Month: December 2015

Welcome 2016!

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, UncertaintyLeave a comment

As I stand at the threshold of a brand new year, I am humbled as I reflect upon the year gone by. For me, 2015 has been more than trying – I’ve faced challenges I’d have never thought I’d meet but as I look back at the year, I’m grateful for the strength each of those challenges instilled in me. And forced me to lift up my head and keep my eyes on Christ Who to me, matters most.

I’m grateful for every single blessing I’ve received – Blessings so innumerable that even if I do try, I fail to name them all, but as I attempt to, leave me mesmerized and amazed at what the Lord has done.

I’m grateful for family, friends and loved ones… I’m grateful for friends who, even when deeply hurt and broken, have learned to move on in life… Grateful for those who dared to take that much needed step toward achieving their dreams… Grateful for friends who took that stepped out in faith and ventured out, away from what they call home, holding on to nothing but the surety of Christ’s everlasting presence with them.

I’m grateful for every fear, anxious thought and breakdown I’ve faced in 2015, as each of them reminded and convinced me of how much I need to cling to the Lord.

I’m grateful for every promise given, fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled, both in my life and in the lives of my loved ones.

I’m grateful for God’s mercies, which, as promised in the Bible, have been new EVERY morning. I’m grateful for His undying love and unconditional grace… Above all, I’m grateful for God’s great faithfulness in both my life and yours.

As we enter in to 2016, may I encourage us to remind ourselves that even though the year is new and everything it brings is new, we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever! Because He is constant, we can fearlessly step in to the unknown.

Happy New Year!

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

Bah-Humbug!

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, WorshipLeave a comment

If you know anything at all about me, you will know that I am a walking-talking Christmas cheerleader! I wait for Christmas all year long and as soon as November hits, much to the dismay of several people around me, I bring on the Christmas cheer. Christmas music, Christmas attire, planning the Christmas party… I even finish my Christmas shopping before anyone else. I remember when I was growing up, my mother, sister, me and some of our neighbors would spend our evenings making Christmas goodies. We’d spend the next morning distributing those very goodies to our teachers, friends, loved ones and even strangers. I’d go caroling late into the night with my youth group, heralding to the world the birth of our Savior. I’d spend every weekend participating in one Christmas program or another. I’d help my sister pack Christmas gifts for children in orphanages. I’d even leave random notes for my friends at work, bringing on the Christmas cheer.

When we spent Christmas at my uncle and aunt’s place, we’d stay up late nights decorating, munching on Christmas goodies, and chatting up a storm with my cousins. We’d re-live Christmases of the past, memories of childhood spent together, our hopes and dreams for the future… Christmas was so much more to me than just December 25th.

Until now.

This season marks 2yrs since I’ve been home for Christmas. I haven’t seen my sister since January 2014. I haven’t hugged my niece and my nephews and I haven’t hung out with my friends. I almost cringe at the thought of going to church because I get to sit by myself, while everyone else is sitting with his or her family or friends. During the regular part of the year, it doesn’t bother me because I know without a shadow of doubt that I am exactly where the Lord wants me. But during Christmas, when everyone talks about visiting his or her parents and siblings, it’s harder to see that. And definitely hearing Pere Como sing to me, “Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays,” surely does not make things easier. That said I am grateful for extended family and friends that the Lord has allowed me to spend this Christmas with. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss being home with my mother, father, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephews. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care that my whole family will be together – uncle, aunt, cousins – while I’m in a land that’s easily about 8,508 miles from them. I’d be lying if I said that I was looking forward to Christmas.

I woke up this morning dreading the idea of going to church because I’d be reminded of what I don’t have here. I’m not the kind of person who generally complains. If something doesn’t work, I shrug it off and move on with life. Usually, I remind myself of all that the Lord has blessed me with – friends I can now call family, a town that feels like home and a job that I am passionate about. Finally frustrated by my attitude toward this season, I watched Christmas movie after Christmas movie to see if I could bring on the cheer, like it was a switch that I could simply turn on. Needless to say that didn’t really work.

Until, I reflected on the true meaning of Christmas. You see, Christmas is not about decorating your home, baking goodies, or buying gifts for loved ones. It’s not about family traditions, childhood memories, or even – forgive me as I say this – about friends and family. No! Christmas is about Christ, and Christ alone. It is a time when we are reminded of the immeasurable love that God has for you and me, that He would send His one and only son in to this broken world, not just to fix it, but to restore it to Himself. It is a reminder that He saw us when even we didn’t see ourselves. It’s the assurance that because Jesus came in to this world to give His life up for broken people like you and me, and then rose up from the dead, defeating death once and for all, no matter how hopeless the world around us can seem, we will always have hope in Him.

Christmas is truly about just one thing – Christmas is about Jesus Christ, and for that reason alone, I will celebrate!

Merry Christmas!

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

Back to Square One

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, UncertaintyLeave a comment

One thing that I absolutely love about Samaritan’s Purse is the time of devotions we have in the morning. There is something unexplainably wonderful about soaking the start of your day in prayer and adoration of the One who is the very foundation of the organization, and truly, our lives itself. We start every morning with 15mins of devotion time, followed by another 15mins of praying for each other’s needs – sharing one another’s burdens if you will. Today was no exception.

The day began with a very special speaker. I’ve heard her speak twice to date and both times she made sure she hit the nail on the head! Today, she shared with us from the book of Isaiah, quoting chapter 6, verse 8, where Isaiah responds to a call and says, “Here I am. Send me.” She went on to expound on identifying the call that the Lord places in our lives and our God-instilled need to pursue that call. She challenged us to look beyond our need to create a sense of understanding and logic, to where God would use us next. She reminded us to shrug off our sense of security in the here and now, and keep our eyes firmly planted on the One who sees the bigger picture. If need be, we should get out of our comfort zone in obedience to what the Lord is asking of us to do.

For the most part this message challenged me. However, it also did an extremely good job of freaking me out. I had this overwhelming sense of uncertainty just pour over me. And just like that I was all too aware, that I was completely unaware about where I would be a little over a month from now. If you’ve read my previous blog posts, you would know that my position with Operation Christmas Child ends on January 26, 2016. That’s exactly 42 days from today. Compared to my previous times of waiting, I know for a fact that this time, I’ve done so much better. I have sought after the Lord, instead of seeking after my future. I gave Him first place in my life, and He gave me an unexplainable sense of peace. In this particular season of waiting, He truly became my anchor and my support system. But today, as the speaker challenged us to go wherever the Lord is calling us, I stopped to think about where God was calling me. And I realized, I had no clue – None whatsoever! I don’t know where I’m headed from here. I am convinced that the Lord is not calling me back to India… well, not yet at least. All I know, is that I love Jesus, and I adore children, and I will do whatever I am able, to bring them both together. Right now it means to share my story of receiving an Operation Christmas Child shoebox in India in 1999, and encouraging more and more people to pack shoeboxes as a tangible way of following Jesus’ heart of bringing children to Him. But what after that? I was back to square one!

I went back to my desk this morning with almost an overwhelming sense of dejection and – what’s the word I’m looking for – helplessness! As I sat down to start my day, I lay my head in my hands and finally shed a tear. You’d be amazed what crying a little can do for your soul. I lifted my voice in prayer, asking the Lord to help me never doubt His faithfulness in my life. He has never let me down to date. There is no reason why He’d start now. I asked for faith to look beyond my limited vision. I wiped my tears, put my earphones in and began working.

Then, I heard Chris Tomlin sing sweetly into my ears – “You’re a good, good Father, it’s who You are. I am loved by You. It’s who I am. You are perfect in all of Your ways to us.” As I hummed along, I was reminded all over again that God is my Father, He has nothing short of the best in store for me. Even in times of uncertainty, especially in times of uncertainty, His goodness is undeniable. And for now, resting in that understanding is more than enough for me.

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

May I Pray for You?

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

You already know that I was in California this past weekend right? Well, if you read my last few blog posts you’d know that. I met some interesting people along the way. When you have a chance, you should read it. Here is where to find out about Matthew who I met on my flight from Texas to California. With a quick smile and a profound “Hi, I’m Matthew” this special man stole my heart!

On my way to California I wasn’t very tired so I entertained any conversation I could have with those around me. In fact, at times I initiated the conversation myself. Now on the return to Boone, NC it was a completely different story. I was in California for only the weekend and my schedule was extremely packed. On Saturday and Sunday alone I worked for about 20hrs so by the time I got on to my flight, I was exhausted to the T. I requested a window seat so I could lean my head against it and just sleep through the whole journey. However, that’s apparently NOT what the big Boss above intended!

Once I boarded my flight, I smiled at my neighbor, made my way to my seat and then just gazed outside the window. I tried to get some reading done and then attempted to sleep. However, I had this unexplainable stirring of the spirit if you must, to have a conversation with her at a time when I just didn’t want to talk to anybody. I hoped if I ignored the feeling long enough, it would go away and I would be saved from human interaction! I know I sound like an anti-social entity right now but in my defense, I spent the entire weekend being surrounded by a lot of people and I just desperately needed some alone time. Nonetheless, I could not shake-off this insistent prompting, which eventually became clear to me, was from the Lord. So, I relented. I mean, she seemed nice enough.

Turns out, she was nicer than I thought. We hit it off really fast and we chatted up a storm – not literally… when you’re flying, that’s probably a good thing! But, I digress! Anyway, my newfound friend and I talked all through the flight. I don’t know how those 3hrs zipped by so fast. By the time we began our descent into Charlotte, NC, I was very glad that she and I started talking and even established a bond of friendship. I did something I almost never do the first time I meet someone… I exchanged numbers with her. Yes, I did that. I was proud of myself for listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. But clearly I was naïve to think it ended there.

Through out my conversation with my co-passenger, I felt this nagging feeling to pray for her. I tried to hush that feeling (like that would work!), but to no avail. I sat there on the flight thinking, “Oh Lord, how do I ask her if I can pray for her? That would be so weird!” I mean, I didn’t want to be that person who would walk around thrusting her faith in to other people’s faces. Sure I love Jesus and I want to share Him with everyone I meet, but praying for someone I just met, that too on the airplane, surrounded by several passengers, was, how should I put it… awkward! However, truth be told, when the Holy Spirit gets on your case, there’s no running. So I relented once again. I figured, if this turned out to be an uncomfortable ordeal, I can just never see her again so I didn’t have much to lose. Taking a deep breath, I turned to her and asked, “Hey, would you mind if I prayed for you and for your family?” Expecting her to either laugh at me or give me a bizarre look, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw her face light up as she smiled the most genuine smile at me and said, “Really? You’d do that for me?” Of course I would! Why wouldn’t I? We quickly shut our eyes and I prayed for her. During our earlier conversation I identified some needs that I then laid before the Lord in prayer and together, as the flight landed, we said, “Amen!” As soon as we opened our eyes she reached out to me and gave me a tight hug. She looked at me and said that she was very grateful that I’d prayed for her. She was touched that I would do that. We walked together to the baggage claim and before she left the airport to go home, she hugged me again and said, “You will never know how much you praying, meant to me.”

The genuine joy she felt over something as simple as prayer, is undeniable. I felt humbled and ashamed at myself, all at the same time. I was humbled that the Lord would use me to minister to her. I was ashamed that I was so reluctant to listen to Him. However, I’m glad I obeyed. Yesterday, when I was in Charlotte again for some speaking engagements, I met up with her and her children and I was just so blessed. This experience truly taught me what it means to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and truly just trust His promptings. I learned that when you offer to pray for someone, one of two things can happen – either they will reject it, or, like my friend did, welcome it like a breath of fresh air! Either way, what have I got to lose? So the next time my spirit is stirred, I won’t hesitate to turn to my neighbor and ask, “May I pray for you?”

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

The King’s Heart

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Uncategorized, UncertaintyLeave a comment

In one of my previous blog posts, I told you about the journey that brought me to Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. If you haven’t read that one yet, stop reading and click here. Have you read that yet? Okay, now that you are completely updated with my life, you may continue reading.

January 26, 2016 will mark the last day of my position as a Media Relations Associate (yes, that is in fact, less than two months away). I have loved everything I’ve done in this role and I adore the people in my department. Each of them stands tall, radiating the love of Jesus and that just reminds me of how blessed I am to be a part of this team. With that being said, I have been praying earnestly about where the Lord would have me after I graduate from this role. I’ve already told you that God’s not calling me to India. Not yet at least. But the fun part is, I don’t know where He is calling me to. So yay! With Jesus, life is always an adventure. I don’t know anyone else who can make uncertainty, something to look forward to – It’s like a surprise party EVERY TIME! (Notice how I transitioned from fearful to fearless?!!!)

All that to say, I have been job-hunting again. We all know how exciting an ordeal that is *rolling eyes*! However, for a “non-resident alien” such as myself and every other international person living in the United States, job hunting is so much more than just finding a job. We have to get very specific in the kind of positions we apply to because of our visa restrictions. Basically, when an employer hires an international, they have to prove to the government that that particular position cannot be filled by an American citizen because it calls for a very specific skillset which only an international has. Now, if you know me, you know that there isn’t anything extraordinary about me. I don’t mean that in a self-deprecating way but in an I-know-my-limits kind of way. With that sense of self-awareness, I prayed that the Lord would show me what I can bring to the table that an American cannot. I soon realized that the only thing I can bring, is my Indian heritage. So, I laid that before the Lord and asked Him how I can use my ethnicity for His glory.

Fast-forward two weeks after I made that prayer. I was looking for jobs and found one that was aimed at South-Asia, the very part of the world that I am from. Super excited I read through the position and found out it was at least four levels up on the corporate ladder than the position I was currently in. No way would I ever qualify for that! Disheartened I closed the webpage and got on with my work. However, for the life of me I couldn’t think past that position. I almost felt it was an answer to the prayer I made offering my heritage and ethnicity to the Lord. Other than the fact that that position was so high up, I was perfect for it. I soaked it in prayer not quite sure what to ask for and what response to expect. I decided I was going to talk about applying to that position, with the person to whom that position reports. After a very healthy conversation, this person suggested I speak to the others in the department who work in similar roles so I can learn a little about what that position entails. So, that’s exactly what I did.

I arranged to meet with each of these people over lunch. I started with Mr. A. As he shared his experiences and challenges with me, I felt this overwhelming sense of unworthiness. I saw how small I was for the job. I thought of a bajillion reasons why I shouldn’t be doing it. The feeling of smallness was overbearing. I was giving God reasons why He should find someone else for that position. At the very end of the conversation, Mr. A asked me why I was having this conversation (I hadn’t mentioned anything about the job to him or to anyone else that I spoke to). I gave him an honest response and then added that while I would absolutely LOVE working in that position, I felt small and inadequate. I told him that the Lord needed to find someone else. He just looked at me and said, “Who are you to decide that?” He then pointed me to one of the greatest kings in history – King David – The youngest of Jesse’s sons. He was also the smallest. In his own strength, David was completely incapable of being a king. So much so, that the prophet Samuel found it hard to believe that God would choose someone as insignificant as David. Mr. A smiled at me and said, “It is not your job to wonder if you will get this position or not. Your job is only to be available should the Lord choose you for it. If God wants you to fill the position, He will work in the heart of the leadership. You only need to be still.”

I went home that day and thought about what Mr. A said. I needed to hear that because whether I acknowledge it or not, I was putting God in a box and dictating what He can and cannot do for me. As His child, someone who truly believes that He can do anything… the very impossible thing even, I should aim high. I should seek after dreams that I can never fulfill on my own. After all, is anything too hard for the Lord?

I learned that day that the king’s heart is in the Lord’s hand (Proverbs 21:1). And for me, that should be the only thing that matters. Whether I get the position or not is not the question here. The question here is – Am I willing to let the Lord work in my life? Am I willing to ask Him for what seems like the impossible and truly believe that He is able to do it? Am I willing to aim high, reach for the stars and seek after that which I cannot accomplish on my own? Or, am I living a life that is limited by my idea of skills and abilities?

Although it is not always easy, I now truly believe that the king’s heart is in the Lord’s hand. Do you?

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

Hi, I’m Matthew!

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Uncategorized5 Comments

There is something about flying that I really love. I’m not sure if it’s just that exclusive time that you have, away from work, friends, technology, to focus on your thoughts and contemplate life’s grand questions, or the idea of meeting new people. I don’t know. All I know is that I love to fly. This time, I was flying to Orange County, California (Yay West Coast!). I pretty much spent the whole day in flights. From Charlotte, North Carolina to Houston, Texas, I sat next to a woman who looked like she wanted to throw me off the plane! My layover in Texas introduced me to a lovely Indian couple and I enjoyed conversing with them in Hindi for all of the 10mins I had before I boarded the flight to California.

At the outset let me just say – I’m not a big fan of aisle seats. When I wasn’t assigned one this time, I was almost annoyed at this window “sitter” who I hadn’t even met. I mean, I should have been sitting by the window. It’s what I enjoy most while flying. Inwardly rolling my eyes, I walked up to my seat, mentally telling myself not to like this person who was sitting in a seat that should’ve been mine. Then, I met Matthew! With a sweet smile and a “Hi, I’m Matthew!” this 26yrs old window-seat-stealer stole my heart.

Matthew wasn’t like other 26yr-olds I’ve met. He was special. Yes, I do mean that he had special needs – the kind that you can tell as soon as you laid eyes on them. This precious man spent his time sneaking smiles at me, showing off his watch to me, and sharing the awe there is in watching the world from an aerial view. In my three hours with Matthew, I learned some very important lessons –

1. Smile:

Strangers will seldom become friends if you don’t break the ice with a smile. Because Matthew chose to smile at me, I had the opportunity to spend the evening conversing with him and his mom and sharing our stories of God’s goodness in our lives.

2. Put yourself out there:

My biggest problems is introducing myself. I find it so hard to walk up to a stranger and say, “Hi, I’m Rachel.” I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? People might not respond? Or perhaps like my previous flight-mate, look at me like they wanted to fling me out of the airplane. But Matthew… He didn’t think about any of those things. He simply smiled and stretched out his hand to me. That was the beginning of several laughs and multitude of high-fives!

3. Don’t lose the wonder:

Every time I’ve flown, and I’ve flown several times, I’ve sat by the window and gazed at God’s creation. However, after the first few minutes, my gaze almost turns into a mindless stare into infinity. But not for Matthew. He enjoyed watching the flight take off. He was thrilled by the lights on the flight wing. He was amazed that tiny lights on the ground could illuminate the darkness of the night. The best part, he didn’t keep that wonder to himself. I cannot tell you the number of times he said, “Rachel, you’ve got to see this!” “Rachel, ain’t that awesome.”

4. Be flexible:

Matthew was under the impression that we would land in Orange County at 8pm. He was right. Well, almost. We were going to land at 8pm PACIFIC time. However, Matthew’s watch was set for Central time – 2hrs BEHIND pacific time. So imagine his frustration when at 7.45pm (according to his watch) his mother gently told him he had two more hours of flight time remaining! Did he throw a fit? Nope! He just took off his watch and let his mom fix the time. Now, he’d wait patiently through those additional hours.

5. Say I love you!:

Matthew was such an affectionate young man! From time to time, he’d stroke his mother’s hand and lay his head on her shoulders. When she fell asleep, he watched her and made sure she was alright. How do I know this? Well, he woke her up several times and asked her! Lol. Sure his mom didn’t get the full nap she’d have liked but she knew, without a shadow of doubt, that her son cared for her. When she put his fears at ease, he kissed her and said, “I love you mom!” How many of us do that? Tell our parents and loved ones that we love them? And I don’t just mean at birthdays, festivals or special occasions. When there is no celebration, would we still consider looking at our family and saying, “Hey, I love you!”

Matthew may not have many of the faculties that I do. He may not have the same abilities as me. But he taught me what it means to live simple, like a child would.

So, I’m going to resolve to attempt to develop that child-like attitude. To start us off – “Hi, I’m Rachel!”

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

PS: To all the parents of special kids out there – Y’all are awesome! I have nothing but the utmost respect and regard for you. Your patience and endurance is unfathomable. Because of how you raise your children, people like me are blessed. You’re making a difference. In loving your child the way you do, you’re impacting so many lives.