I stumbled, and blundered; but also found my way through 2012. Interestingly, I started off the year 2012 alone. The night of 31st December 2011, I had gone to the Church of Epiphany with two dear friends William and Bhasker, and came back to where I rented a house after the night service was over around 10pm. They dropped me off to my place and left soon after. Then my landlady, with her daughter and her daughter’s fiance, invited me over for a late dinner. After dinner I watched a Star Plus Award show with them for a while, and left a little before the clock struck midnight, before the clock struck 2012. After a few New Year calls and messages, I went to sleep.
Many changes in my life happened during the year 2012. I gave my final BA Exams and graduated at the beginning of the year, and therefore had to leave a place which had been my home for three challenging years. It was sad for me to leave Tezpur, a small but beautiful town where I had made many good friends. In the three years that I was there, I had grown to love and understand its people. I had a little difficulty adjusting to its ways at first, but once I got the hang of it, the place became as much of a home for me as Aizawl, my home city is. I loved the different churches that I used to go to, and the people I met in those churches. I loved having the freedom to be a part of all of them. I loved that I did not have to belong to just one denomination. All the churches that are built on Christ Jesus will be united, one day.
A college student at the beginning of the year, I became a University student by August as I sought admission at Mizoram University. I was wholly excited about the University and the classes and teachers, and of course my class-mates to be. It was strange at first; to go from being the over-smart, confident and bossy final-year student at college to being the new and meek fresher at MZU. It also took me a while to get comfortable with my new teachers, and there were times, many times I missed my college teachers with whom I had a very relationship with me being a good student (LOL) and their being really really cool teachers. It was strange for me to sit in a class room without my two friends Priyanka and Sandeep by my side. It was strange not to be cracking jokes with Priyanka during classes as we often did at College, and to not be walking back home after classes with Sandeep all the while talking about just so many things. However, after a few weeks, I learnt to love and enjoy the classes of my new University teachers; and as I got to know my new class-mates better, I found they were really cool people. We now totally enjoy each other’s company and tend to laugh really hard and loud when we are together.
Besides my academic life, another ‘tremendous’ change which happened to me was my starting to live with my family again after three ‘glorious’ years of living independently (not financially, of course). During my college days, I was responsible for myself alone and did not have many rules to follow, except at the beginning when I lived in a hostel, and had not yet rented a home of my own. I got up when I wanted in the morning (usually very late), ate whatever I felt like eating (mostly junk food) and went out with friends as and when I liked. It was a good life, if I am to be honest. But, now I am back with my family, and life certainly is different; more household chores, and a proper time for almost everything, but I have to admit life is good this way too.
During my college days, I was an active member of the Tezpur Inter Collegiate Evangelical Union. The other members had become my good friends, my family. We would have fellowships every Sunday afternoon. In spite of many difficulties, the faithfulness and loyalty of the members made those gatherings possible. We would share our testimonies, study the Bible, sing and pray together. Besides our weekly fellowships, we would have various other programmes together, and with the blessings of God, we always managed to get done whatever projects we set for ourselves. We were all just young people, mostly Higher Secondary and College students, but we were united by the same faith, by a love for the same God, and we loved each other as Christian brothers and sisters. It was an amazing experience, to have a family where members spoke in different languages, were of different backgrounds, followed different customs and traditions; but we share a hope that one day, we will all be together again where there will be no more sad farewells with our Jesus, the Christ by our side.
“In the sweet, by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.”
Now, I am a part of the MZU EGF (Evangelical Graduate Fellowship) Prayer Cell, and though I miss the EU days, the EGF Prayer Cell has now become an important part of my life, and the weekly prayer meets every Wednesday after classes are the most precious one-hours of my life. Much like our EU Fellowships, we share testimonies and messages, sing and pray together in our meets. With the first semester over, I hope to be able to be a part of the Prayer Cell in the next three semesters to come as well.
Many other less significant changes have occurred; I made many mistakes, perhaps did a few things right as well, cried on a few occasions but also laughed a great deal, said goodbyes to some people but also welcomed many new people in my life. All in all, it was a good year, and the most important of all, my relationship with Jesus has remained intact. Now with 2013 beginning, I know it will be a good year if only I keep my eyes and heart on Jesus, and live as a Christian ought to, as best as I can. I will have my bad days, days I am a lesser Christian, perhaps; but I will also have my good days, days I can be a better Christian. I only have to learn to take it one day at a time, and count my blessings.
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