‘Don’t ask who said it; take heed of what’s said’

In the year 1981 I was asked to submit the Passport application of my Boss for he was to go to Germany on official business. Before submission, I glanced through the application and noticed that in one column he had mentioned about some civil suit pending against him in a family land dispute at his home town in Akola.  I told my boss that with such facts mentioned, issuance of passport would be delayed. But, he wanted to play ‘Harishchandra’ and perhaps did not want to heed the suggestion of a junior functionary which finally resulted in denial of passport to him.  Those days getting a foreign trip used to be precious, and another officer was deputed for the work!

In life’s journey, we would come across situations when we need to heed to the advice of auto drivers and rickshaw-pullers.  In Kashmir, it would perhaps be a rickshaw-puller who may be telling you not to venture into certain terrorist infested areas after dusk.

In May last year me, my wife and daughter went from Darjeeling to the world famous Tiger Hill early morning at 4.00 a.m. to see the sun rise at the Kanchenjunga (sun rises around 5.15 am there).  Sun rise there is a spectacular sight, with a 360◦ view of the snow-clad Himalayas and the highest peak Kanchenjunga.  We came back to the hotel around 7.30 am visiting a church en-route.   On reaching the hotel, our companion Luxuman who drove us around from the time we landed at the Bagdogra airport told us that the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha might foment trouble at the meeting of Madan Tamang, the Gorkha ABGL leader around 9.00 am and it would be better if we left the place soon.  Though we had planned to stay for another day, heeding his advice, we left for the safer Siliguri at 8.00 am in a vehicle arranged by Luxuman.  At half way, the driver got a message that Madan Tamang has been murdered and life in the entire Hills has come to a standstill.  We patted our back for heeding the advice of Luxuman or else we would have been stranded there.

So my friends, we should have the wisdom to heed ‘what is said than asking who said it’.   At times it is our ego which comes into clash, but then there is wisdom in listening to strangers, parents, elders, priests, religious etc. because their words come out of their experience and age.

Good Shepherd & Bible

In a village, a child wouldn’t dare go out in the darkness, but if the child’s father holds his hand, he would walk with the father without any thought of fear. In the same manner, if you believe that your father in heaven is walking alongside, you would not have fear of anything even if the path beset with dangers. There is nothing more assuring than these words in Psalms 23:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake;
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I shall fear no evil; for you are with me
Your rod and your staff comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the day of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

I sincerely thank my (biological) Father who is now 93 for teaching us children to include the above Psalms in our daily prayer, which we still follow.

In the New Testament Jesus said “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life the sheep. I know my own and my own know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus further said: “I tell you in solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but enters through some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.”

In the land where Jesus lived shepherds called their sheep by name. A sheep knows his shepherd’s voice. If you mixed two flocks of sheep and each shepherd called his own sheep, each flock would go to its own shepherd. Jesus, our shepherd knows his flocks by name. He calls each of us to come to Him.

Jesus also gave the example of the Good Shepherd who leaves his ninety-nine sheep to look for the one ‘lost’ sheep. A Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. And that is what happened; He gave his life for us, for our sins on the cross of Calvary to make atonement for our sins, and to secure us the gift of eternal life.

The first time I experienced his rod and staff was at the age of nine when I was miraculously saved from drowning in a whirlpool. How can He allow his beloved to perish? In Jeremiah 1:4 it is written “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart”. Thus says the Lord in Isaiah 49:15-16 “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”

I need to ask you a very personal question, my friend: “Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Good Shepherd? Do you hear His voice? If you hear His voice He will surely enter your heart and will lead you through life and the blessings of Psalms 23 would be experienced by you in Him.

My first blog

It has been long since I wanted to pen  my thoughts on my evolvement till this date;  and yes, finally I have been able to create this blog.  I do hope to recapitulate how the journey has been this far, some of my trials and tribulations and how Jesus showed me the way and saved me from difficulties and made me realise that HE is my Good Shepherd.