“The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.”-John 10:10 NIV

Whenever I read this verse, I concentrated on the second part and I loved it- life to the full! That sounded like a perfect life full of joy and bubbling with contentment.

It was December 2021, I had Christmas carols playing in the background as I decorated our Christmas tree. One of our sons Michael was home for Christmas this year, that was good. Meshak, who worked in UK could not visit us this year because of travel restrictions, but I was happy that he was visiting India to spend Christmas with grandparents.

As I hung each of the baubles, it took me back in time when our sons were young. Nappies and first steps, school and exams, college and University, interviews and jobs we had seen it all with God beside. My heart was full- I thought of John 10:10 – ‘this is what Jesus must have meant’.

Just as I put up the last of the decorations and stepped back to admire the tree the phone rang. Meshak had arrived in Chennai India! ‘Did you have a good flight? Are you on a taxi to Thatha’s place?’ I shot out my list of questions making my joy evident.

A calm, quiet voice spoke at the other end - ‘Amma, I have tested positive for Omicron at the Chennai airport and I am on an ambulance to a hospital here’ said our dear 26-year-old.

What followed were 10 ‘hard’ days. I then understood what the first half of John 10:10 meant. The thief (meaning the devil) comes to steal our joy, kill our contentment and destroy our peace.

I am going to tell you how God and His Word helped us as a family to conquer these fears.

1.   We soaked in Scripture.

I wrote out 2 Timothy 4:17-18 like this:

The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength

I was delivered.

I was rescued.

I was safe.

I highlighted it in my Bible. Whenever I was afraid or worried about Meshu, I read these verses out aloud.

I learnt Isaiah 60:5b byheart.

I rewrote it with Meshak’s name.

Then Meshak will look and be radiant. His heart will throb and swell with joy.

2.   We talked to God more

We prayed as a family, I prayed with my son on the phone- there so far away, he was on a hospital bed, but we both could connect to God together. I called my friends and we prayed together. When I could find no words to pray, they prayed with me and for us.

3.   We found many reasons to praise God

Though he tested positive Meshak did not have any symptoms except for a sore throat. The hospital permitted outside food and so family and friends dropped off home cooked food. As a family we played online word games together across time zones.

On the 9th day Meshak tested negative, was ‘released’ and joyfully went home.

We saw that each verse we claimed and prayed was fulfilled.

‘Yes, amma’ said Meshu, who had spent Christmas on a hospital bed, ‘But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me’. Together we could all say ‘our hearts throbbed and swelled with joy’.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shoba Ranjitsingh is an architect, writer, a proud mother and an excited new grandmother who works in a Primary school in New Zealand. Shoba enjoys studying God’s word and her role as a STL at Bible Study Fellowship in NZ for 6 years has enabled her to now write and lead Women’s Bible Studies. Helping women study and enjoy God’s word as they embrace each season of life is her prayer as a writer. Long walks, cakes, hymns, coffee, books and quiet family evenings describe Shoba. Ranjit and Shoba live in Auckland.