– Ceenu Susan Jebaraj

Nilshi pic

The family that ‘does life’ together stays together.

One of the integral threads of the New City fabric is its community life. Most of us live across the length and breadth of Mumbai city. But we try to get together as often as we can. So sometime ago we decided to get away from the bustling city for a weekend together.
We set out to a delightful campsite tucked away on the hilly Western Ghats. The clean, crisp air and the panoramic view of the YMCA Camp Lakeside was simply refreshing. We went exploring and came upon one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. Still, clear, cool water stretched out invitingly. Needless to say, we dived in.
Well not everybody.
I stood on the sidelines and wet my feet.
I love water but am petrified of swimming. So my good husband, Abishek, decided to teach me to swim. He gently coaxed me to don a life jacket and step in to the water. I peppered the poor lifeguard who was supervising our party with umpteen questions about the safety and reliability of the life jacket, depth of the water and strength of the tide. Abishek instructed me to lie on my back and float on the water. After a few seconds of enjoying the swim, I looked around. Suddenly the shores seemed too far away and I felt that I was drowning(Not really.That was the result of flailing about unnecessarily). I panicked and screamed at Abishek to ‘get me back to safety right now!!’. He tried to reassure that I was fine. He asked me to relax and trust him but to no avail. The melodramatic queen in me accused him of lying to me. Finally he gave up and deposited me back on the shore.
In hindsight I laugh at my overreaction. But that incident has stayed with me. Life on this earth is like a mixed bag. Happy and on top-of-the-world days tossed with seasons of uncertain future, job crisis, money crunch, ill health and messy relationships. Often the waves seem overpowering. Steady land seem out of reach. Drowning almost becomes a reality. But Jesus promises that He wont let us adrift. The waters will not overwhelm us. He will take us across safely. Jesus who lovingly gave His life to make us His promises to carry us in His embrace. Our tired limbs don’t need to struggle. We can relax and trust Him without borders.
 
“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine”
 – Extract from Oceans by Hillsong United