... falls down on me. (lyrics from the "Grace Like Rain" by Todd Agnew)
I feel really blessed.
After school (Hebron), I tried really hard to get out of India. I wanted to study anywhere but here mainly because I had many stereotypical notions about the education system here and frankly I was terrified of living here and never getting out. I don't feel the same way anymore (well, most of the time, I have a good dose of "I-hate-living-in-India" days but doesn't everybody?) I feel like I have a purpose in this country. Heck, I know there is a purpose. Nevertheless, it was difficult, especially because practically ALL my friends live/study abroad and I wanted to be closer to them (although that's barely possible since they live in all the corners of the world and therefore there would have to be atleast 10 of me to be close to my closest friends.) But God, in His infinite wisdom had other plans. He literally closed all doors, windows, cracks, holes, etc of my leaving India. I'm serious. I think He hinted at it many times - like complications with my passport, but I wouldn't listen and I pushed and tirelessly fought for it so finally to get through my thick skull He had to make it pretty obvious where He wanted me (In India, more specifically in Bombay living with my grand-mom) and honestly, today I could not be more thankful.
I don’t know how to explain it but when you’re in the centre of His will, everything falls into place and because He loves you He will provide and ‘make up’ for all the things that you think you are missing out on in ways that you could never have imagined, in ways that are so much more meaningful…
Friends. The friends I made at Hebron are so so precious to me and it kills me that I have to be so far from them but over the last two-and-a-half years I have had the chance to meet
- Orville, two times.
- Niru, two times.
- Taryn, three or four times.
- Grace, many times because we both lived in Bangalore for a while after school.
- Jonny, two times.
- Sakshi, once.
- Tashu, once.
…amongst other Hebronites. I’ve been able to have great phone conversations with so many others. I get letters :)
And to top it all off, I’ve also made the most special bunch of friends in Bombay too. You know who you are! Honestly, I wouldn’t have survived without you :)
The last few years out of school have been bumpy learning curves and living in Bombay with my granny - well, it ain't easy by any stretch of the word - but I wouldn’t exchange this for anything because I know that I am where I am meant to be and there’s no better knowledge than that.
So why am I telling you all this? Well, its just sort of been a recurring theme in my life at the moment. And this verse keeps coming back to me: “For I know the plans that I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” (Jer 29:11) and I thought I’d share that with you…
I’ve had the most special one-and-a-half days with Grace and her friend, Onyou. They’re both South Koreans and live in Bangalore. Grace and I have been friends for almost 8 years; we started our journey at Hebron together in 2000. She studies in S. Korea and came back to India for a short holiday with her family and paid me a short and extremely sweet visit in Bombay. Oh, and she brought Kim Chi, LOTS of it :) But more on all that later. For now, a few pictures…
computer-time.
Shopping in Bandra.
Mitzi (Orville's younger sister) and Grace at home.
Grace, telling us about a Korean book she read.
All of us just before they headed out to the train station. Onyou, Mitzi, Grace and Tina.
Grace like rain falls down on me. Have a great weekend!
