#51 “If There’s a Force in Heaven, Show Yourself!” - Deepa Sukumar

Season 5

Sep 20

Deepa Sukumar was a Hindu medical student with a successful career ahead of her, but she was actually struggling with anxiety, self-worth, and a total lack of peace. Then one night, when she was at the end of her rope and ready to end her life, God knocked on the door of her heart.

The following is a summary of the podcast interview above with Deepa Sukumar. Many more details are included in the original podcast episode and we encourage you to listen.

Written by Jace Bower

Steeped in Hinduism

Deepa Sukumar was born and raised in South India where Hinduism is the dominant religion. While Deepa’s family attended to the customs of Hinduism, they placed more emphasis on education than religion.

Growing up surrounded by Hinduism, Deepa felt a deep anxiety about her performance, her behavior, and her acceptance with her family and friends. Hindus believe in reincarnation, meaning that one’s actions in this life will determine one’s status in the next one. To move up to a higher caste or status, one needs to do good works in this present life.

An Introduction to Christianity

Deepa’s parents’ emphasis on education for their daughter led her to a Catholic school where Deepa was first introduced to the words and customs of Christianity. The Gospel was never explicitly shared but Christian songs were sung during the school assemblies. Deepa attended a class on “moral science” while other Catholic students took their catechism class. In this environment, Deepa learned about good morals and she learned about Jesus.

Deepa understood Jesus to be a good man who set a strong example of morality and kindness to enemies. However, she didn’t believe he was divine. Even if he was, he would only be joining the other millions of Hindu deities.

During her time at the Catholic school, Deepa was being protected from spiritual oppression by a prayer covering. She didn’t realize this until her time at the school came to an end and she went to medical school.

The Faithfulness of a Friend

As Deepa attended medical school and immersed herself in her education, her search for unconditional love and peace continued. She sought a rest that reached all the way down to her soul, a rest from the anxiety of performing for acceptance. But instead she experienced a growing anxiety and unease. It became a dark cloud that surrounded her.

However, God would use one of Deepa’s friends, a woman named Rohini, to reach her heart.

Rohini was a Christian convert from Hinduism. And she showed such unconditional and sacrificial love to Deepa. Rohini was a faithful friend to Deepa and was always available to support her when she was overwhelmed or anxious. Rohini would pray for Deepa and read scripture to her during these moments of anxiety.

Rohini’s faithful witness was showing Deepa what unconditional love looked like. Rohini never shared the Gospel explicitly but she showed it in her actions towards Deepa. While Deepa’s heart was resistant to conversion, she was struck by Rohini’s unique love towards her.

Utter Hopelessness

Despite Rohini’s love, prayer, and reading of the Scripture over several years, Deepa still stubbornly refused to convert. She took what she wanted from Christianity and sought self-help but rejected the true source of joy and peace: Jesus Christ himself.

Meanwhile, Deepa’s medical education was coming to a close as she looked ahead to a bright future and a career full of opportunities. While everything appeared hopeful on the outside, Deepa was filled with hopelessness inside.

After years of anxiety and depression, Deepa arrived at a place of despair. She had lost all hope. She was on a hospital shift when she lay down and appealed to a “force in heaven” to do something with her life or she would end it. With an undercurrent of spiritual despair running through her life, Deepa was ready to give up.

Deepa’s desperate plea to heaven was not aimed at Jesus, the Christian God, or any Hindu deity in particular. She simply appealed to the higher power that she thought might be there.

“I Will Never Leave You”

After a restless night, Deepa got up the next morning and encountered Rohini. Her friend brought Deepa to the chapel after seeing her distress and began to read the Bible to her. She started in the book of Hebrews. When Rohini reached Hebrews 13:5, which reads in part, “for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, Deepa felt the spirit of suicidal despair leave her.

In that moment Deepa found hope and knew with confidence that Jesus was Lord. But she did not place her faith in him for the forgiveness of her sin. Deepa was completely ready to admit that Jesus was divine and that he had real power in her life but to fully place her faith and trust in Jesus alone would take some time.

One of the things holding Deepa back was her family. What would they think if their daughter converted to Christianity? Deepa struggled with this question and continued to resist the commitment to Christ. But the Holy Spirit was with her, drawing her to himself over the years. Over time, the love of the Holy Spirit touched Deepa’s soul and drew her to a place of surrender where she committed to make Jesus the Lord of her life despite what others around may think.

When Deepa told her family, it was hard. Her parents were distressed over the news of their daughter’s conversion. But God provided a strong community of Christian women to walk through life with Deepa and encourage her.

Trusting God for Marriage

She continued to learn obedience to God in the face of India’s social customs. She felt God telling her to pray for a Christian husband despite the custom of arranged marriage which would almost undoubtedly lead to a Hindu husband. In God’s providence, the marriage propositions fell through, one after another.

Deepa met a Hindu medical student named Sukumar. They became good friends. Sukumar expressed to Deepa that he liked her and wanted to come with her to the United States when she moved to further her career.

While in the United States, Deepa and Sukumar dated long-distance while she was working a residency in New York and he was working and researching in Kentucky and Tennessee. During this time, Deepa was convicted by the Holy Spirit that she had begun to lose faith in God’s plan for her. He gently reminded her that he was in control of her life and her future hopes for marriage. Deepa surrendered her relationship with Sukumar to the Lord and agreed that, while it would be difficult, she would end the relationship if that’s what God wanted her to do.

Answered Prayers

While they were apart, Sukumar had met other Christians who encouraged him to read the Bible during a spring break. Sukumar read through the entire Old Testament in two days before reading through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. When he reached the Gospel of John, Sukumar was overcome by a love like he had never experienced.

Sukumar was unnerved by the experience he had while reading the Bible and took a break from reading. However, when he came back and finished the New Testament he was struck by Revelation 3:20 which says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” That was the moment that Sukumar came to faith in Jesus Christ. Soon after Sukumar's conversion, the couple got married and Deepa’s prayer for a Christian husband was answered.

God’s Methods & Our Hope

While the stories of Deepa and Sukumar’s conversions are miraculous, they did not happen all of a sudden. Their faith grew from seeds planted by many years of prayer. It wasn't instantaneous, but rather, gradual. God often works that way.

He works through people like Rohini who faithfully befriend and love, showing God’s unconditional love to the people, like Deepa, who God places in their lives. He works through the prayers of his people on behalf of the lost. And he works through his word which does not return to him void but accomplishes the purpose which he sends it for (Isaiah 55:11).

God’s work involves us, his people. In this instance, Rohini was the friend that was there when Deepa needed one, and who would share Bible verses and pray with her. Something, I hope all of us are challenged to do.

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Jace Bower is a writer with a passion for justice and biblical principles. He writes at jacebower.com.