Ashankur or Seed of Hope, a women's empowerment centre at Bhokar, a village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra was home for me for the past two
months. The experience prepared me to embrace the spirit of Christmas.
I woke up every morning to the pungent yet soothing smell of fresh earth, with a view from my room of shimmering green fields. Mynahs flew in and out of the room. I could see the Seven Sisters, parakeets and kingfishers twittering in the branches of trees, koels calling out to each other in song and wasps grubbing on insects, while squirrels darted from tree to tree. All these sights and sounds of nature were like balm, soothing and healing the wounds of hurt.
Nature at Ashankur was at its beautiful best with lilies, roses, gerberas and other flowers, with Gulmohur trees arching over. Cool breeze accompanied by sudden cloud burst and rain would sometimes cover the village in darkness. Living close to nature, and away from the noise and bustle of the city, i could not but take a second look at my life. The question before me this Christmas was: How to commit myself to the reconstruction and recreation of my own life and that of the earth?
Having come to the village in inner turmoil, i kept hearing a voice within that said: "Be still and know that I am God". The hushed silence at Ashankur helped me come into the presence of God on tip-toe, to experience a deep peace that is a divine gift. I stood free of everything that had enveloped me in personal darkness, and found myself in the presence of an all-pervading light, which could only be a sign from God.
Ashankur made me experience a call within a call, prompting me to pray like the blind preacher from Scotland, George Matheson, who said: "Teach me the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my thorn. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbows."
The season of Advent, which is a preparation for Christmas, made me stand in awe of the fact that Jesus took birth to bring to us the blessings of a God-filled life, which would transform us and teach us to pay heed to His call.
I once again found encouragement and hope in my life and found myself immersed in an all-sustaining love that renewed my faith in God and human beings. I have rediscovered faith this Christmas in a compassionate and loving God who renews the face of the earth and all those who wait on Him. I can only share this divine treasure with all those who are willing to be part of this experience.
My stay at Ashankur was short. I went there with a heart heavy with many questions to which there seemed to be conflicting answers. I watched and waited in silence and the answers came slowly but surely. God was once again inviting me to renew my life and to experience His power that helps to overcome all difficulties, however daunting they may seem.
It does not matter if our place in God's ranks is a hidden and secluded one and if our place is just where we stand in the conflict. The answers will come. This Advent has been an occasion for me to lift myself up, to let my spirits soar skyward and to experience the calm and the peace that the festival of Christmas brings to everyone, irrespective of where we belong, our persuasions and who we think we are.