My Loving Dad

My dad's name is Vijay (meaning-victory). He's also got a second name Barnabas(meaning-son of consolation or joy), and his life demonstrates both.

He is a wonderful man, funny, always joyful and always bringing cheer wherever he goes. I never remember one time of my dad causing anyone any pain or grief. Always ready to help. When he was young, he was so naughty, people thought he would never become anything in life. People and relatives thought he wouldn't make it well in life.

Daddy just had one Friend and simple faith in Him-Jesus, he never gave up, he worked hard, starting as a worker with the railways, moving on to repair and now to managing a whole section of trains running, working with the Indian Railways. Mom and dad both worked hard to make ends meet and give us three(me and 2 younger brothers) the best of education and food and clothing.

When everyone was interested in what we would become (as in work) in life, dad was concerned what we would become spiritually in life. He persisted in ushuring us to church and learning more of His Loving Lord Jesus. I still remember him, often telling me "Whether you learn anything else in life, whatever turn your life takes, never ever turn from Jesus, He is the ONLY true friend you can have".

In years we three were to come to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and be baptised in water . We three were the first among other cousins in this.

God didn't stop at that, He blessed my dad's children much beyond my dad could have ever imagined. I did my engineering and worked with IBM, my younger brother Abraham finishing his course in Bachelor of Science works with Microsoft Support in Chennai and my youngest brother David, finished his Master in Business Administration at IIM Lucknow(a reknowned top Business Management School in India) and now works with Infosys.What more could a dad ask for his children. He asked His Daddy in heaven for spiritual blessings for us and God in heaven in His generosity and riches of His glory gave my dad such bountiful blessings.

When everyone had given up on my dad, and he was a joke to them, God raised up for him children who were blessed because of my dad's faithfulness to our Living God. No one else in our family has been blessed with so much honour as my dad. Now the uncles and aunties who used to make fun of dad and thought nothing of him, say of him " God has blessed Vijay a lot, all his children are strong in the Lord and blessed with education and work". They see the hand of our Living Lord Jesus working in my dad's life.

I am totally proud of my dad here on earth and eternally grateful to my Daddy in Heaven for blessing me with such a wonderful dad.

Praise be to my Living Lord.