Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Tag: Dr. RAC Paul

From sorrow to Joy

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On September 30, 2010

In Christian, Salvation Story (and since)

September 30, 1986: A lanky and frail in flesh but superbly strong in Spirit man was taken into an operating room in the Christian Medical College, Vellore, for a triple bypass open heart surgery. Even on his way to the operating room, he was recorded to have been cheerful as he was always. He was joking with the doctors telling them that they should not stitch him after the surgery but just sew a zip on him so that they could easily open him should there be a need to in the future, as he was taken to the surgery which nearly took six hours to complete. Following the surgery, the heart that was in his frail body failed. It was a heart that was dedicated to take the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Bondo tribe in Malkangiri, Orissa, as no one else had. It was the heart of the missionary, Dr. R.A.C. Paul. It was a heart that was a heart after God’s own heart. It was the heart of my earthly father, my ‘Appa’.

A few days later, when my brother Ragland Remo Paul and I came to learn of my father’s departure from this present world into the glorious one that is to come, I wailed and cried with deep sorrow in my heart, accepting little to no consolation from my mother, Dr. Iris. G.R. Paul or Dr. Jeyapaul Sitther and his family, the missionary friends who accompanied her. I missed my dad and I was sorrowful.

September 30, 1990: I, an young child was on my knees in the cold floor of the service hall in Public School in Sunabeda, Orissa as the lanky preacher, Dr. R. Stanley who founded Blessing Youth Mission (BYM) was giving a fiery message in which I remember, he was calling out a  checklist of sins. I also remember that I seemed to have a check mark, pretty much against every sin that was on that list. It weighed heavy in me and as I knelt down, tears were streaming from my eyes when I recognized that while I was still a sinner and an enemy of God, God sent His Only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself and died for me to pay the wages of my sins.  Preacher Stanley then proceeded to give the call to Salvation stating that all who put their trust in Jesus will not be ashamed and all who believe in Him [Jesus] will have  their mourning turned in joy for He shall turn their sorrows into joy. In response, I committed my life to the Lordship of Jesus accepting his Grace and Salvation, Trusting and Believing in Him. After trusting and placing my faith in Jesus by praying the prayer of repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14), I remember vividly that I felt elated and joyous when I learned that a byproduct of my confession in faith, snatched me from the clutches of eternal death, where I was heading otherwise. I had been adopted into the family of God, and the Creator God, who had made me had now remade me as a new creature who could address Him as ‘Abba’ father.

Not until late that evening while traveling back home to Malkangiri from Sunabeda, did it dawn on me that four years earlier, exactly to that day, I had lost my earthly father.

September 30, 1986 was a day of sorrow, robbing me of the joy of being a son to a father, as I had lost my wonderful earthly father, Dr. R.A.C. Paul.
September 30, 1990 was a day of joy, a joy that no man can take away from me, as I had gained the Wonderful heavenly Father, the Great I AM.

Today, many years later since that life changing day, I can confidently state that My God is indeed the Father to the fatherless.
He [Jesus] had turned my day of sorrows into a day of joy (literally).

Jeremiah 31:13 (KJV)
13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

John 16:20,22 (KJV)
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

The gift of my mother

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On January 21, 2010

In Christian, Reuben

Napolean Bonaparte is said to have quoted ‘Let France have good mothers and she will have good sons’ which is often paraphrased into ‘Give me a good mother and I will give you a good nation’. Mothers and grandmothers play a vital role in the upbringing of a child. Lois (grandmother) and Eunice (mother) are credited for rearing Timothy, Paul’s young protege  with unfeigned faith (2 Timothy 1:5). While Napolean was accurate in his estimation on the power and influence, a mother has on her children, the real reason as to why good sons can rise, goes back to a promise that was made by God to his friend Abraham when he promised that Sarah (as her name is to be called) will be blessed of being a mother and kings (rulers of nations) of people shall be of her (Genesis 17:16).

It is my mother, Dr. Iris Paul’s  birthday and as I tried to recollect my childhood days, memories of yore inundated my mind. She used to fast and pray each evening for her children. Before administering medication, she would tell her patients that it is not the medicine that will heal them, but Jesus Christ, the healer of all diseases. She stayed alongside my ailing father till the very end of his life on earth. One statement she said that still rings in my mind was on Easter morning when she expressed that what the pastor had preached that morning was true; that even if the mother’s heart is cut into many pieces, each piece will still yell out, ‘I love my children’. I must admit that I did not understand that saying then as much as I do now, as I see my wife (Sangeetha) be a mother to our son (Reuben).

To be a mother is a reward from God for the mother (Psalm 127:3) but at the same time, for the child, a mother is the means to hear of God, when she acts as a prophet of God (Proverbs 31:1) teaching her children to listen to the voice of God. Many know my mother as a missionary of Jesus Christ, who joined with and continued the work started by my father, Dr. R.A.C Paul,  to people groups inhabiting the remote hills of Orissa in India. She has been the voice of God to many in the villages of Malkangiri and neighboring areas, as she has been to me and my brothers (Ragland Remo, David Livingstone) and sister (Mary Smrutha), both through her words and her life.  And on her birthday, I wish her many more happy returns of this day and pray that she continues to be a voice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, to all lost in this world without the knowledge of Jesus’ redemption and to her own. Happy birthday, Amma. God bless you richly. Thank you Jesus, for the gift of my mother, from whom kings of people shall rise.

Blessed Mother

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On January 21, 2009

In Christian

The synopsis of the biography of Dr. R.A.C. Paul and Dr. Iris Paul from “Pioneering on the Pinda” reads
“The local tribal people called RAC Paul “Mister Tall” and Dr. Iris “The Fat Lady.” Iris’ father reluctantly arranged her marriage to Paul, the pioneer missionary plagued by ill health. Paul yearned to reach a murderous tribe with the love of Jesus. When Paul died, Iris determined to return. She now runs a full-scale development project. Paul and Iris, who did so much of their work on the pindas, or porches, of the village homes, represent the thousands of Indians working in isolated parts of India. Their commitment and creativity challenges us all.”

Today, my mother, better known to the world as Dr. Iris Paul, celebrated her birthday and while many know her as a medical missionary who with my father, Dr. RAC Paul sacrificially chose to serve their Savior, Jesus Christ and follow His Great commission (Matthew 28:19), relinquishing their worldly aspirations and potentials, I simply know her as my mother.

She was a disciplinarian while at the same time kind, when my siblings (Remo, David, Mary) and I were growing up. She was emotional and talked a lot (not my personal favorite characteristic about her). She loved her sibling brothers and sister a lot. She fed us even well into our middle school years. She was there when she could afford to but many times she wasnt because of her commitment to the call to serve Jesus and his people. She was extreme when it came to dating relationships and challenged anyone whom she thought would steal her children away.  She say ‘yes’ sometimes and ‘no’ a lot more. She expressed her love for us the best way she knew to. She was proud to share of the accomplishments of her children and always tried to put them in the limelight. She had her own personality, some of which I liked and the others that I didn’t. In short, she was A MOTHER and the fact remains that “She was and is and will always be MY MOTHER“.

And when the curtain calls, while her Savior (Jesus) will be able to say of her – “You did not love your children more than you did love me”, I will be able to say of her – “Thank you mother for not just being my mother, but a mother to many; many who had to experience Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior, their personal God and Father”

I can truly say (and I am sure my siblings will agree with me) that she epitomizes Proverbs 31:28. – Her children arise up, and call her Blessed”.
Blessed are you, mother!

Wish that you all have a mother so blessed as well and if you do, arise up and call her Blessed.

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