REAL LIFE INSPIRERS

Cement has a unique property when fresh can be moulded into shapes of all kinds. Once it is dry and hard it is impossible to mould.

All of us in different season of our lives could be winners if we are like soft and fresh cement. Small children are like soft and fresh cement. Parents can fashion them and give them shapes. People in the middle of crisis are like wise. Believers believe that in the midst of pain and hardships God can fashion them and give them a destiny to arrive at where they are destined. Mulling over a long standing situation can make any one tired and morose. It is important to rise out of one’s predicament.

To state several cases, the soccer player Jorginho is the youngest among two brothers and four sisters. When Jorginho was ten his father died. The family suffered much more after the father’s death. Jorginho worked as a sweeper in buildings surrounding his home in Guadalupe district of Rio de Janerio. Though the boys in the family worked hard to earn enough to support the family, they found time for school and play. They could often be found playing soccer with friends on the streets. This is how Jorginho became an accomplished player at an early age. He soon found himself on the Brazilian Junior Team.

In 1983 his team played in the Junior World Cup and won the same. Despite his success he felt empty inside. He recollects, “My older brother Jaime had been an alcoholic. He had stopped drinking in 1984 and had dedicated his life to Jesus. I had all the fancy things, which he did not have. I saw that he had something which I did not have. Peace and contentment.” He tells, “Before, I always needed to win at soccer to feel good about myself. Now I do not get my identity from soccer, but from God.”

Ian Bishop, the fast cricket bowler was selected for the famous West Indian Team. He believed it was an opening from God. Expectations were high as he strove to reach his full potential. But he found himself out of the game in 1990 because of a back injury. After ten months of recovery Ian was back in the reckoning only to face injury a second time. People began to write him off. He was told to retire and choose another career. He decided to go to England to pursue his studies. While he was there, God arranged a help mate, his wife. It is there that he began to view his trial as a testimony of Jesus, faithfulness and his growth in his closer walk with Christ.

He says,” Now if I met someone in a similar situation I would be in a position to encourage them and point them to the one who gave me peace and healing in the midst of pain.”

“Before I worked hard for excellence in cricket and ended up being very stressed. But now my body and mind are relaxed when I pray, because I pray to glorify Jesus.”

Charles Rayburn had been a victim of Cerebral palsy since his birth. His only means of communication was an electric typewriter which he stroke with a stylus attached to a band around his head. In spite of his palsy, Charles Rayburn published 37 articles in national magazines. One of his articles appeared in American Magazine and dealt with the Stations of the Cross. He is unable to walk, talk or use his hands, he has to die daily to many of his dreams and ambitions. All his life Charles Rayburn had a mountain to climb, had to die daily to many of his dreams and ambitions. All his life Charles Rayburn had a mountain to climb, a mountain to conquer, the mountain of fear, failure, sense of uselessness, the feeling of being good for nothing. But Charles Rayburn did climb his mountain and he did conquer. He found meaning and purpose to his life; he did have a transfiguration experience on the mountain top. He is no doubt an inspiration and a hope to many in the world.

To understand the hidden meaning in the true life story of Charles Rayburn. Mountains are referred to in the scriptures as scenes for close encounters between God and His people. It is a belief even in our eastern spirituality, that mountain is a place where God abides and where one gets to encounter God. Let’s look into some of the mountains and mountain climbers in the bible: one gets to encounter God. Let’s look into some of the mountains and mountain climbers in the bible: Noah and Mount Ararat; Moses and Mount Sinai, Prophet Elijah and Mount Carmel. But today I want to draw your focus on the mountains and mountain climbers in some real life cases.

Many times we have mountains that seem greater than we can conquer. These challenges maybe in our own homes, difficulties in our relationship with our spouses, family members, friends and neighbours. The problem may be emotional or psychological. The problem may be physical coping with some ailment or some incurable diseases, or the problem may be financial. Whatever the challenge, if we take it up and put our trust in God to help us, God will provide. If God is with us, who can be against us. God alone can turn our tragedy into triumph. Yes we struggle, we climb, we grope for every inch as we grow up our latest mountain, but God cares for us and provides for us.

In this era of information, when the computer reigns and the internet opened the world of knowledge to every home, we have to admit that information is not the solution to every problem. We don’t have the answers for all the problems of the world and of our lives. We don’t even know all the right questions. We are called simply to trust. We are called upon to trust in God and to have faith. We know that God is with us, if He is with us then He will transform our lives. He has always provided for us and He always will as long as we have faith in Him.

Tough lessons in life make us experienced. We learn to trust God. In victory or defeat we learn to please God.

Reena R. Nelson, Anthikat

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