THE GENTLE ORDER: HOLD THE FORT... AND A GENTLE PROMISE








Pic.: Manoj Nair
Well, as long as there is life, there is struggle. Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s advice – “Jab tak jeevan hai, tab tak sangarsh hai” – is not there just to help his two sons hold the fort – hang on... It is there to see all of us through, too. Believe me, at 5, when I was up, today, the first voice I heard in my heart was this:

“My son, hold the fort; for, I am coming!”

Who is that? Who is that telling me “I am coming”?

The more I observe life from the ringside, the more I get convinced that we cannot separate our problems and challenges from our life. Before one ends, another begins… That’s how life goes, actually. So, it is only sensible to open our eyes and see the reality… that, if we wish to live well, live valiantly, we should be willing – gladly – to embrace all the struggles the life brings forth to us…

There are going to be storms through my voyage…

There are going to be thorns along my path…

There are going to be nasty, heartless people making it difficult for me…

There are going to be doubts and anxieties: “Will I be able to make it?”… “When is this battle going to end?”

The ability to endure, a little longer, is what I ask God each morning. For, I know it is He who promises me:

“My son, hold the fort; for, I am coming!”


About one hundred and fifty years ago, in the thick of a fierce battle, General William Tecumseh Sherman had given this order to his soldiers: “Hold the fort (against the enemy at Allatoona) at all costs; for, I am coming.”

Yes, I hear You, I hear You, my Lord, my General!


GERALD D’CUNHA

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