It’s No Secret..

Murmuring a laconic ‘Thanks!,’ into thin air for the solitude that I finally acquired, I proceed to put my feet up on the opposite chair in the Fellowship Hall, this Tuesday evening. The sweet voices and instrumental music of the Praise Team practicing for this Sunday’s service can be heard in the background. I can’t help interject here that, to my unabashedly biased ears, the voice of my eleven year old and the bass of my new teen are the sweetest sounds among the euphony that is now permeating even through closed doors.

And as I sit here and make an attempt at channeling my fast racing gibberish thoughts into meaningful sentences, I hear the chorus, that I am sure will continue ringing in my mind – “You’re my all in all..”

And as I hear that beautiful song of surrender, I for some reason, find my thoughts wandering to another classic favorite of mine – “..It’s no secret, what God can do..”

And as I begin to simultaneously research that song, while I jot my thoughts down here, I realize, that ‘some reason’ lies in the words that follow – “..what He has done for others, He will do for you..”

A new call, as a teacher at a new School, prompted me to read the book, “A Quest for Excellence,” written by Dr. Daugherty. The book takes us through the journey of building the campus of Valley Christian Schools, which now towers the beautiful Santa Clara valley.

I began reading that book, initially with the sole intention of being prepared for my final interview and nothing else. As I progressed no more than a page or two, I realized that I was so overtaken by divine works of wonder that unravel in each and every page of the book, that neither my interview nor a potential new job was the driving force behind my incessant reading. Just the joy of discovering how marvelously God worked to fulfill His plan, sometimes through people who do not even know HIS name led me to come back to this book, every chance I got amidst my hectic schedule.

While the book in itself is a faith-stirring testimonial account, the parallels and similarities of the miracles mentioned in the book and my own life were so blatantly remarkable that I couldn’t just skim through it, like I initially thought.

“It’s Crazy,” I told my husband, “Here is a book about acquiring and building a multi million property and I find myself inadvertently relating to our own experiences in the process of buying our small house.”

“But it’s the same God!” came his calm reply, which struck me with awe and wonder of how great our God is, who cares just the same – be it the wisest and richest king of the world or an insignificant sparrow (Matt.10:29)

Grace and Truth. The book begins with a shift in the mindset, a shift that is still a work in progress in my own life, but what I feel is God’s nudge to me, for a long time now. A shift from legalism towards grace and truth. (John 1:16-18) I can blame my religious upbringing/background or a great deal of legalist preaching in my initial days of becoming a Christian. But the truth is I have been (and sometimes, I still am) a critical, staunch ‘Pharisee!’ But the truth, which I so often fail to overlook is that, God’s love doesn’t impose and so shouldn’t we. Choosing to follow HIS ways is the perfect testament to love than forcing one to walk the path. A shift in VCS ideology from enforcing modesty to bestowing grace and love, so youth may choose modesty struck so close to the transformation, which I felt God has been calling me to forever now. As I write this piece, I shoot up a silent prayer to help me dwell deep and practice this aspect and refrain from my judgmental attitude.

Miraculous Price. Carol Hamilton, our dear friend and realtor spent sleepless nights during the search for our current house in the middle of one of the hottest market years in the bay area. Having sold the house we were living in then, we had two months to find a new one, within what seemed like a teasing budget compared to the massive market that was overwhelming us. United with us in prayer, Carol, in what could be only a divine act of providence, found this beautiful house that we now live in and enjoy so much at an unbelievable price even before it hit the market. The fact is, if it did go on the market, the bidding war would have been so intense that we would have inevitably dismissed even the thought of owning this blessing. Just like the property where VCS campus now rests was sold for a miraculous price of $1 a square foot without it ever officially listed for sale.

Softball Field. A few flash lights were our only source of light when we came for the initial view of the house. The house has not been occupied for quite sometime and we too, for fear of people realizing and starting a bidding war, kept it as hush as possible. And in that hazy ‘brightness,’ amidst the clutter that we were wading through, what caught my attention were the innumerable Bibles and Bible related books, scattered around the house. With the permission of the then owner, we set aside all of those beautiful books, which still form a worthy part of our home library. This told me that people who lived here were just like us, children of God. And that was my reasoning and explanation, when at a later date, we thought we had significant chance of getting this house at a slightly lower price than what we have offered – similar to the way the ground that now is transformed into a softball field at VCS campus was bought for a fair price, despite the potential chance of acquiring it for a much cheaper price. The same just God cares for us all and loves us all the same!

Hierarchy and Bureaucracy. One vote. An Executive vote by the fire chief. Totally unexpected. Simply miraculous. That vote gave the green light to resume the building plans right when they thought there was no hope in horizon. Just like the way king Cyrus, heeded the divine commission, for the fulfillment of HIS plan and furnished and sent his captives to build HIS temple. Just like the way, in the middle of the fiercest pandemic, when all the federal offices, for all practical purposes, suspended their functionings, and when we, now resting in the blessing that He blessed us, facing uncertainty, silently and incoherently wished for another reassurance, receive an important immigration document, which in the years to come will continue to amaze all those who hear. The King’s heart, is surely in the hands of our God! (Proverbs 21:1)

Dimensions and Meditations. I thought I was enough convinced and sufficiently evidenced that God’s hand was in every aspect in the building of the VCS campus. But the the unplanned and unexpected congruency in the dimensions of Noah’s Ark of the Bible and the Educational Building of the VCS campus was, for me, one of the most mind-stirring experiences from the book. It is a seal – a final confirmation – that God has endorsed and blessed and consecrated. The same feeling I get when I think of the Bibles and Bible commentaries that were lying in the house. Those precious old books and Bibles, were, in fact, a sign of His leadership in our little endeavor of dreaming beyond our apparent grasp. Evoking the same supernatural awe is the presence of the huge fig tree that hovers over a relatively flat ground in our otherwise ‘hilly’ backyard. A ground that is flat enough to put a chair on – for contemplations and meditations. The tree, that was more like a surprise icing on the top, has more personal/Biblical sentiments attached – a story for another blog post.

The difference in financial, generational and infrastructural scope of the construction of VCS campus and the purchase of our house is huge! Yet, the similarities are striking. While I could gather some that have been impressed in my mind ever since I read that book, which was over a month ago, there were many more things, which prompted me to silently say – “I get that!” as I flipped through the pages of the book. While “Quest for Excellence,” in itself is an inspiring read for every Christian, the fact that, “It’s no secret what God can do, what He has done for others, He will do for you-“ made the read an unforgettable, awe-inspiring experience for me!