The car mechanic, rickshaw puller, auto-rickshaw driver, cab driver, chai-wala, shop-keeper, and the stylist. And every other profession. They all wear it. All over India. They have the same message on their t-shirt. And they walk around as if they believe the message.

The message is Apna Time Aayega.

It is the new anthem song for all those who dream of making it big in life.

The song resonates with the majority of the 1.4 billion people Indians- especially a ‘hoping’ generation desperately holding on to an insatiable hope that ‘ONE DAY MY TIME WILL COME’.

It gives the essential glimmer of hope that regardless of how horrible my circumstances are, ONE DAY, my time will come. I will make it big. I will be famous. I will be unstoppable. I will be everything that I dreamed of becoming.

But I have been battling with an intriguing concern: what if, my time never comes?

Or, what if my goal in life is not supposed to be making it big?

Or, what if my time comes not in the pattern I expected?

Strange questions for many of us.

But our Indian education system, and our parenting patterns all seeks to put pressure on performance – Study hard, son, so that ONE DAY YOUR TIME WILL COME. (With a sub-conscious whisper- when your time comes, son, my time will come too!)

But, what does it mean when someone says MY TIME WILL COME. How will you know when your time has come?

⁃ Is it getting a passport and visa and landing in the United States of America?

⁃ Is it getting a salary that you always dreamed about ?

⁃ Is it when your name gets printed in the newspaper or your social media pages has 1 million followers?

⁃ Is it when you get married to the girl of your dreams?

⁃ Is it having enough power and influence to rule your world?

⁃ Is it have a title or degree before your name or after your name?(wherever you prefer!)

Unfortunately, if that is what it looks like, when your ‘time does come’ and you get what you wanted, there is often an unfortunate anti-climax. Many people I personally know or I heard about, have been extremely disappointed or broken at the pinnacle of their dream. Or the day after the dream they are suddenly dream-less.

Ask Michael Phelps. The most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals has been honest about the journey of what happens when your ‘time does come’.

Michael Phelps makes this honest confession, “You work as hard as you can, and put every ounce of energy you possibly have into trying to represent your country and potentially win a gold medal … and then the next day you’re done. That’s it. So you can get lost.”

The desperation of making it big or the over-emphasis on dreaming of ‘that day’ can cause us to build dangerous unnecessary castles in the air. Castles that distract us from fulfilling our calling today.

One of my favourite books in the Bible, is Ecclesiastes, which elaborates the pursuit of a man who had experienced the gamut of the pinnacle of success and making it big in life. He admits: ‘It was all meaningless’

What if, we don’t spend our lives pursuing the day when ‘my time will come’ ?

What if, we commit today in all that we are becoming and what we are doing: we live to pursue greater goals than waiting for ‘my time to come’?

What if, we set these basic goals for our daily life?

Firstly, we choose to be FAITHFUL in what we are doing today. We don’t aim to be faithful when we become famous one day. We are faithful and true now in our private lifestyle and public actions.

One of the Greek’s Olympic games was a race in which the contestants carried torches and the winner was the one that finished with his torch still lit. Your focus is not to be number One, your focus is to be faithful in everything you do.

Secondly, we are consistently developing healthy HABITS that shapes our today and prepares us for tomorrow. Regardless of what we become tomorrow, we are nurturing today the physical, social, spiritual and mental faculties. We are totally immersed in growing today as a person and discovering the depth of all that God wants us to be. We don’t waste our energies on been distracted for the vain possibilities of tomorrow.

Thirdly, we add VALUE to people around us. Sometimes, we wait till we have a post or position or title or degree to make a difference in our world. Position rarely changes the world, but passion always does. We don’t need a financial backing or power or degree to add value to the world around us. We need a heart to see the hurting world around you. Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, prayed this prayer: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God” . But he whispered that prayer long before he had global influence or strategic impact.

One person who has changed me is Jesus Christ. Not just as a historical figure in history, but as my Lord, Saviour and faithful friend. I am constantly reading and rediscovering what it means to be like Jesus.

Jesus lived on planet earth for thirty-three short years. From the time he was born he knew ‘My time will come’.

But he knew it quite differently. In fact, in his final week on planet earth, he knew the time had come for him to leave the world and go to His Father.

The time to give up any selfish fascination for his life on earth and to be captivated with God’s design for his life.

Lord, not my life, but your will be done.

Jesus, God’s son, on the cross.

Apna Time Aayega. My time will come. My time has actually come.

In my death, I will give the world new life.

Honestly, your time will come. My time will come.

But not necessarily in the pathway we design for ourselves. But when we commit ourselves to God’s design.

At His pace. In His steps.

Don’t run ahead of Him. Don’t walk too slow.

Walk with Him.

Johnny did not realize his small act would have such a huge impact. Actually, it was just a small harmless thing. Eating sugar. But his dad made a big deal about it. (Even wrote a nursery rhyme about it!) Johnny had no option but to twist the facts. Because sugar melts and it disappears. But he had no time. Before he could hide the crime, he was caught in the act.

Ever since, like Johnny, we all have been twisting the facts. And making it appear true.

The phenomenon of fake news is not new. We hide what we don’t want others to see. And we reveal only data that we think is important.

We even convince ourselves that we are not telling lies. We are just setting it the way we want it. So that WE can be happy.

By the way, in case we missed it, that’s the end game.
How can I look good?
Feel good. Showcase what we think is good.
Being good can be compromised as long as we can make it appear good. And ‘good’ has been redefined to mean whatever ‘bad’ stuff we do through the ‘good’ filter.

And of course, we have to be super-duper happy. We don’t care if we abuse, maim, kill or whatever as long as we are happy.

Johnny has been busy ever since that sugar thing.
Making movies. Short clippings. Long documentaries.
Giving speeches. In Neighborhoods. In stadiums.
Writing books. In school textbooks. In blogs.
WhatsApp messages. Inspired forwards. App-engineered images.

Johnny is in all of us. We try to laugh it off at times. But it’s all the same thing. We are spreading fake news.

We are no longer able to figure out what’s the truth. We have desensitized the truth in us.

We have reached the stage where we cook up fake news. Instinctively. Imaginatively. Sacrilegiously.

Is there hope for change?
Is truth possible?
Can we change?

I think so. That’s a conversation for another day.

But I have this strange mental picture. Actually, it’s not anything I have conjured. It’s from the movie Moana. That particular moment when Moana reaches out to Teka. An act of kindness that changes everything. The land itself becomes green.

Is such a moment possible?

Are such acts of kindness miraculously able to change the world?

I dream of such moments.

That Johnny in the neighborhood needs it. The Johnny within us needs it.

2020 had been all about stories.

Unimaginable stories narrated to my younger son. He was six years old and he loved my stories. Or at least gives the impression that he loves them.

The preparation for storytelling usually takes on this interesting process.

Firstly, he pleads with me for an awesome story. I try to bypass the inevitable because storytelling can be a very draining exercise. Because one has to remember all the characters. You need to have a unique plot. You need to have a great conclusion.

Secondly, I try to present to him my preferred list of key characters. But he rebuts with his key heroes. Usually, he prefers lions, giraffes, elephants, tigers and the entire animal kingdom. There are days I am fed up running through the jungle with these animals. But it seems there is no end to the energy of my son for one more ‘animal story’.

Thirdly, I start the story. It takes a long time to start a story. Because in my mind, I am running ahead wondering if I launch the story in the lion’s den where will I finally land my story. There are days I am highly inspired and engineer an extremely inspiring opening scene like the Lion King movie. With all the music, sound and lights. And animals. But most of the days, it is just the elephant roaming aimlessly through the forest.

Fourthly, I am looking for a crisis in the story. The crisis can be anything. The lion is almost killed. The mouse becomes the king of the forest. And all that. Searching for a crisis can also be a draining experience. What is a crisis for me was not much of a crisis for my 6 year old son. It needed to be a creative crisis that would capture his imagination.

Fifthly, I am trying to come out of the crisis. With all these animals running amok, I need to find out who will be the ultimate hero who will set things right. Some days when my creative juices are flowing, I am able to engineer a group of heroes like Animal Avengers who will set things right. Most days, it is just a lonely mongoose. Or a wild cat. Sometimes, even an ant works.

Finally, I am dashing for a fitting finale. It’s probably because I have seen the Lion King series with my older son, that I am pushed for the need to have an awesome finish to the story. But most days, my mind refuses to rise to the occasion. The story just finishes. Simply. Uncomplicated. With no post-credits.

This storytelling exercise reminds me of how I often enter into a storytelling dialogue with my Heavenly Father.

Firstly, I am desperate for God to write an awesome story with my life. I want God to script a story with my life that will thrill me and enthuse me. A story that will drive my passion.

Secondly, I prefer God to write a story with my key characters. I want God to write a story, but I am on a pursuit to ensure God chooses my favourite characters. It ends up not been God’s story but my story. Often I want to be the hero in the story. I want to look great and grand. The characters in my life-story must make me look good.

Thirdly, it seems God’s story takes a long time to start. It seems to be boring and unimaginative. God’s stories seem old-fashioned with outdated values of integrity, honesty and truth. Entering into God’s story means I cannot mess around too much. I have to live a clean clear life.

Fourthly, often the crisis in God’s story is not where I would want it to be. In God’s story for my life, I am often trying to escape a crisis. I am trying to play safe. God often uses a crisis in my life-story to draw me closer to Him. To make me more like Him. To make me trust Him more. But I rather skip a crisis. Or slip from it. Or slide away. But God plants a crisis exactly at the point where it will honour Him the most.

Fifthly, it seems in God’s story there is always only one hero. Jesus. It doesn’t seem fair that I don’t get an opportunity to play famous or be on centre-stage. The script insists on taking twists and turns and drawing me to make Jesus famous. Jesus has to be at the centre of it all. It is painful to live on the sidelines and watch Jesus become famous. But I discovered that when I move to the sidelines and more that allow Jesus to be the star player, the story becomes more meaningful. More significant. More glorious.

Finally, the fitting finale doesn’t seem to be what I always want. In fact, the story never seems to have a fitting conclusion. The Heavenly Father is always promising an extraordinary post-credit beyond all that I face today. Hang in there. Never give up. Press on. He will make things right…one day!

God’s story always indicates that the best is yet to come.

The best post-credit that no movie seems to guarantee. It simply reads:

“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” (The Bible)

Don’t miss out listening to the Heavenly Father’s story today. It’s a story that makes sense when nothing makes sense.

It’s God’s story. Not your story.

It’s a story that makes Jesus famous. Not you.

It’s a story that will glorify God regardless of your worst crisis.

Don’t miss His story today. In you. For you.

“So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Often what chains us shapes us.
It shapes what we do.
How we behave with others.
Shapes our attitudes.
It even shapes our lifestyle.

Our circumstances often break us. We quit following Jesus. We detach ourselves from others. We carry a negative attitude. We turn bitter towards people and our work.

But Paul and Silas refused to allow their chains to break their devotion, attitude or spirit.

Firstly, the depth of their faith shaped their circumstances. It did not matter where they were, as their faith spread fragrance in the worst circumstances. The pain did not make them bitter but it made them better people.

Secondly, fixation of their faith shaped their witness. They were fixated on God and had total dependence on the ability of God to watch over their lives. This fixation allowed them to boldly sing and celebrate even when they were in their chains. Their pain drew them and others around them to the presence of God.

Don’t let your chains chain you.
Let it build you.
To grow stronger.
In your faith.
In your witness