#109. Faith

I guess this article is going to be just as much a reminder to myself, as it would be to everybody who reads it. Read on, and let’s understand this intangible, facet of life.

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.”

– Max Lucado

I recently suffered an injury to my left knee, while playing cricket as part of my corporate team. I tore 80% of the fibers of my ACL, which is a ligament that prevents sideways movement of the knee joint. I have not been making a big fuss about it, because I suffered the same injury in my right knee 12 years ago, and as the saying goes, better the devil you know.

I am only human though, and often I have a hard time reconciling this to reality. I spend time asking myself questions that nobody has answers to.

Why me?

Why now?

What next?

How much time?

It is in these moments that I realize the value of movement. My inability to move around carefree was causing me a lot of frustration. I can’t do things I enjoy doing, apart from being able to go to the office.

Little did I know, that on one of these trips to the office I will get some perspective that I truly needed to change my thinking.

Monsoon is upon us. Dark and dense clouds have cut the line and claimed there place in front of the sun. The weather has been super pleasant, until it actually starts raining. Then all we hear about water logging, traffic jams and other such nuisance.

On one such day, one I had deemed a good weather day, I planned on going to the office.

Like every other day, almost unwittingly, I booked a cab on my phone. I took the lift to reach the gate of my apartment building to find it was raining. In my current condition, the additional risk of slipping and falling took center stage in my head. To prevent any further damage, I decided to put my knee brace on and march forth, looking for my cab.

My cab driver was a nice person. He brought the vehicle close enough to the building that I could hop in, unscathed from the raindrops. We were shortly on the way, and suddenly the rain became a pretty site, now that I only had to observe it, and not prepare for safety.

I saw him notice the brace on my knee, and trying to compose himself. But I made nothing of it in that moment.

A couple of minutes into the drive, the driver feebly asked me a question.

“Bhaiya (brother), do you have an ACL injury?”

I was caught a little off guard, it was a very specific question, and one I did not expect in the setting. But I gathered myself and responded “Yes brother, why do you ask?”.

After hearing my response, it was almost as if he had found a confidante.

“I had the same injury in my right knee three years ago. I sustained it while playing cricket. I went through a surgery, and now I feel much better”

Could there be any bigger a coincidence? The guy is facing the same issue as I am.

He had more to say, though. His voice became feeble again.

But..

“But, What?” I asked.

“I am having a hard time overcoming my fear of running. I still play cricket, but I take a runner to run in my place.”

“How old are you?”, I asked him.

“23”

As a knee jerk response, I found his fear to be irrational. He’s a kid, how can he be afraid?

“Man, you are very young to have this fear. Focus on your physical therapy and training. You will be fine in no time. Not only will you be able to run, you’ll run your own runs”

I saw the kid’s eyes in the back-view mirror, and I swear I saw happiness enter them. Sometimes that is all we need, an assertion from someone around us, an assertion that everything is going to be okay.

I could see the kid get more comfortable, and I could also see that he had a follow up question.

“Thank you Bhaiya, but, my neighbours say that I have a disability. Do you really think I will be able to run again?”

For me, it was not a big deal, I have been playing sports all my life, and maybe that is why I deem injuries as just a part of the process. However, this statement hit me like a ton of bricks. How could an injury be dubbed a disability? And what are this kid’s neighbours getting by crushing his spirit, at 23 years old?

“Don’t worry about your neighbours, kid. You have your whole life in front of you. If I can run, you can run.”

The story I have just told is not meant to discuss societal perils. But it is meant to unravel this weird coincidence, and what I think is worth remembering.

There is a power bigger than us, that teaches us the lessons we need when we need them.

When I came across this kid, I realised that him having overcome the physical component of the injury, he was still living a mental struggle. And if I can give him the words of encouragement he needs, I could do this for myself, and end up just fine.

I guess what I am trying to say it, have faith in something bigger than yourself. There is someone who is orchestrating events to help us live our best lives, no matter how much we doubt ourselves.

If you stuck around this far, thank you for your time. If you enjoyed this, share this with one friend of yours whom you think will benefit from reading this. Thanks for reading, and I will see you in the next one. 🙂