Jesus is in the boat

Last week was a tough one. Tough not because of all that happened. Tough because it was unexpected. After all bad things hit you harder when you're not expecting it. And I was definately not expecting it....! Things were going beautifully... not just in one aspect... every aspect! Work, church, friends, family... smooth... That's when the devil threw a curve ball. That day my fb status read,"...if everythings going right, it just means you don't know what's going wrong..."
But then today, just now, while writing this blog, the thought hit me. Remember the story of when Jesus calmed the seas...
Jesus and his disciples set out for a cruise. The disciples were happy, Jesus was resting, everything was smooth sailing. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a storm arose. A storm so fierce that the disciples feared for their lives. But the master was sleeping. Because, as far as he was concerned, it was still smooth sailing. Why? Because he was in the boat. That's what made the difference. Not the magnitude of the storm or the preparedness of the sailors. But the fact that the presence of the master had never left. Before the storm, or after. Jesus was still in the boat.
Jesus is still in the boat.

Annai

Thadagam is at the outskirts of coimbatore and 21 kms away from annaikatti which is supposedly the largest natural habitat for elephants in tamil nadu. 'Annai' in tamil means elephant. Today I finally saw them.
I was sitting in my opd room as usual when around ten I heard shouts outside. Suddenly my pharmacist burst in... " Madam annai annai". I ran outside to see a herd of not three but seven magnificent elephants walk by the hospital. The three larger tuskers with the smaller following.
Elephants are usually benign creatures who do damage jus because of their sheer size. When a herd comes to a human habitation, the menfolk usually gather as a group and with shouting, drums and firecrackers chase them back into the forest. They usually comply but a  problem comes if one suddenly turns and charges back at the puny humans. Death is certain then.
So back to my story... we just followed them, me being the only woman in the group. Men with drums and firecrackers in front and us just watching the show. I wish I had pictures to show, but it was too dark to see anything. After around 100ms on the road, the herd took a detour to the left and headed back into the mountains. The humans cheered and applauded and headed back to our homes.

Under the influence

Another big problem that I see in this side of the country is the craze for liquor. The capacity of people to drink uptil 1 at night n then wake up at 6 am for an eye opening shot is amazing. Also the fact that even if there isn't money for food and medicines, there is always enough for alcohol. The power of one bottle to turn benign quiet husbands into wife beating monsters is not as stunning as the tolerance of these women accepting it as 'fate'.
However what is even more irritating is when these anti social elements decide to disturb the peace and happiness of those around them. Coming into casualty late at night just to irritate the young woman doctor. Relatives coming drunk and fighting within hospital premises. Sitting in opd for hours talking absolute rubbish. Then those that don't even let you walk by without an earfull of nast comments.
The worst part being that there is absolutely no logical way to retaliate. Words will fall on deaf ears and sticks and stones won't elicit the desired response.
So all I can do is laugh it off or jus grind my teeth and bear it!