Reflections - Why do we seek validation from the world?

If you are a child of God, validation must not come from others. It needs to come from within. 

'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' 

When confidence is lacking, look inward. What exactly makes us doubt ourselves or be fearful or shy in a normal situation? Look inward. Who you are is a child of God. We are called to do great things and great things by His name. He says he will give us the words to say in any situation. 

Why then, must we be fearful? Confidence comes from knowing who you are. Not your position, your role  in the hierarchy of things, your background, your education, but knowing the Spirit lives in you. And that means with head high, heart in the right place with God and bursting with love. 

10-Feb-22

The Mass Movie

Why is it that I can't stand the average Indian masala movie?

The short answer is Girl, coz you have some resemblance of brains and these movies are made for the ones who leave them behind when they enter a theatre.

Now, I have two friends who are Vijay fans and I got conned into watching two movies, Mersal and Thupakki. For the first , I innocently accompanied them to a theatre since it was a Tamil movie and I was missing India. They insisted Thuappaki was one of the best and so I thought I'll give it a try and agreed to watch it one Sunday evening.

Both movies were long. Three hours long. And painful. That's the only way I can describe both movies. Now I understand that these movies are mass and hence need to be appealing to a group of people who like mindless heroines and mental action sequences. One of my friends have seen Thupakki ten times and Mersal thrice.

Usually you can go by IMDB ratings to decide if you want to devote two -three hours to an movie. Mersal has an IMDB rating of 8.9.
In Mersal, I cringed at the poor writing, the long long scenes which were crying for editing, the close-ups of Vijay's unnecessary macho shots and the mind-numbing unrealistic film-making.

I couldn't wait to get out. I am now  judgemental of those who like these movies which are made for an audience assumed to  not possess any sense of art or cinema. Its not that they assume the audience to be illeterate, its just that they assume people to be downright idiots who question nothing but follow the hero because he dances well with the girls and  makes a victory sign. No self-respecting heroines would agree to a part in these movies but it considered an honor to act opposite the Vijay's of this world.


Its not that I don't like all Tamil movies. I have seen more than my average share of good Tamil movies but these mass movies are mind-bogglingly insane. I lost patience very quickly at their attempts at getting a 'message' out to the world.
These messages are not based on facts and are often the directors own point of view. Movies are meant to be a means of communication and there is not one to validate if a Vijay says don't go to health check ups since you would be told you have a disease even if you don't have one. Indians have one of the highest cases of diabetes and health check ups are for the rich only while the happily rice-eating Middle class die from the heart attack because it went undetected.

Watching every mass movie is a checklist for most of the good people of Tamil Nadu  and there is not one mass movie that would dare to be missed.  Most people, like my friends, watch it at least a few times. At attempting to bring out a social cause and make everyone happy while fulfilling the actor's future political aspirations, these movies try hard to be not just entertainment.

I wish I had given both movies a miss. I wish more people will.

How far will we go? How much can we take?

I had written this in a fit one day last year, on hearing a temple was being planned for Godse. Today is January 30th, the day when Godse killed Gandhi. Something to think about :

India is a land where people need not necessarily stop for a red light, but would always make way for the ambulance.

India is a land where people talk about caste and creed all the time, but make space on the pavement when another poor soul wants to lay his head for the night.

India was a land where kids were told to put something on their head when they go out on a cold night(read as never below 20 degrees celsius)as they might catch a cold, but would be allowed to drink water straight from the tap in school.

I could go on..

India had its quirks, but it made India human.

India was all heart.

There are many things I took for granted, growing up as a young girl in India.

I took for granted that Gandhi was the Father of the Nation.

I took for granted that Gandhi was a hero.

I took for granted that the man who killed Gandhi was a murderer.

I took for granted that Gandhi was the idealist, and even if no Indian could be like him, every Indian loved him.

And then,

When India elected leaders from the party that killed Gandhi, i thought India does not have a choice. Complacency from the Congress was not being borne.

When a much loved IPS Officer jumped ship for more power, I thought India will see through this. Hypocrisy will not be borne.

When the PM claimed plastic surgery and interplanetary travel was already invented in India eons ago, I thought India will laugh. Idiocy will not be borne.

When every Thiru, Dinesh and Hari wanted Hindu women to fill the earth with their prodigy, I thought India knows these guys just want the publicity. Foolhardiness will not be borne.

When India's elected called India a land of the Hindus and called to convert the rest, I thought India will stand for its citizens. It will not be borne.

But what happens when the hero falls? And the murderer becomes a God?

Will it be borne?

A very personal God

5 days of work with not a minute for yourself.
The weekend is so welcome you want to savor every moment- Profile pics, , Flipkart, Eat-outs, Relationships, weekend plans, Laundry, Cleaning.

Where does God come in? Yes, you think of God on Sunday morning at Church. Yes, you read the Bible and pray a bit every day. When will we do more?

These thoughts were running in my head when I stepped into church this Sunday.

And the entire sermon was  about Spiritual growth and how it is imperative that we move in to solid food. Our God is so personal that He hears and understands our thoughts and speaks to our hearts. How much more closer can He get? No one can understand unspoken thoughts like our God.

He loves us and cares for us so deeply. His mercies are renewed every morning. His miracles are not something you hear of happening in a Dhinakaran crusade. They happen in our own life. Time and again.

Yet we praise Him briefly and forget His grace as we move in.

We don't testify about His provision. His grace. His kindness. His presence.

We need to start talking about our God. Who is in us. We really are the temple of the living God.

CONTENTMENT

I am thankful for my daily bread
Thankful for a day gone by
But there is this voice in my head
Wanting more, wanting that.

I am happy now  another year
Happy the year will  pass me by
We have a roof, we must cheer
Wanting more, wanting that.

I am conscious of my greater call
Conscious of the cross to bear
But miles to go and I daily fall
Wanting more, wanting that.

I am longing to see the top
Longing too, to be God's tool
When, oh when will I stop
Wanting more, wanting that.

But Godliness with contentment is great gain. - I Tim 6:6

Restoration

Inconsolable tears I often shed;

Anger and self-pity my daily bread,

Confident and courageous I duly seem;

And yet I know God's not in my team.

I pull it together and make the days pass,

The nights! How with their long hours they harass;

Hymns of adoration though I gaily sing,

And yet I know God's not my only King.

Oh! Why this misery? Why this shift?

When I know it is others I must lift!

Duty, relationships and the daily grind;

Excuses! Excuses! Do I want to be left behind?

Alas! And did I at long last see;

It is not my Savior who abandoned me!

For in striving to enter the promised land,

I had forgotten to hold my Father's hand.

He leads me beside the still waters. - Psalm 23:2

He's got His eye on a sparrow

I know that I should not let my life pass me by. You cant just sit there and let life happen to you right? When I was a child, I saw everyone around me and you thought my life was going to be different. Not because I did anything to have it that way, but because its 'my' life and it has to be different. There is this fantasy and surety where I have my life all planned out.. Me.. I was just someone different.. sometimes I would want to be a rancher in the Pampas, a wildlife photographer with Natgeo and more recently, a travel host on Travel and Living. I always thought I will be in a hostel in a great college and be a great business woman. I wanted to have my own house and my own car by the time I get married. I wanted to have many friends. I wanted to follow the motto of "Work hard, and Party harder' . I wanted to travel the world even before I got married and many times after. After all, my mom did. There were places I had to see, people I had to meet, rooms to stay, lakes to swim, mountains to climb, food to eat, and a life to LIVE. Life passed you by? No. That would not happen to me. Why? Its me we are talking about.

Has life passed me by? Probably not, you would say. Come on, you are a young woman on the brink of adulthood and you have all your life ahead of you. But you see, this is all I planned for. All the fun I thought I would have was only till here. This is the threshold of all that you can be while you still have a chance before the world heaps a hunk of responsbility on you, you ready or not.

What am I now? Travelled the world...been out of the country yes, to 3 countries so far. Cant really call myself a country hopper. Never been to the Pampas, let alone have a ranch there.
Watch T&L with a passion but thats all there is to it. Studied from home in a college which no one ever heard of doing a course no one ever heard of and as a day-scholar and right now Working in a company no one ever heard of. The only thing common here is that I am a Software Engineer same as thousands and thousands of other people my age. I have joined the herd.Friends? Are there any left? Am not really sure. Life even the fun I did have is changing with friends from college and work leaving one by one. Each one has their own dream. And I stand alone.

So, whats so special about me? What have I become? In this short span of a quarter of my life, a few great things happened to me. God chose me to be His child and join Him in His Kingdom. He chose that I be washed from my sins and shown a way to eternity. He ensured my future and He cleant my past and He holds my present. What does this give me? A dear friend in the Lord Jesus Christ and a close companion and guide in the Holy Spirit. It gives me the assurance that my life is safe and sheltered like a Sparrow in the hands of God. Thats me.

A lot of things dint happen the way I planned. A lot did. My life has not been a one bucket of successes. And neither is it a barrel of failures. Its flavored. And when you look back, you see that you have been getting everything that you wanted and needed and more. And things that you dont plan happen to you, coz its planned by a greater being. And all you need to do is let go and trust in the Lord who made you and knows you inside out, your plans and desires and your ambitions and He will get you there. And the journey is sweet. For He is driving.