He carried me ……..

                                                  Greetings to all our beloved brothers and sisters in the mighty name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ. As we move through the Lenten days and meditate on the cross, the overwhelming presence of His grace embraceth all, enlightening our spirit and soul .  He who showed His great love and compassion on us by allowing His only begotten Son to suffer and die on the cross, for our redemption. He loved us yet we were sinners. He is our loving father. He has given us the right to call Him : “Abba” (father) even though we are not worthy.

Thinking about father’s love I was reminded of my father, who showed special love on me, the third in the siblings of four. Those days the temple festivals will happen with great aplomb ! For about a month’s time, the entire town will be lit with all types of folk arts, fire works and processions. Thousands will gather from the town and nearby villages.     I come from a place  which was the doyen of folk arts in Tamil Nadu: Oyilattam, Mayilattam, Kolattam, Kuruviattam, Poikal Kuthirai, Maanaatam…. And the list is endless. The folk arts show will start by ten in the night and will end by three in the morning. The focus will be the temple tank and its Theppam (float). People will gather and enjoy the shows irrespective of their religious and cultural affiliation, and will greet each other. So, my father  used to take me alone most of the days, and he will put me on his shoulders and go around walking all the three hours of the show, moving around thousands of people. Whenever I look back those days, I used to wonder about how much my father loved me to carry me on his shoulders with my tiny legs around his neck, so that I get a full view of the festivities…..till I had an experience of my own as a father myself.

During my tenure at Bangalore, we used to enjoy the Sunday evenings by taking a stroll in the streets of Infantry Road, Brigade Road and Commercial Street and we all enjoyed these . My son was about 11 years old and my daughter aged about 5 years. One day while walking through the Commercial Street, I was holding my daughter’s hand and we were moving on. After some time, suddenly I found my daughter was missing. I raised an alarm and all of us looked around in search of my daughter. After about two minutes, I could see my daughter running from from a distance crying “Appa, Appa”. I ran forward and took her and lifted her and put her on my shoulders with her tiny legs around my neck. Then we asked her about what happened : I will recall this in my daughter’s own words: “As we were walking, suddenly one uncle came to my side and smiled at me. He appeared to be nice and kind. He extended his hand and without my knowledge I started walking with him. After a few minutes suddenly I realized that I was away from my daddy…sudden panic struck me. But I heard a sweet little voice (very clear) in my ears:” Run now ! Go back to daddy”. I bolted from this man and started running back to you”. ….We were all in tears and we all kissed her again and again and I never let her down from my shoulders on the street that day despite the apparent civil code of the Metropolis like Bangalore…….As the years passed by, the  incident was forgotten.

Few weeks back,  I was listening to a message by one of the our  blessed Preachers online. He was narrating an incident about what happened to a family. Both are young techies working in Bangalore and had a sweet little kid. One day  while this mother and daughter went on a ride in their car, suddenly some other car came and brushed against their car in the back and rushed off without stopping. Mother stopped the car and went around  to have a look about any dent in the back of the car. By the time she returned, to her shock, she found her little daughter missing from the front seat !  Alarm bells were raised and finally police complaint was lodged but to no avail. About two years passed by….The couple went through much mental suffering…One day one of their colleagues called on them and told that , he saw some child who resembled the lost one , and hesitated to add that the child was blind and was begging in the streets. This place was about 200 kms from Bangalore. The couple sought the help of the Police Authorities and went to this place. Yes, it was their dear little child begging on the streets, but she had become blind. The Police Official requested them to wait. After some time a man came and collected the money from her and held her in his hands and started walking back. The Police Official swooped on him and both child and this man taken back to Bangalore. On their investigation, the Police Authorities found that , this man used to abduct children, blind them and make them beggars . Some more children were rescued from his custody…..

As I was hearing this incident from the Preacher, some thing like a moving express train hit me on the chest…Panic gripped me about what could have been the fate of my daughter many years back ……After some time,  I was comforted by the fact that His grace engulfed my little daughter. The Holy Spirit spoke to her in ears, warning her to run…. The Lord says “ My grace is sufficient for thee”… Then I suddenly remembered the reason as to why my father never let me down from his shoulders all through the night, despite the discomfort caused to him….But he never told me so,  even later years, but time made me understand and appreciate his love and compassion.

The Lord of hosts declares: “ Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young , so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them on his pinions”              

                                                ( Deuteronomy 32:11 New Living Translation).   

“And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you travelled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child .Now He has brought you to this place “. (Deuteronomy 1:31)

Then I remembered the cross.

As Jesus carried the cross, with rivers of sweat and blood flowing from him, He carried us, with all our sins and transgressions and He carried us on the cross. His love is beyond any earthly father’s love. His love is fathomless deep….His mercies endureth for ever…

It is written : “ And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him”.  (Luke 15:20 New Living Translation).

The same loving Father still calls you and me everyday, to come and enter His Kingdom, as His son…..

Are we  listening ? 

Gods Love Missions Family.