My 1st Toast- shall we say...

10th Sep 2011

 Out of the blue, Dhaya my friend asked me to speak at her 50th Birthday celebrations which was to be a day out at a resort in Kalutara! I was humbled...did also try to get out of it....but she said she has confidence in me to tell the people there what God meant to her in her life in a way that all of her friends and family understood. Well I've known Dhaya for about 15yrs.....and I had to find the appropriate thing that helps her celebrate her life. This was a milestone birthday.... I accepted the task as a honor and sat down to prepare...Prayed before I really started...And the words flowed. Little did i know till after i had spoken....what a lot of sense it made to her. Thank God...for His inspiration! This is what I said...As I sat down to prepare...i wondered, now where do i start?? Have you heard the saying- "Be sure your brain is in gear before your tongue starts to steer" Well I put my brain into gear and I do hope you will give me a few minutes to share some thoughts with you.... Dhaya turns 50....and she has decided to spend this time with you - her closest friends and family who are near and dear to her. I can't think of her, choosing a better way than this , to spend a special milestone such as this.

She has thought of recounting her Blessings and you are part of that blessing. Could you please one by one, read out what you have written about Dhaya- If she has been a blessing to you!( I had given out paper and pens to all the guests, very discreetly of course to everyone- from husband to mother in law to the friends children. Some very , very touching things were said and Dhaya's eyes were moist with tears, she held back those tears so bravely....for another time... Subsequently, I read Psalm 23 ans I told them why i chose that reading. Looking at the kind of life Dhaya lived...I can surely say that if she had no daily connection with the Good Shepherd...she would have not shown the qualities her life reflects. She ran her life based on a simple blueprint.She resolved to follow it.To summarize what i observed...it would go like this.. 1.To do whatever gives God the most glory 2.To do her duty for the good of mankind in general. 3.Ps.119:105 says..Thy word have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against thee. Then it was to study the scriptures and to know it. 4.To live life to the end knowing to act not as if I am my own but God's entirely.... (points 1-4 paraphrased from RBC 2010 planner) Resolutions alone is not enough. You need strength and guidance daily to walk in the path she has chosen. She did this by reading God's word daily and saw many miracles happen along the way. You would know about it too- her Love story! how she met her husband Ashok..... Someone once said-"Life has away of bringing unexpected adventure into our lives when we open our hearts to a loving God - who knows you, loves you and knows your futureand also knows you are His'work in progress'. He 's a God who says in - Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” She has trusted this God and Saviour Jesus Christ and gives thanks and Glory to Him- A great and Awesome God is He- the One she worships! We ended the time with some of her favourite choruses and then came Dhaya to say a few words herself...to thanks her friends for being a blessing to her and for being there! Almost 905% of the invitees were present! At this point she mentioned that she is assured even at that moment of God's presence with her...the words just spoken by me had touched her deeply as i had chosen her favourite Psalms- 23 and 119 to quote from! She said it has to be from God and no one else and broke down.....His presence filled that place and i am sure her friends and family experienced it too. Praise Him, Praise His holy name ...I pray that God will continue to use her everyday...and also in her new role as Sunday School Superintendent in our little Church.