Month: November 2015

In Control? Seriously?

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, UncertaintyLeave a comment

Chaos! Chaos everywhere! Is there an end to all the innocent blood that is being shed? The Bible did predict this thousands of years ago – “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars … Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places (Matt 24:6-7)” – but it still is disheartening, discouraging and scary!

As I read the news about the recent bombings and bloodshed, I couldn’t help but wonder – Is God even watching all of this? Does He even care?

As a by-stander, a third person, I can safely say that the Lord is sovereign, He knows all things, etc., etc., the typical Christian outlook on things. But then I wonder, what about the people in the heart of this situation? What about the people who are injured and struggling between life and death in the hospital – would they think God is control? What about those whose bodies have been shred to pieces – would their families think God is in control? What about the wife who didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to her husband – would she think God is in control? What about the little boy who will never see his mom again – would he think God is in control? What about the father who is mourning the loss of his child – would he think God is in control? What about those who witnessed the blast, witnessed the loss of innocent blood, witnessed people being burnt, body parts flinging across the skies – would they think God is in control? What about the man who lost his arm, the woman who has to live without legs her entire life? What about the bride-to-be whose entire body is now scarred and face disfigured – would she think God is in control?

And as I sat back in reflection, I looked up and asked, “Lord, don’t You see? Don’t You care? Do You even know how it feels?”

And then, all of a sudden I felt something wet trickle down beside me – blood! Lots of it! I screamed! I got scared! It wasn’t my blood. Someone else was hurt and they were hurt real bad. I ran around looking for them. I stepped on something – it was a piece of flesh. I got even more scared! Was I at the scene of the bomb blast? I panicked. I looked around again. I ran. I bumped in to the tree. When I fell down, I saw another chunk of flesh! Wait! This didn’t seem like the effect of a blast. It seemed more like the flesh that was ripped off of someone’s body. Ewww!!! Who would do something like that?!!! I followed the blood trail as it led me up a hill top. The amount of blood I saw made me ask this question – after all this, does the person who is hurt,  even have a drop of blood remaining in his body?.I looked up at this man, completely bruised, blood all over his body, his face and body disfigured by what seemed like injuries made by a whip. The soldier stabbed the man in his side with a spear, and I had the answer to my question – there was indeed no more blood left in his body. Only serum oozed out. Every single drop of blood was shed. I watched this man, beaten, flogged, injured, disfigured beyond recognition. As darkness spread across the skies, I watched his body slump against the rugged cross. I watched the woman at his feet, weeping the loss of her son. I watched the expression of his friends who watched his horrific death. I watched as his father ran his fingers over his torn body. I watched as the soldiers got him off the cross. I watched as his parents went hysterical over their son’s lifeless body. I watched as his heavenly Father turned His face away. I watched as the innocent lamb was slain. I watched as the perfect sacrifice was made. I watched as the ransom was paid. I listened as I recollected what he’d said – “Father, in to Your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished!”

I shut my eyes at the revelation. Unshed tears now flowing down, as I reflected on the questions I raised just a few minutes ago, to the One Who I thought had distanced Himself from the suffering and injustice in this world.

“Lord, don’t You see? Don’t You care? Do You even know how it feels?”

And Jesus stretched out His nail pierced hands and said, “I know how it feels. I understand”

I knew then – I don’t have to wonder if God is still in control. He is. He sees. He knows. But He isn’t sitting with His arms folded – “The day is coming when the wicked will be judged, and justice will be served – For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts (Malachi 4:1)

Until then,

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name!

On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!

The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silent before Him!

In closing I have to say, I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

Surely I’m Capable of More

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Uncertainty, WorshipLeave a comment

Earlier this week, my manager gave me a simple task to do. She wanted me to ship some labels out. I did it and replied to her email letting her know that the task was done. She responded like the way she always does – with a “Thank you.” You may read this and think – so what? What’s the big deal? The big deal is, she has never missed saying thank you for the simplest things I’ve done – sending out mail, editing bios, updating a spreadsheet or just walking over to her desk to answer a question. She has always said thank you (a true sign of a good leader if you ask me!). Now, I don’t work to be appreciated, but when you are consistently appreciated, you have to acknowledge it. So I wrote her a note telling her how awesome she was to consider those under her and say thank you. Obviously touched by the little note, she responded and said that it means a lot that even though I hold a Master’s degree, I am willing to do things like mailing out labels.

I’m not saying this to pat myself on the back, but I am at a point in life where I truly believe that work is work. You honor what you are asked to do, and you do it diligently and with integrity. Now, I was not always like this. There was a time when I didn’t want to do something because I thought it was menial work. But God broke my pride. He taught me that humility goes a long way.

In 2009 I was offered a job at a diplomatic mission as an Administrative Assistant. Please don’t get me wrong when I say this, but I thought the position was that of a glorified secretary and so I did not want to do that job at all. I almost felt that it was beneath me and that I was capable of more. Nonetheless, I took the job and I did it to the best of my abilities. I worked very hard but I had a really bad attitude about it. I didn’t enjoy my work. I did it because it was my job and because I needed a paycheck. Until, the Lord broke my pride by teaching me two very important things:

  1. Who Am I Working For?

The Bible teaches us in Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” That verse was a slap in my face! I asked myself – If Jesus wanted an Administrative Assistant, I’d want to be that person right? Well, I was that person at that very moment. Once I learned that I wasn’t working for my organization. Rather, I was working for my Lord, my whole perspective changed. Now, I gave my job my whole heart and in doing so, learned how important my role was and how humbling it was to be in that position. I learned so much being in the position. God could’ve picked anyone else to do that job but He didn’t. He picked me and I wasn’t about to let Him down.

  1. Can I Be Trusted with More?

The Bible teaches us in Luke 16:10 – “He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much.” If I cannot do a menial task diligently, what makes me think I can do a more responsible position any better? It was only after I learned to be faithful and work with all my heart in the position of an Administrative Assistant was I offered the position of a Cultural Affairs Assistant. My position stepped up, my responsibilities grew but it was only because the right people saw that I was faithful in the little things and could be trusted with more.

What is the point to this blogpost? It is this – Perhaps you are more educated than what your job requires. Perhaps you feel like the work you are doing is beneath you. Perhaps you think that you are capable of more. There is nothing wrong in wanting more. We should all aim high. But just because our goals are higher, doesn’t mean that what we are doing at this very moment is meaningless. On the contrary, may I suggest that your present is in fact, preparation for what is yet to come? I want to challenge you – be faithful in the little. Once you learn how to, God will pile on the responsibilities. Trust Him with it. As children of the living God, we have to believe – God doesn’t make any mistakes. If He has allowed you to be a temporary Media Relations Associate, it is with purpose. If He has allowed you to be a cashier at a retail store, it is with purpose. If He has allowed you to be a secretary, it is with purpose. If God has allowed you to have the worst boss under the sun, it is with purpose.

So, should I be mailing out labels when I hold two Master’s degrees? ABSOLUTELY! If the King of Kings could work as a carpenter, I think I can ship some labels. Wouldn’t you agree?

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

Help Me! I’m Desperate!

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Uncertainty2 Comments

I’m going to start off by saying that God is good. He knows the hearts of His children and He knows how to meet them at their point of need. He did this for me and I know He will do it for you too.

Many of you know that I am currently employed and absolutely LOVE what I do. I adore the organization I work with and I am convinced without a shadow of doubt that God placed me here and there is purpose in EVERYTHING He does. That said, I should also acknowledge that the position I am in right now is temporary and as January comes to an end, so will my employment. But I’m not afraid. Not any more.

Before I accepted this position, I was in a waiting period that lasted 7months – Seven excruciatingly painful months of waiting! In those months I did everything that was expected of me. I did my part. Yet, nothing worked out for me. I started applying for jobs in December 2014. I followed up with applications and put in more in February. I applied for my OPT and got my paperwork done earlier than I needed to. I did everything right. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a full time job that would sponsor an H1B. Actually, I didn’t even want the employer to sponsor me. I just wanted them to be open to the idea of sponsorship. I told myself if that happened, God would work everything else out.

In those seven months I laughed at the irony of having 6yrs of work experience, two master’s degrees and still being completely incapable of securing a job. I cried at the helplessness of being an international student and having nothing more to offer than an average American citizen. I was mad at the complete lack of response from companies and organizations I applied to. I was frustrated with potential employers who conducted hour-long interviews only to turn around and tell me that they didn’t want to hire me because of my visa restrictions. I prayed desperately, almost begging God to take me back to India, but He told me I had to stay here – in a country where I was an “alien.” He laid it on my heart to make America my home… at least for the moment. That knowledge frustrated me even more because now I knew I had to stay in this country but I had no clue as to how I would.

I tried to stay encouraged. I smiled and I applied for more and more jobs. I told everyone who asked that I was trusting the Lord. I told them He was in control. But in the stillness of the night I felt like a complete failure. I felt like an idiot who couldn’t get her act together. I cried myself to sleep every other night and the nights I didn’t cry, I hardly slept. I became desperate. I was willing to do any job as long as it had to do with my education. I took my list of “conditions for employment” and threw it in the trashcan.

In my utterly desperate state, tears flowing down my face, I fell to the ground and surrendered EVERYTHING to the Lord. For the first time in those 7months, I asked Jesus to have His way. I told Him I’d take whatever job He would give me. Temporary. Part time. Whatever He would say, I would do. Wherever He would send me, I would go. No questions asked. I didn’t lay out for Him the importance of finding a full time employment; neither did I point out to Him my need for an employment visa. For once, I just trusted that He knew best.

Then it happened. One day, an angel who shall remain unnamed (you know who you are), fought for me. Her kindness toward me and her persistence toward the position opened the doors to Operation Christmas Child for me. For a moment I hesitated because taking up a temporary position would mean that I would go through a waiting period again. But I was reminded by the Psalmist when he said, “In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them” (Psalm 22:4). God’s deliverance came AFTER His people trusted Him. Not the other way around.

With that, I walked into my position as a Media Relations Associate. From the day I started working there, to this very day, I have LOVED every single moment of my employment. Regardless of what I do – perhaps I’m just sending out an email, or I’m recording who is doing what interview and where… I know that there is a greater cause. God knew that to me, only two things truly mattered – Jesus and children – both of which are wonderfully fulfilled at Operation Christmas Child.

Even though I have less than three months of employment left, I know I have played a role in planting the seeds of Jesus’ love in the hearts of children around the world. I am happy. I am content. I’m humbled and convinced that God’s not done with me yet.

What is the point this post you ask? It is this – Sometimes, God has to bring us to extremely desperate seasons in our life for us to stop, and just completely trust Him. If I didn’t come to a point of desperation, I would not have obeyed the Lord in serving Operation Christmas Child. Even before I knew it, Jesus knew that I loved children. Even before I knew it, Jesus knew my heart. He knew my need. When I humbled myself because of my desperation, He gave me the best. By mid-December, I would have travelled to six different cities, addressed gatherings of 200 youth, done three radio interviews, addressed a church on a televised program, and flown to California (yes!), all of which will point people to the needs of children around the world, the greatest need being to hear of the love of Jesus.

In your desperation, remember, God may just be fine-tuning your ears to pay attention to His voice.

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!