Before me sharing how I came to Christ, I have to tell my complete life for you to understand it much clear.
I was from a middle class Hindu family stayed in Chennai, India. We are four in our family, my father was working in a private company, my mom was house wife, my brother and myself. I was around 3-4 years old child at that time. My brother should be 9-10 years old. I hardly remember my late brother's face and those days. We all where living in a newly built house by my father built.
My brother passed away(due to cancer) at his childhood age without even had time to enjoy like us in this world. Every parents who love their child will know how much pain it would be to see their own child dying in-front of their eyes helplessly. Same way my mom was and she was mentally disturbed by this. Before this sorrow pass away, their was another storm stricken my family. We where asked to leave the house as government planned to expand the road.
My mom health got more worse because of this. She was put in a stage that she is almost lost her control and got more affected in her mind. My dad took her to several doctor and nothing worked, finally we went a doctor who gave treatment to my mom for several years. This treatment reduce her mental pressure but not completely. My mom has to take the tablets and go for regular treatment to keep her in control. That is really a terrible one. Most of the time my mom wont take tablets, and she will start to shout or sometime fight with my dad. My dad is really great, he never divorce or left my mom for this. He took much care for her and spent really huge amount for her treatment with the belief that she will one day become normal and we will live a peaceful life.
Because of this, most of the time at home their will be some fight even went to extreme cases which i have seen in my eyes. Those things really affected my life and I had a fearful life all these days. I lost the love and peace in my childhood itself. I cant blame my parents because its nature which made them like that. I should say, my family itself lost the peace and love.
We had relatives for name sake. They all are for money and come only if they need something(money) from us. Even my mom's parents did not come to see or take care of her you know? Have you heard of this any where? Both relatives from my father and mom other side are money oriented. Even if we try to have relationship with them, they always ignore us, sometime put us down.
I literally will say that i don't have relatives at all. I am so much frustrated, even relative are like this. My Mom and Dad are so good, they live together for us only. They sacrificed everything for me. But they tried to have peace in our house but couldn't.
I am always a silent guy in the class( even now..) and don't interact with anyone. I just go to the school and come home with no joy in my heart. I had so much pressure from my parents to study, so i did not have the school days fun also. I hardly had one or tow friends in school days. I am child who believe everything what i hear at that time. I don't like people who tell lies. I had a friend, Ashok Samson. He is my only friend in school days, do you believe?. I got chance of going to his house for school related stuff and found how peaceful their home was. My heart for longing such a kind of peace in my home also. During that time, i noted Jesus photo in his house. That was the first impression I got on the christian life.
Remember I was studying in Christian school where we used to have daily prayers. But nothing went in my heart or mind. I did it just for name sake. I did not get any impression on christian because of going to Christian school. People here used to think wrongly that if any person got converted to Christian and if that person had studied in Christian school, they first say
"He/She has studied in Christian School that's why he/she got converted."
That is because of their ignorance to know the truth and assume everything on their own. Their no truth in this, not everyone follow Christ because he/she studied in Christian school.
Also one more thing I wish to share here is, at school we where given a free new testament Bible. Believe me I just saw what the book is and never studied that Bible those days.Why I am saying all this is, I did not come to Christ because i studied in Christian School.
Ok coming back, My first impression at my friend house made me to think how their life alone is so peace and when our life will be like that. I had went to Hindu temples with my parents and prayed lot lot. Nothing changed in my life, other than me wasting time going their.
Still my life did not get the peace which i needed. One day, a thought came in my mind, who is true God. We have Hindu gods, Muslim god, Christian God and so many in this world. Who is true God? Whom we have to worship? This is not an easy question for which we can find answer in a day or months or years. I started to do prayer without knowing who the true God is. I used have all gods in my prayer, seeking to know who the true God is. I continued my prayer daily and it went few months like this. I noticed their is some change happening in my family. Ok I see some response for my prayers. But through which God this change is happening? I questioned lot myself, with no one guidance. I worshiped Hindu god for long years I didn't see this change that time. So I removed Hindu god from my prayers. I didn't know about other gods, but I have seen Jesus photo in my friend house. Is this then a true God who is changing my life here?
I decided to worship Jesus alone and see If i am still seeing any change in my life. I continued my prayers daily worshiping Jesus alone. My God, I was still seeing the peace slowly coming into my family.
If I am not worshiping true God, this change would haven't happen or continued. I clearly see the peace in my life, I clearly see the difference. My parents doesn't know about my prayers. Actually I don't know how to pray but I prayed truly in my heart to HIM. Remember I still did not read Bible, All I did i started to believe HIM and continued to pray.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled". Matthew 5:6
My career of school and college went normally. I did continued to pray daily and meanwhile I stopped worshiping other gods. Days went like this and by God's grace I got a job in small but very nice company. I initially thought why God has placed me here but the reason I come to know only later after years.
As like everyone I saw everything in a small picture but HE has a big plan for me which only after several years I come to know and admire how HE works beautifully in my life. We generally don't look much deep or care about good things that happens in our life and think that they are normal thing happening.
My life at my first company was going good. Though many people started to move to new company, I did not. But their was a situation came that I was asked to move to Bangalore Office. I did not like to move for the same salary package as the cost of living at Bangalore is high compared to Chennai. But still I had a confusion what should I have to do in this situation. I prayed to Lord to give me a new job in Chennai if it is HIS wish. I started to search for Job and went to few interviews. Their was a walk-in was conducted by Cognizant at that time. I just attended it and got selected. I thought it is a normal thing and nothing to surprise in it.
Their was a shock waiting when I joined the company. Yes, after joining the company I understood that I was given a lower role in that company. This made me upset, but I believed their should be some reason why Lord has placed me here. I believed and continued to work very hard. It was sometime around Christmas time, a surprise mail came to me stating H1B visa was initiated for me. Usually the H1B visa will not be processed so easily in this company. Around 10 people in my account the H1B visa was initiated. That year the quota for the H1B visa was got fulled on the first day itself. I then heard that they are going to do slot to select the visa for selection. When i heard it, I was sad and had a kind of fear in my mind, the reason is till that time I never had anything happened in luck in my life, I am an unlucky guy.
Days went by and I did not look into the visa status. After several days, I got an email stating that my visa application was selected in the slot. Wow...is this a luck? or is it God's work?
I really did not know at that time, but I thanked God for HIS blessing. Some days later one of project mate came and wished me for my visa get selected in the slot and said that only my visa was got selected out of the 10 which has been applied in that account. I definitely don't think this was by luck I got this through. My confident on HIM increased more each time when I feel HIS work. But till now only the application has been selected for the process, so I still had fear that it might get rejected in the interview.
One day I was working late night in office working for one of the internal project competition, during that time I was just having conversation with my project mate. I shared my wish that I am working very hard to get the promotion in the coming cycle. You know what he said,
"You are working good only but don't expect promotion and all, you can expect good salary hike but not promotion".
When I hear this from him, I knew it is satan work trying to put me down my faith in HIM. So I said to myself in heart,
"Lord I don't believe others, I believe in You. You will definitely provide me what I need. I will not loose my confident in You for this and all. I leave this to You, You take care of this.".
Their are several people in that account waiting for promotion, but I had faith on my work and in HIM. Nothing is impossible for HIM.
The interview date for visa came and I went to the US immigration office. I was so much tense on that day, and my interview got delayed because the previous batch was not completed. It was around evening 4-5PM I had my interview and Praise God, they approved my visa petition. I should say that was one of the happiest moment in my life after my sister birth. I went to home and shared this news with my sister, she also felt so happy. I opened the email to inform my manager about my visa and one more surprise was waiting for me. Guess, what it will be? Yes, I got an email from my Senior Manager wishing on my promotion. Oh My God! this is not an usual thing, this is not also a luck, this did not happen by chance. Every one would have got promoted or got visa approved, but not all on the same day right? Yes I am sure that HE is working in my life. HE has heard my prayers and blessed me for having confident in HIM.
My confident in HIM increased more and more all seeing all HIS work in my life. After few days, I was deputed to Pune for 2 weeks. After I returned from Pune, I met my senior Manager, and she informed me that they are going to recommend me for onsite in the new project. I was so happy hearing that. I went for training to banglore for the new project. And I was working still in Chennai and heard nothing about onsite travel. One day, my manager called me and informed me to share my resume for some other project. He said this new project is getting delayed so they are trying to put me in some other onsite project. I said ok and continued to prepare for the interviews. They proposed my resume for one of the onsite role and had an interview with the client. I did not perform well as that was the first time I am speaking with US people. I could not understand their question properly but managed to answer.
Client was not happy with my interview and I was not selected. I was feeling so bad after that, I was technically good but I could not clear the interview. They tried in several other onsite project but my resume was not suitable for the requirements. So i was still searching for the onsite project for months. I felt so desperate that i thought of dropping onsite searching and will work in offshore project itself. I got released from the account and I myself was searching for the onsite work. I really felt very sad when i see my project mate got the onsite job and went and I am still could not make it.
Several opportunity came and passed by for several reasons but not because I did not perform the interview well. One day my old manager came to me and said I am having an interview in the old project for the onsite lead role. By God's grace I got selected in that project and I came to tampa, US in March 2008. I felt very happy that I came to US for two reason, one is Christian country and another is to earn money. I searched for a Church which is walkable distance as i don't know to drive a car. I found "Life Point Church" near by and started to go to the service every Sunday. This was the first time I am going to church on regular service day. In India, I went few times on Christmas time. I loved the service and enjoyed everything.
It was recession time, serval companies filled bankruptcy. I earlier mentioned that my manager promised me to send to onsite to one project right and i was not stopped to get into that project. Do you know which client it was? It is Lehman Brothers. Yes one of the company which filled bankruptcy. If at all I was not stopped at that time, I would have return back to India soon. That was the time the onsite jobs where cutted and many people returned back to India. Praise God! HE protected me from this and had a big plan for me here in Tampa.
"A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you."
- Psalm 91:7
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you."
- Psalm 91:7
One Sunday Service day, the pastor was telling something that GOd will connect people to right one something like that. After the service i was having the cookies which was served in the Church. One respectable old lady named Merry came to me and started to have conversation. She invited me to their church and I accepted and gave my details. After me reaching home the pastor preach stricked my mind. I couldn't believe it, HE has sent this blessed Aunty to take to me their church. I felt very happy and started to attend their church service.
I will say, I have never seen such good loving people in my life. Every one in the church treated me with love. I mentioned earlier I had no relatives, now God has provided me so loving people in my life. Oh my God! How great your work is.
I started to read bible now and hear christian songs. I loved much to hear the songs in English, not sure why. My spiritual life was growing more and during my service I got answers for my questions immediately. Yes, during the service I used to pray and ask the answer for it, i couldn't believe myself, I got the answer for it immediately through the message pastor gave that day service. It was exactly the answer for me, none i told what i prayed but I got the answer correctly. I initially thought that was a coincidence, but it happen in same way several time.
Definitely then it was not a coincidence, I feel that HE is listening to my prayer and answering me.
Then pastor talked to me one day that Holy Spirit asked him to talk to me about taking Baptism, I said I wished to take now but i wanted to take along with my sister. He asked me to pray and talk to sister and If i wish will arrange for baptism. I spoke with my sister she felt very happy and asked me to take baptism. I informed My Pastor Abraham about it and he arranged me for it. Praise the LORD! On February 2009, I got baptized.
HE is true God, just believe in HIM and follow HIS words.
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
- Matthew 7:7
- Matthew 7:7
