Intermediate level I was not posted with intermediate Board but with UGC from the very beginning so you cannot say that I was jr Lecturer at the time of my posting. She said,' I do not know mam, there is a GO which says that all who were posted in that year were considered jr Lecturers for three years, and thereby your service as Lecturer will be cut of those three years. It means you cannot meet the required years for full pension, and your emoluments after the retirement also will be lessen to half"
I said, if it is so give me those GO orders for further enquiry, and I want to apply again with my own explanation, through the Principal. " With that I requested principal to sign the requisition letter on my behalf, but she called Miss V to the office and asked her in front of me is there any other way to solve this problemDHE office and we will try to change the year 1976 appointment as Lecturer, and she can escape the retrenchment of three years of service..for counting the pension. I knew these people are dancing to the tune of the bribers there in the DHE office and trying to fool me, what they were talking is absurd, I was shocked to hear Principal T also asking me to give away the bribe. I told her and Miss V, all this look like a planned thing for me, and how dare are those DHE people to tamper my Service Register and change the dates or appointment? What I deserve I will get, even if it is only half of the pension, or half of the emoluments it is enough for me,, I will get only what I deserve.. but I will not give one single pie. If you ask me for Rs20000/- for the poor I will consider to give , but as bribe I wont give not even single pie.." Then the principal told me,' Miss then you need to take your service register and papers to DHE office all by yourself... will you go?" I said , yes I will go, but as usual Thota Venkateswaroa is going with this work, is it not... send him on behalf of me, I will pay the TA and DA to him. " with this words I took leave and came home, and knelt down and yeilded to His will.
After two hours, I got a phone call from Principal, telling me the papers will be sent to DHE office by courier, and Thota Venkatewarao is busy on some other work. Was she threatening me that my papers would be thrown into the dustbin if not given by hand. But whatever be theri intention good or bad, I trusted in the Living God, so immediately I told her, "Sister, that would be the best thing to do, I am praying and everything will be done according to His will"
I was retired on 31st of August, 2010.. and I was attacked with high fever of 104 degrees F heat, and terrible joint pains, and bed riddenb for 3 months, later I started to walk but could not make it in full health. in this stature one day I went out to buy some vegetables but could not reach home, so I sat in the church which was adjacent to my home and asked one boy to go and open the door from other side and gave him the main gate keys to do so. I sat and praying for my pension, and that moment one couple was coming out of the hall and saw me and asked me, the man was led to the Lord by my husband, I used to take care of him and his mother, very lovingly by providing food and meeting other needs as they were from a village, he got a good job so they came and met us long back. now he was married, and told me that day was their wedding anniversary day. His name is Mr M R so after I congratulate him I answered them why I was sitting there, and when he enquired me about my pension was settled, I informed him that all tht happend and asked him to pray for the issue. He said, 'Aunty, once those papers move to AG office from DHE office let me know , the AG general Mr Israel is honest man, he is my room mate when I was doing my PG in Agl in Bapatla, I have met him only a month ago in a seminar, he gave me his mobile number and told me if there is any work in AG office I can call him." ----I was fully sick my body , legs, face and even skull was inflamed, and watered, so what I was hearing was like a dream for me.. I thanked them and came home praised God and informed to my children and one other friend, about God's good hand on me by keeping God fearing man as General of AG office who was the friend of my spiritual son...who offered to help me in this regard.
I know that Power belongs to God, His power is not limited... Faith does not come instantly, it has to be exercised daily in every event, it comes only when we listen to His word carefully and by experience we have to taste it... God prepared me from 1976...even before that my dad a police officer , took many bribes, in his job, but he sold the fertile land in E.G.Dt and gave that lump sum money as restitution money in the House of God, we never regret for it, we did not have any property as we parted with the lands we had as restitution, we were happy to do so. We sought a place in heaven not in this world. So my heart was prepared to face any consequences about this bribe right from my beginning of the job... so at the end of this job this temptation of bribe did not move me an inch.
The story did not stop here, there were still more hurdles, and I had to exercise my faith basing upon that promise I got in case of my husband's transfer in 1992...Psalms 62:11 One thing God spoken two things I have heard Power belongs to God----
God was preparing me to stand for the Lord, and not to trust in the money god, or Mammon, from the very first year of my job as a lecturer, I was writing all those wonderful stories in the previous 5 parts under the heading now this is the 6th part, of those series. May of us are under the impression that taking bribe is drastically a sin because it shows the greediness of the man, but what about giving bribe, most of us think its inevitable, and it is a way of life, and especially in India, nothing can be done in the offices unless we give bribe, and so many think there is no problem if we give bribe as a 'gift' or do something for those bribers, even if it is out of way... to get things to be done.
But beware friends, God sees the heart, John 2:25 No one need to testify to Jesus , Christ knows what is in the heart of man without any external evidence.. " He did not need any testimony about mankind; for He knew what was in each person.." He knows whether You trust in His mighty power to do things for you, or you believe that your might, your power your trust in money will do things for you... Though it looks as a trivial thing, in everyday life it reflects our faith.. our trust our righteousness, We cannot serve God and mammon .. admired , trusted in, and worshipped as if they were god for no one can serve two masters... you can serve both God and money..... Abraham trusted God and it was considered as righteousness....Trusting God that He would do any thing, change the minds of the bribers is one such thing, but if in stead if we think that the money in the vallet will do that work ... God sees even that. Whether we are in group or alone, whether our files are along with others or solely on the table of the briber, can we trust in a God who is all powerful or trust Him alone?
Here comes the test ... very stealthily, its not a test like Joseph got, or Daniel and his friends got, but its undercover, we think we have to give because they are going our work, we conviniently for get that its their job to do our work and Governemnt is paying their salaries for that work... and we think we are obliged to pay extra money for the briber is expecting for his extra work, in fact its not extra work, its his work , he has to do, he will give a pose that he is working for us alone and demand a gift.. which in other words nothing but bribe... so when one sits and think about this keenly in the presence of God , one has to answer to God ... whether he believes in God or the money in his wallet. !
so while we purchased the house at the time of registration, I was challenged by the staff that I cannot escape from giving the bribe in the registrar office, But God spoke to me through the verse " Is the Lord's power limited?" Numbers 11:25 ....Even at the time of getting Muncipal tap water, or electricity to the house God wrought miracles and helped us to get things done without giving a single pie as the bribe.
Now after I was retired, in the year 2010, I need to get my pension, I got terrible fever and chickngunea and suffering a lot... my papers were in DHE ( Deputy Higher Education ) office and they say in college unless I pay the bribe the DHE office people never work out the pension and never release it in time. The office clerk Ms V was pestering me to give away Rs. 10000/- as bribe and that she will look after everything thereafter. As the office staff and even the new principal Sr. T C knew that I would not give the bribe, as a matter of fact told me that I need to give that amount, or otherwise my papers would be set aside along with the other 3 or 4 lecturers who were retiring that season. I bluntly told them ' I will not give even one single pie.. and its your duty to send the service register and the pension papers to DHE office. I was also told once the papers moved to AG office every thing will be on computer visible to every one to know the process of work out, so if the work in DHE office is over half work is over.
so the clerk v one day called me on phone and told me that my pension application papers were returned back from DHE office. Not knowing what was all that about I went and met her. She told me,' Mam, in your Service register its written that you were given post as Lecturer from 1976 but DHE office says, there were no posts of Lecturer at that time only Jr Lecturer posts were there." I said , but as there was no Social work Subject at Intermediate level I was not posted with intermediate Board but with UGC from the very beginning so you cannot say that I was jr Lecturer at the time of my posting. She said,' I do not know mam, there is a GO which says that all who were posted in that year were considered jr Lecturers for three years, and thereby your service as Lecturer will be cut of those three years. It means you cannot meet the required years for full pension, and your emoluments after the retirement also will be lessen to half"
I said, if it is so give me those GO orders for further enquiry, and I want to apply again with my own explanation, through the Principal. " With that I requested principal to sign the requisition letter on my behalf, but she called Miss V to the office and asked her in front of me is there any other way to solve this problemDHE office and we will try to change the year 1976 appointment as Lecturer, and she can escape the retrenchment of three years of service..for counting the pension. I knew these people are dancing to the tune of the bribers there in the DHE office and trying to fool me, what they were talking is absurd, I was shocked to hear Principal T also asking me to give away the bribe. I told her and Miss V, all this look like a planned thing for me, and how dare are those DHE people to tamper my Service Register and change the dates or appointment? What I deserve I will get, even if it is only half of the pension, or half of the emoluments it is enough for me,, I will get only what I deserve.. but I will not give one single pie. If you ask me for Rs20000/- for the poor I will consider to give , but as bribe I wont give not even single pie.." Then the principal told me,' Miss then you need to take your service register and papers to DHE office all by yourself... will you go?" I said , yes I will go, but as usual Thota Venkateswaroa is going with this work, is it not... send him on behalf of me, I will pay the TA and DA to him. " with this words I took leave and came home, and knelt down and yeilded to His will.
After two hours, I got a phone call from Principal, telling me the papers will be sent to DHE office by courier, and Thota Venkatewarao is busy on some other work. Was she threatening me that my papers would be thrown into the dustbin if not given by hand. But whatever be theri intention good or bad, I trusted in the Living God, so immediately I told her, "Sister, that would be the best thing to do, I am praying and everything will be done according to His will"
I was retired on 31st of August, 2010.. and I was attacked with high fever of 104 degrees F heat, and terrible joint pains, and bed riddenb for 3 months, later I started to walk but could not make it in full health. in this stature one day I went out to buy some vegetables but could not reach home, so I sat in the church which was adjacent to my home and asked one boy to go and open the door from other side and gave him the main gate keys to do so. I sat and praying for my pension, and that moment one couple was coming out of the hall and saw me and asked me, the man was led to the Lord by my husband, I used to take care of him and his mother, very lovingly by providing food and meeting other needs as they were from a village, he got a good job so they came and met us long back. now he was married, and told me that day was their wedding anniversary day. His name is Mr M R so after I congratulate him I answered them why I was sitting there, and when he enquired me about my pension was settled, I informed him that all tht happend and asked him to pray for the issue. He said, 'Aunty, once those papers move to AG office from DHE office let me know , the AG general Mr Israel is honest man, he is my room mate when I was doing my PG in Agl in Bapatla, I have met him only a month ago in a seminar, he gave me his mobile number and told me if there is any work in AG office I can call him." ----I was fully sick my body , legs, face and even skull was inflamed, and watered, so what I was hearing was like a dream for me.. I thanked them and came home praised God and informed to my children and one other friend, about God's good hand on me by keeping God fearing man as General of AG office who was the friend of my spiritual son...who offered to help me in this regard.
I know that Power belongs to God, His power is not limited... Faith does not come instantly, it has to be exercised daily in every event, it comes only when we listen to His word carefully and by experience we have to taste it... God prepared me from 1976...even before that my dad a police officer , took many bribes, in his job, but he sold the fertile land in E.G.Dt and gave that lump sum money as restitution money in the House of God, we never regret for it, we did not have any property as we parted with the lands we had as restitution, we were happy to do so. We sought a place in heaven not in this world. So my heart was prepared to face any consequences about this bribe right from my beginning of the job... so at the end of this job this temptation of bribe did not move me an inch.
The story did not stop here, there were still more hurdles, and I had to exercise my faith basing upon that promise I got in case of my husband's transfer in 1992...Psalms 62:11 One thing God spoken two things I have heard Power belongs to God----
Thus my pension papers were sent to DHE office, I resolved to pray for this pension to be sanctioned without any bribe to be given. I went to Vizag, where my dad built three storied building, telling us each floor consists of 8 rooms belongs to one to each girl, The ground floor was mine and middle floor is for next girl, and the top floor to the last girl. I went there to renovate the building which was in ruined by 2010.. ( why and by whom I will write in another blog) So I was with my swollen legs was toiling to the core of my life all alone ... I was there for three months to complete this task at that time I got information that those papers were sent to AG office, now I have to pray for this issue. When I told about this and asked for prayer, my friend reminded me that Mr M promised me to help me once the papers sent to AG office. So immediately I called him and told him the details of the pension. He contacted his friend The General of Ag office, and told me that the papers were signed and he was asking him to send any one immediately to pick the papers by hand lest if they fall in the hands of the clerck concern again they would demand bribe. This is something extraordinary on behalf of the boss telling the lay people to pick up papers from his table. then and there before the file go to the desk of the briber. Mr M told me," aunty do u remember one particular girl L whom you lead to the Lord? her husband Mr B is now in Hyderabad , he took his daughter to attend an exam , and the center of that exam is just opposite to AG office and I told him to pick the papers from General table before the briber clerk comes and claim the papers. So he picked those papers and will bring those to Eluru tomorrow, when you come you can take those from me. "
What a wonderful God is He. The next day I went and received those papers from Mr M and entrusted those to a friend who was a journalist and my right hand in every work of mine in the absence of my children. He took those papers to the Treasury office where he was given due respect and finished the work quickly without asking for a sing pie of bribe as it was their wont. Next he only took the papers to Sub treasury office and submitted on behalf of me, on the day of receiving the check he asked me to come to the office and I was giving right into the chamber of the officer and the clerks who were known for bribe taking , came to my table and got my signatures and gave the cheques... by evening I received all my emoluments and pension orders without any delay. I felt like I was with my Police officer Dad with this friend of mine Mr MM journalist while this work being done... My friends my colleagues still feel this is a mystery as they did give lot of money on percentage basis to these offices, whereas I escaped it without giving even a single pie as bribe.
But the story of pension did not end here, it so happened I retired the post with old pay scale, and the revised pay scale is applicable so I need to send those papers of revised pay pension again to DHE office.. this time the real urge to claim the promise of 'Once I heard, but twice it happened, the Power belong to God ' came in handy to my rescue. I started to pray louder claiming this promise.
But this time as I was not in the service, I had to take the papers to DHE office for scrutiny and again went there to get the papers be sanctioned, this time the particular clerks played a game with me. Making me to stand there for hours together, the attender comes and tell me if I pay some money, the papers would move etc etc.. This is the first time I ever was told to do so on my face. I know the money to give is in my hand bag, but where my faith lies, in my bag or in my God. I had to talk sternly, and also act docile , asking those clerks to finish the work or else I would see Suneetha IAS and would ask her why they are not able find out my service register and give to me for further dealings. Telling them like that I went and sat at the portico of the officer, the attender came asked me whether I want to meet Suneetha, but i denied to meet her, because I knew my Lord is the higher authority and as I was sitting there and praying Him I knew He would do this on my behalf, later they called me and gave the papers i needed asked me to go and meet someone who was not there, but on christian attender rescued me took me to the concern engineer who was about to leave for home as the time was 5pm. He immediately signed my papers, while he was signing the concerned clerk came and was trying to object to sign as I need to get fresh application again from the college. for which the officer answered sharply, " I have signed, no more to do now" and gave those papers to my hand. This was just a glimpse of the whole story, as I was not healthy at that time, my memory is lost for many minute details, of miracles which I forgot to record here.
Thus I recieved my pension full and emoluments full. But in the year 2014 again I got some arrears , say 1000000 /- again the college clerk tried to woo me for the bribe to get those released. I was adamant as it was, and did not pay a single pie... tried many means to win, see the people of this world to do wrong things, they are all ways very obstinate they never give up even on hard cases like me. but we as christians do loose hope so easily to win a soul..
