Sourabhi Sircar reflects on her journey from growing up in a traditional Hindu household to encountering a love that transformed her faith and life forever. Through seasons of disappointment, searching and renewal, she shares how God patiently called her into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
I grew up in a traditional Indian Hindu household. As a Bengali, festivals like Durga Puja were a joyful part of my childhood. As I grew older, my faith became transactional, and I believed that crying and pleading before idols would get my needs met.
In 2006, the formula of crying and begging before idols stopped working. I longed for admission to a university, but it didn’t work out, and my faith collapsed. I was angry and disappointed, and as a result, I turned away from the idols in my home (Shiva, Durga, etc.)
I completed my Master’s in statistics in 2008. It was the year of the global recession and I was also going through a heartbreak. I struggled to find work amid rejection. I eventually took a low-paying job, became deeply career-focused, and lost my earlier joy.
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One day, while returning from work, I was reading A Walk to Remember, a book a colleague had lent me.
One day, while returning from work, I was reading A Walk to Remember, a book a colleague had lent me. It holds a special place in my heart, because through it, I heard the Lord speak to me for the first time. I read these words in the book as the female protagonist, Jamie Sullivan, shared her understanding of love with her boyfriend, Landon:
1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (NKJV) ’Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
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The Bible verses deeply stirred me, and I felt my hardened heart begin to soften.
The Bible verses deeply stirred me, and I felt my hardened heart begin to soften. The words “Love never fails” echoed in my heart, and I began to wonder what kind of love never fails and who could offer it. Though the female character dies at the end, her faith leaves a lasting impact on Landon, transforming him into a different man. That kind of love was almost unthinkable to me then. It was this encounter in 2009 that stirred something within me. I remember mentioning this line at the end: “If this love exists, then I am now open again to such a love!”
Today, I know that it was the Lord who called, and my heart opened the door for him. Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) says: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
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This word began working in my life in 2011. An office colleague shared the gospel, and I just believed everything like a child, as if my heart was waiting to hear that good news, and I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. When I shared my faith with my family, God surprised me, both my parents accepted it and gradually embraced the truth, especially my mother, who has since grown deeply in Christ.
Since we did not come from a Christian background, the transformation did not happen overnight. We struggled to understand the Bible and wrestled with deep-rooted beliefs, pride, and even false doctrines. We were not possessed by any spirit, but we did carry worldly understanding that influenced our lives and, even today, can be a hindrance. Still, I am not concerned, for no one is perfect except Jesus. As we continue to walk with the Lord, he faithfully renew us and transform us into his likeness.
After giving my life to Jesus, I enjoyed an interesting 12-year full-time career. Recently, I took a break and stepped into freelancing full-time. Today, I am happily married and have found myself again, stronger and better than ever before! I know that I don’t need to cry and beg before God like I did with the idols. His promises are already “Yes and Amen” in Christ, a truth I learned gradually as I left my old life and chose to walk with him
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