My Testimony
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
Jeremiah 29:11
Born into a Muslim family, I was the oldest of the 3 siblings to my parents. My family background was surrounded by poverty, uneducated parents. Growing up, life was not easy. There were more struggles and sacrifices than joyful moments but all those toils and snares have enabled me to acquire determination and hard work, which thereby inspired few good Samaritans to come forward in order to offer free education for me.
I was a very smart and intelligent kid not limiting to the academics but also in religious competitions not to forget that I was a movie freak. At a very young age, I have studied the HINDU mythological books and was awarded a medal for winning a competition Purana Prabodha.
Educational Journey
The sacrifice of family with the support of good people around coupled with my hard work, paid off when I scored a State 7th rank in my 10th standard following which many colleges arrived at our doorstep to take me into their college. My parents finalized on a residential college for which they didn't have to pay even a rupee. This lightened the burden for them.
Life has taught me the deeper meaning of gratitude. My Intermediate college authorities were so proud of my achievement of bagging State 2nd rank, thereby getting admitted into one of the prestigious educational Institutions - Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani. Though I was stepping up in life but my family's situation was same. We could hardly afford college fees but as per the above promise, I pursued my Bachelors of Engineering with the help of Govt. Scholarships.
All my achievements, I count them as loss for the sake of Christ.
The Turning Point
A new chapter in life unveiled when I met my wife at BITS -Pilani, who introduced me to Jesus Christ. Back then, He was just another God for me. She was good at singing and enjoyed doing it during the worship services at the college. But I was totally against it but God has His own way of turning things upside down. That hatred turned out to be a passion now. Its only possible with God.
Divine Encounter
Life was going on as a nominal Christian where I was still figuring out - What it means to have Christ? I had an encounter with Christ and His Love, when my soul was destined to be perished in a car accident. God has set the stage for this encounter and prepared me for almost an year where I was job less in USA (thanks to Recession) struggling to even make ends meet, struggling with health thanks to failed surgery that developed an abscess in my body and my pregnant wife has been forced to take care of me when I was bed ridden.
After almost a year long struggle, I had to drive hundreds of miles to another state in a rental car to attend a job interview. As I was driving around midnight with foggy and drizzling weather, I was forced to stop the car witnessing an accident ahead of me where others were involved. In a split of second I heard a thunder and I felt like I am dead at that moment by the impact from a fully loaded heavy trailer truck which hit my car, it took few seconds for my car to stop at a distance.
As I opened my eyes recovering from that traumatic moment and looked at myself, I was totally surprised to not have even a single scratch on my body. When I looked back, I saw the small Bible which I was carrying in the suitcase coming out of that zipped suitcase and it was like the Bible stopped the Truck at a point right behind the driver seat. Until that point the car was totally smashed, broken and damaged into pieces. I saw it like Jesus himself out of His Love towards me, fought my death and gave me victory over it and by His Grace I was saved that day not just physically but spiritually. That was my real born again experience (literally!!!). At that moment I really felt this life that Jesus gave me is my second chance to make it meaningful, purposeful and I have decided to LIVE FOR HIM, SERVE HIM and SERVE HIM ALONE no matter what.
"I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." - Isaiah 49:6
God gives us many promises in our walk with Him. But how are we dealing with those is a question that we need to ask ourselves? Are they left as highlighters, bookmarks, Calendar circled, good to quote in times of trouble or are we wearing them as an armor? God gave me this promise at a time when I was desperate to serve Him, passionate to bring Glory to his name and proclaim His love to all. "For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things" (Psalm 107:9). I have faithfully worked towards every opportunity God gave me to fulfill His promise. Trust me, it wasn't easy. But my focus was on Him and His calling and as a family we took it all for the glory of God.
During that journey, God encouraged me through His Holy Spirit with each and every song that He enabled me to pen. Every song evolved out of a strong testimony.
My Journey Through Time
A timeline of God's faithfulness in my life
Early Life
Born into a Muslim family
Academic Excellence
State 7th rank in 10th standard
BITS Pilani
Meeting future wife & introduction to Christ
Divine Intervention
Miraculous survival in car accident
Musical Ministry
Beginning of songwriting journey