Month: January 2016

Will He Not With These

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Life3 Comments

Today was an amazing day! I woke up this morning and saw the sun shining brightly outside my window. It was beckoning me to come out and play. So, I did just that. I went out and just basked in the sun for a while. As I gazed at the clear skies and white plains of snow, I realized that my car was buried under the aftereffects of the Snowmaggedon. I probably should get it started. Only, my battery was dead. When I finally charged it, the snow around my car didn’t let it budge, so, guess what? I had to shovel it. Let me just say – that was no easy task!!! Shoveling snow is hard work! By the time I got my car out and battery charged it was afternoon. Half my day was DONE! I was annoyed and frustrated!

That said, if the sun is shining, you know it’s going to be a good day. So, I texted my friend Katie and asked her if she wanted to go sledding. Let’s be real here though – who doesn’t want to go sledding? Equipped with our cookie sheets to use as sleds, we went to a hill near by to sled our way to pure, unadulterated joy!

For the past few weeks the Lord has been working on my heart to be intentional about building community here in Boone. While I’m usually a very friendly person, it is very hard for me to lay down roots without knowing for sure whether I will stay here or leave. But that’s a story for another day. Just know that choosing to go sledding with Katie was part of that building-community that I said the Lord was pushing me to do and I am so grateful for it. She’s pretty cool.

Once we got to the hill, we tried to sled with our cookie sheets but it didn’t get us too far. We watched all of these other people with their sleds. They seemed to have way more fun that we could ever have with our “equipment.” Then, all of a sudden, I heard someone call, “Rachel! Hey, Rachel!” I was a little taken aback that someone in Boone actually knew my name. Turns out, my friends and their kids were up on the same hill, sledding. We exchanged hellos and hugs and without Katie or me saying anything, my friends gave us their sleds and asked us to join them. So, the kids, Katie and I took turns sledding down the hill on actual sleds, as opposed to our makeshift cookie sheets. We zoomed down the hill by ourselves, we rolled down the hill together, we even went backwards, and oh, get this, I sledded my way down the hill and on to the road. It was so much fun! I didn’t care that my face was frozen. I didn’t care that my socks, in my shoes, were soaking wet. I didn’t care that my fingers were about to fall off. I was just enjoying myself!

When Katie and I finally got back into the car to come home, she said, “Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord cares about our smallest of desires?” She made a passing comment but that stayed in my heart. It’s true. I didn’t ask the Lord for a sled. Yet, He made sure we had the time of our lives. The chances of me getting off my couch on a lazy Sunday afternoon are close to zero, let alone me unexpectedly meeting friends who would allow us to use their sleds.

That made me wonder – if the Lord would care enough to fulfill a desire as tiny as going sledding, why do I doubt that He’d withhold my bigger desires – Desires to get a job, to make a living, to build a relationship, to invest in a home, to start a family? Why would I think that He would delay? You know, when things don’t go our way, or per our timing, it is so easy for us to just raise our hands and say, “Oh, God doesn’t care! If He did, this would’ve come through.” Or, “I’ve applied for so many jobs but not one of them is working out, why is God doing this to me? Does He not care?” Come on now! Seriously? Are we truly so foolish to think that the Lord doesn’t pay attention to our needs and desires? How long are we going to ask the Lord to prove Himself to us? Was the cross not enough? Is the fact that we have food, shade, clothing, family, friends, loved ones, not significantly sufficient to see His providence over our lives?

Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

The next time you feel like God’s not being fair to you, I encourage you to think about the times when you didn’t ask, but He gave; when you didn’t knock, but He opened the door; when you didn’t seek, but He revealed; when your deepest desires, minute as they may be, were fulfilled; when the waters were parted for you before today. I encourage you to remember that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! When He didn’t fail you in the past, rest assured, He will NOT fail you now!

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

 

 

I Know Who Goes Before Me

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, UncertaintyLeave a comment

Today I did something that I never thought I’d do in my life – I drove through a snowstorm! As most of you have either heard, or are currently experiencing, the east coast is going through what some have titled the Snowmageddon or the Snowpocalypse.

Just like the many of us, I was subjected to a forced upper body workout this morning, by scrapping the snow and ice off my car. I turned the defroster and heat on and got my car all warmed up in time to head to work. I knew the weather was bad because it had snowed all night but surprisingly, the drive TO work was pretty easy. Sure I took longer than I usually do – it only makes sense to drive slowly in conditions like these – but I got there without any problems. I didn’t skid, waver, or anything like that. I got to work in one piece. And yes, I am super proud of myself!

As the day progressed, the storm kept getting worse. Around 3pm, Teresa my neighbor and co-worker called me and asked if I’d like to follow her home or just drive with her because of the intense weather. You see, we were expecting freezing rain. I thought about it and I told her I had to run a few errands before I got home. Wise woman that she is, she said she too needed to run some errands so she would drive ahead of me and I would follow. You know, just in case I got stuck on the road, she’d be close enough to help me (very thoughtful of her right? I agree!). Anyway, we got to the grocery store and started our drive back home.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this – it was an AWFUL drive! I had my defroster on and yet as I drove, the rain kept freezing my windshield. I used my wipers and for the most part it cleared the water out of my line of vision and I could drive. Until, the snow on my wipers froze and now even though they were moving, they didn’t clear out the rain from in front of my eyes. I drove as cautiously as I could but I just couldn’t see anything!!! My rear-windshield was completely frozen. There was a patch of ice on my windshield, exactly in my line of vision and I had to constantly adjust myself looking over that patch and under, at the road ahead, which now seemed so obscure. The rain was coming faster than I could clear it off. At this point, I’ll be honest with you, I got scared. Just a tad but scared all the same. All I could tell myself in that moment was – “Teresa is ahead of me. Teresa is going before me.” As I said that to myself, I turned off all distraction – radio, phone, air vents, and just kept my eyes on Teresa’s taillights. At this point they seemed blurry but I could still see them. So, I fixed my eyes firmly on her and I drove. I didn’t look at the car next to me. I didn’t care that I could not make out where my lane began and ended. I didn’t worry about the speed limit. I didn’t pay attention to the snow and ice pellets pummeling my car. All I cared about was Teresa. If she turned left, I turned left. If she put her right blinker on, I put my right blinker on. It didn’t matter what route Teresa was taking. I blindly followed Teresa and she brought me safely home.

This whole experience simply affirmed my convictions on where our focus should be in the midst of our storms and let’s be real – everybody has them! If you haven’t read my previous post titled “When the storms don’t cease,” you should take a moment to read it.

Finding myself in the center of uncertainty, I constantly keep asking where I’m headed. I want to know what the next steps are. Sometimes I want to be independent and do things on my own. After today’s experience, I have to ask myself – What if I just paid attention to the One Who goes before me? The Bible doesn’t mince words about God’s leading. It reminds us in Deuteronomy 31:8, “The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” In Isaiah 45:2, “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.” In Deuteronomy 1:10, ‘The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes.”

I’m not sure what storm you find yourself in. May I be so bold as to suggest that it doesn’t matter so much as to where you’re headed, but who you are following that needs attention? In other words, the more important question is – Who goes before you? If the answer is Jesus, then His word already says that He will clear out the rough places for you (Isaiah 45:2). After all, He is not man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). As long as your eyes on the Savior, it doesn’t matter if you are in the middle of a storm. He will take you home safely.

I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. Do you?

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

 

 

When The Storms Don’t Cease

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, Uncertainty1 Comment

Mentally close your eyes for a moment and imagine with me. You’ve had a long, hard day. It was a day that you don’t want to relive again. You just found out that your best friend lost his cousin to a gruesome murder – his head was chopped off! You want to comfort your friend but he doesn’t want you to. He just wants to work. You try to be a good buddy and go with him. You find out that the people who came to meet him are very demanding. They don’t care about your friend. They don’t want to leave him alone even for a few minutes. You feel like your faith went to trial. When the day finally ends, all you want to do is just get in to your boat and go home! Instead, you and your friends get caught in a violent storm. There isn’t a thing you can do to steady your boat. The winds and the waves seem to be rocking your already distraught world. The boat seems to be tipping over. The water is pouring in and you feel helpless. Broken. Tired. You just want all of this to end – NOW!

Suddenly you see a light. Surely it’s the coast guard coming to your rescue. Finally! As the light comes closer, you notice something. That’s not a coast guard. That’s a ghost! What the heck!!! Oh wait, that’s a person and he’s walking on water! How can this be? Still reeling from the shock, you see that the person walking on the water is actually your best friend who you left behind on the island. What is he doing here? How is he walking on water? What’s going? You just need to catch a breath and go to your friend, even if it means to walk on water. So, amidst the crazy storm, you call out to Him – “Jesus! If it’s really You, ask me to come to You.” Jesus agrees. You try to catch your balance and stand up. Your other friends think you are crazy but you don’t care. Jesus is here and all will be well! You step out of the boat despite your friends tugging at your shirt begging you not to be stupid but you somehow get out of their grip and take that step in faith. OMG! You’re walking on water! Your eyes are tightly fixed on Jesus and you’re walking toward Him. Small, easy strides. This is amazing! For a moment you forget about everything – the winds, the waves, the screaming friends, the rocking boat, everything! All you see is Jesus!

Until…

You take your eyes off of Jesus for a minute and your whole world comes crashing down! You notice the winds and the waves. You’re afraid the waters won’t hold you and that’s exactly what happens. You begin to sink. You don’t know what’s going on. Was it a mistake to step out of the boat? “Jesus!!!!!”

Storms. They’re not uncommon. They’re very much a part of your life as they are of mine. The scenario I asked you to envision is all too familiar to me. My greatest storm has been my lack of certainty. In less than a week, I will no longer be employed. While I have decided to stay on with Operation Christmas Child as a volunteer, I have doubts and fears of how I will sustain myself. That said, I have this sense of undeniable peace in the decision that I’ve made. I know that the Lord is not leading me back to India any time soon and I know that without a shadow of doubt. But I fear the uncertainty that comes with that understanding. For the most part, I’m at peace. I’m walking on the water, my eyes firmly fixed on my Lord, knowing full well that He is in control. Until… for but a split second I take my eyes off of Him and suddenly I am all too aware of the storm around me. My fears, failures, shortcomings, all gush at me with a force aimed specifically to make sure I drown. Struggling to keep my head above the water, I call out – Jesus!!!!!

When He finally gets me out, I ask myself, “What went wrong?” Jesus and I had this awesome thing going on. I was walking on water and my storm was nonexistent. Was it really though? I think that’s where most of us make a mistake. We assume that just because we are walking on the water our storms are silenced. May I propose that as long as our eyes are fixed on Jesus, He gives us the strength and the courage that we need to tread boldly on the stormy seas, toward Him? See, when our eyes are on Jesus, our storms won’t matter – Not because they don’t have power but because Jesus is more powerful; not because they don’t rock our world, but because Jesus is our anchor; not because they don’t scare the daylights out of us, but because Jesus is our comfort and strength! There’s an old song that I grew up singing, which I think is, apt for this post. It goes like this – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of the earth will go STRANGELY DIM in the light of His glory and grace!”

When the storms of your life don’t cease, remember – as long as you keep your eyes on the Lord, He will teach you to walk amidst that storm with your head held high, until it’s time for Him to look at the winds and the waves and say to them – “peace be still.” And they WILL obey!

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

 

“Hon, I Picked Up The Laundry”

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, UncertaintyLeave a comment

I have a problem with TV shows. I get hooked on to one and that’s it! I’ll watch that series till it’s done… Binge watching if you must! My current show is White Collar and I watch it on my friend’s Netflix account (thanks Alex Bothmann!). The show is about agent Peter Burke and his investigations as the head of the White Collar division of the FBI. Peter is married to Elizabeth.

This particular episode began with Peter putting on his jacket and noticing that his wife had already picked up the laundry. They have a brief argument about it because Peter was supposed to have picked it up, but he forgot. So, Elizabeth picked up the laundry. I found this scene a bit odd because Peter and Elizabeth are the kind of couple that never fights. I mean, they NEVER fight. So the idea that the scriptwriter would include an argument between this happy couple over ‘laundry’ was a little weird.

Anyway…

Fast forward to the middle of the episode when Peter’s investigation turns south, and he ends up being taken hostage. He’s placed in a prison cell with his hands cuffed. There’s no way for him to get out but he must. He looks at his surroundings but doesn’t find anything that will help him get his cuffs off. Until, he tugs at the corner of his jacket and he finds … you guessed it – the receipt for the laundry attached to it with a safety pin. He immediately gets the safety pin off of his coat and uses it to un-cuff himself. You can guess what would’ve happened after that.

This scene brought to memory the opening scene of the show when Elizabeth tells Peter, “Hon, I picked up the laundry.” While at the time I didn’t understand the importance of that scene, I realized that the scriptwriter foresaw the need for Peter to have access to a safety pin. The scriptwriter knew exactly what he was doing when he created that scene, because he was the one writing the story.

This right here was my “Aha!” moment! Just a day or two before I watched this episode, my friend and I were talking about how similar the story of our lives were, and that sometimes we look at it and laugh about how ridiculous it seems. So much of what we go through makes zero sense! There are experiences I live through without ever realizing why I had to live through them. Half of the time I haven’t a clue where my life is headed either. However, I consciously remind myself that even though I don’t understand, the Writer of my story knows exactly what He is doing. He foresees what experiences I need because He is writing my story… every single detail of it. He knows what to include and when… He understands how each of my trials and experiences will be used to shape me into the person He is carving me to be. As long as I know Who the Writer of my story is, I have no need to worry about how my story is going to unfold itself.

I know Who the Writer of my story is. Do you know yours?

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

 

Go On, Make Your Move!

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, UncertaintyLeave a comment

What you are about to read now is a post that is like none I’ve ever written. However, it is some fun food for thought. I decided for a change to get past the intense-learning write-ups I usually do, and write about something that’s a little … what shall I say… funner!  

I don’t consider myself a very traditional person. Please don’t get me wrong. I love traditions but I adhere to them within reason. Ever since I came to the United States, I changed a lot – in a good way – I’ve become more independent than I’ve ever been, I love high protein-low carb foods, I cook, and all in all I’ve developed a very healthy lifestyle. So I think it’s safe to say that I’ve adapted to a more modern/contemporary style of living and thinking. However, one area that I have still stayed rigid about is my opinion of guys and their roles in a relationship. Yes, I said it!

I firmly believe that the guy must ask the girl out. He must take the first step. No exceptions! It doesn’t matter if he is shy, soft-spoken or downright oblivious… nope! If he is a guy, by default he must make the move! Why I have this idea in my head is beyond me but I do. The other day, I was teasing a friend about a guy that she claims she “doesn’t” like (but actually, she does). I also made sure I went out of my way to give her a hard time about doing something about how she feels. Yes, I found great joy in doing this! We had a super lengthy conversation about what she should do to get his attention, how she should engage in a rendezvous with this guy, and the likes (Yes, I give fantastic advise. If you need some, don’t hesitate to ask!).

This conversation got me thinking about, who should actually make the first move? Is there even a standard operating procedure? Granted I was telling my friend to get her act together when I, myself don’t adhere to it. So, I wanted to put an end to this confusion once and for all and see what the Bible says about it. As I was thinking about some of the good-Book’s love stories, I realized that EVE went to Adam – Not the other way around. RUTH went to Boaz – Not the other way around. And, REBEKAH went to Isaac. Now granted that in Eve’s case God brought her to Adam. In Ruth’s case, Naomi orchestrated the match, and in Rebekah’s case, Abraham’s servant played the wingman. Nonetheless, in all of these classic Biblical love stories, the WOMEN made the move… Not the men! So where did I get the idea that the man should approach the woman first?

My dear single lady-friends, if you like a guy, don’t hesitate to take the first step. If you think he’s cute, tell him. If you want to pursue a relationship, ask him. Life is too short to be hung up on ideas that we think are ideal. Until I am able to gather the courage to take my own advice, you be brave. Throw aside your inhibitions and go on, make your move!

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