Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Tag: Mexico Trip

Photos

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On November 6, 2009

In Christian, Reuben

On November 2, 2009, the penultimate day of our vacation in Mexico, after kayaking in the afternoon, Reuben started building some sand castles on the beach and as we searched for the camera to take a picture of what he had built, we realized that it was not in the bag that we usually carried it in. I went to the room to look for it and when I did not see it there, I started to panic. Panic stricken I asked Reuben to pray and we both prayed as Sangeetha walked over to the restaurant where we had lunch to see if we had left it there. I eagerly waited for Sangeetha to return with the good news that she had found it but that was not the case.

This is when it dawned on me that what I really felt concerned about was not the camera itself but the photos that was in the chip within the camera. We had taken about 200+ photos since the beginning of our vacation, including some family pictures at Chichen Itza, which is one of the seven wonders of the world. The camera is just a shell and was replaceable but the memories that were captured in the chip within were not only irreplaceable but priceless as well.

Likewise the shell of our bodies (jars of clay) is not what we should be concerned about but what we contain within it in our hearts (chip) is what truly matters. And what truly matters is the treasure of Jesus Christ (who is priceless and irreplaceable) whom we should hold within our jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:5-7) in our hearts.

Eventually, we did find the camera which was in the room carefully stowed away by the housekeeping service personnel and now I believe that this experience was given to teach me a valuable lesson. i.e., what really matters is the treasure of Jesus Christ hidden in those who believe in His name and not our ephemeral bodies that will metamorphose one day into celestial ones.

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (KJV)
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Masks

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On November 5, 2009

In Christian

Mayan MaskShakespeare quoted in Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1 – ‘God hath given you one face and you make yourself another’. At Chichen Itza, we bought a beautiful Mayan mask (see image) as a decorative artifact for our home. The mask is intricately designed and when placed in front of your face, it hides the contours and shades of the face. But no matter how much it masquerades the face, the wearer is still the same person. As I admired the intricacies of the handiwork in the mask, I was reminded of how we all wear masks as well and could relate with Apostle Paul when he wrote, ‘the things I want to do, I do not do and the things I do not want to do, I do.’ (Romans 7:15).

We only showcase the ‘good’ to the world around us, hiding the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’ aspects of our lives behind the masks we wear. While we may be able to successful hide our ‘real’ self from men behind the saintly masks we wear, there is no hiding from God. In fact, when we play double agents with God, what we are essentially doing is
1. denying the omniscience of God stating God does not know.
2. challenging the righteousness of God and ignoring his justice stating God does not care.

But thankfully, God is not interested in the masks we wear, He is interested in our bad and ugly lives. Unless the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us clean, we are sold under sin (Romans 7:14). We must first remove our mask before God and then before men/women for in not doing so, we are like men/women who are false prophets, deceitful workmen/workwomen, who masquerade as the apostles of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). When we remove our masks before God, coming to Him as a sinner, the only response evoked is one of acceptance, wherein God accepts you and me just as we are. He removes the masks from our lives and lets the world see who we really are – His children.

Drowning God

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On November 4, 2009

In Become a Child, Christian, Reuben

During our vacation at Mexico, we spent a majority of our time in the beautiful swimming pools of the Azul Sensatori Resort. With our three year old son, Reuben, I played several water games and one game in particular that he enjoyed was called the ‘Save’ game. In this game, I acted like I was drowning and he would jump into the pool and try to rescue me. When leaving the pool, I once mentioned to him, saying, ‘Reuben, thank you very much for saving dada, I would have drowned without you’, for which he responded, ‘No dada, you cannot drown, the height of the water in the pool was not high enough to drown you; you could stand in the pool!’. He is right. Even at the part of the pool where the water was the deepest, the waters did not come over my shoulders as the maximum depth was 4’2”. His response did make me think about how in essence God who is above all waters (troubles) is incapable of drowning. He in fact, holds the very oceans in the hollow of his hands! (Isaiah 40:12). But sadly, we belittle Him and think of our problems in life to surpass and drown God and His power.

Let us recognize the incapability of anyone or anything in this world or the one to come to drown God and may our response be as that of a child, ‘No God, you cannot drown, the height of my problem(s) in my life is not high enough to drown you, you can stand over my problem(s).’

Isaiah 40:10,12 (KJV)
10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, …
12 Who hath measured the waters (oceans) in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Kayaking

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On November 3, 2009

In Become a Child, Christian, Reuben

For the very first time in our lives, Sangeetha and I took Reuben and we all went kayaking in the Caribbean sea along the shores of Puerto Morelos (South of Cancun, Mexico). It was a tiring yet enjoyable experience. Our guide kayak was for the most part kayaking alongside us but at times left us and went toward others in the party, leaving us in between the shore and the vast ocean.

Reuben sat with me in the front and Sangeetha sat behind.  He enjoyed the zephyr on his face, and even when the water that buffeted against our kayak, at times came into the kayak, he was calm and cool and was having fun. I had my arms around him and he even helped me with steering using the oars.

What we learned quickly was that in order for us to steer the kayak forward, both Sangeetha and I had to steer the kayak in a synchronized fashion. We even came up with a strategy where Sangeetha from the back would call left, right, left or left, left, right or left, right, right as needed. As long as we both moved our oars together and uniformly, we were okay but every time I missed a beat or was slow, we found that the kayak, veered off course and at one time, we were kayaking straight into the ocean, until we managed to get our beat back together and steer ourselves to the shore.

What this experience really taught me was three things –

  1. First, as long as the guide was alongside us, we were not worried. Similarly as long as we are aware and know of God’s presence alongside us, we have nothing to be worried about. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
  2. Second, when my arms were around Reuben, he had not a care in the world. Likewise, when God’s arms surround us, we need not have to be anxious about anything.
  3. Thirdly, just as it was required for Sangeetha and me (and Reuben) to work together in a unified manner to advance the kayak forward, so also in order for us to advance the kingdom of God forward, we must work in unity with one another and more importantly with God. Jesus’ request to God the Father was the we may be one with Him and God, just as He and God the Father are one (John 17:21).

Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
John 17:21 (KJV)
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: …

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