Care for them!

(Penned at the Mughalsarai Station on 9th Sep 2011)

I am at the Mughalsarai train station waiting to take my next train to go to Bangalore. And as I look at all the people at the station train of thoughts flood my mind.

A group of rag-picking children. As soon as a train arrived at the station they are ready to enter and collect the trash. Every child with its dirty sack and happy & anticipatory face.

A small girl, may be eight or nine years old, carrying a small child, walking from coach to coach, begging for money. Some chase her, some chide her and some give her some coins. And as she goes on to one coach, there is a family, a father, mother with their two kids. The man tells his wife to give some money to this girl. And as she takes out the money, their child, the bigger of the two curiously watches this begging girl.

Here is a girl carrying her little brother in her arms and begging for alms. And at the same given moment in time, another girl child of the same age happily enjoys the travel with her parents and her little brother. Doesn’t this girl (who is begging) too deserve such a happiness? Isn’t she worth to live such a life? When some lavish with all luxury and love, many other languish in loneliness and impoverishment.

There come two other children; one girl and the other seems to be her brother. At the first look I mistake them for rag pickers. But as they come closer I realize that they are the ones who earn their livelihood by dancing & doing tricks. From the girl’s neck hangs a dholak (an Indian drum) and a whip around the boy’s. I assume that even as the girl would play the drum, the boy would beat himself with the whip and the watchers would throw some money at these kids, some amused at their act, some feeling pity and almost none would think and act for such kids and that includes me. And to add, some like me would write, while some would read and appreciate the writing.

All around us are millions of such children who are hurting within, while we watch, watch and watch.

At the Mughalsarai station, everywhere are boards that read ‘Clean Station’. We are concerned about keeping our stations clean, but not concerned about all these children roaming around in these stations. May be some socially concerned Station Master would bring out a stricter rule to keep the station even cleaner, by chasing away these children, all the while not even giving a slightest thought to the plight of such children.

How degraded man could be? Here is an old woman sleeping on the floor of the station with her daughter, both clad in dirty clothes. And a man passes by, not even considering them as living things, spats just near them! Does not every human life has value? While people kill innocent unborn babies how will they even value another human being? OR When they do not value such an elderly person, how will they value the unborn?

Need more compassion homes that will care for such children.

Need more government projects and incorrupt officials to care for such children.

Need more people who will dare to make a difference in the lives of all such children whom they meet and live among.

Man, do not forget that once you too were a child and you needed someone to take care of you. You too were weak, feeble and dirty and needed someone to care for you. Do not despise the little children.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 (ESV)

Some tips to care for poor children:

1. Support organizations that care for such children

2. As a fellowship or team make regular visits to nearby slums and take free tuitions and also play with them (need to build good & trusting relationships with the elders too)

3. Adopt such children as individuals or teams and pay for their school fee & food; buy dresses and toys and sports items

4. Arrange for regular medical check ups for those children

5. Include them in your prayers and fellowships

6. Celebrate their birthdays in their places

7. Take the children for excursions

8. Include them in your birthday parties and celebrations at home

 

Technorati Tags: care for children,begging children,ragpickers,hurting children,poor children

Simple act, profound affect

Two 7 year old girls, who lost their mother a few years back, live near our home. Their father is a drunkard and it is their brother, who is 15 years old works and provides for the family. These girls come twice a day to our house to pick the extra food. My wife and I always feel pity for these kids and always feel good when we share our food with them. Actually we don’t cook anything extra for them, but only give them the remains. We are happy every time we see the smile in their faces.

Though no sacrifice is involved in sharing our food with these kids, sharing and giving always brought joy within us. One day, I saw that there were three Five Star bars lying in the fridge and immediately I wanted to give those chocolates to those girls. When I told about this to my wife, she was more than willing to give them. And she took the chocolates with her and gave it to those girls. It was so good to know the happiness that the chocolate bars brought in them which have had radiated in their faces.

But we were to witness an overwhelming surprise!

The very same day in the evening they brought two sweets made of wheat each of which were in the shape of dosa (a south Indian dish) one for my wife and one for me. When I came home my wife gave me that sweet and it was delicious. The girls had made those sweets all by themselves specially for us!

How thoughtful they were! We were put to shame. Never ever we prepared anything specially for them. We never thought about the quantity of the food that we were giving them, whether it would be sufficient for the entire family. But they prepared a dish specially for us and gave sufficient amount for both of us, individually. Every time when we receive food from the mess and take it home, we could see them on the way, eagerly watching us with expectations. We never expected anything from them. We never gave a special thought to fulfil their expectations; but they had given a special thought. We never thought about their exact need or desire; but they understood our exact need (as they counted out two numbers of that sweet) and gave us that we would like.

Even as I was thinking about this simple but profound act of those girls, they grew bigger in my mind. I learnt a big truth that day “Kindness is contagious”.

How many people pass through our lives each day. Do we give careful attention to them? Yes, we do, but to criticize them. But do we see into their lives to see their needs, their desires, their expectations, their dreams, their struggles, their challenges? A simple smile, a note of appreciation, a pat on the shoulder, a concerned prayerful email or a phone call – could make a big difference in a persons life.

Talk to that person whom you see almost everyday, but have never spoken; ask the milkman about his family; enquire about your watchman/security guards health; send a Thank You email to people who have helped you in time of need; call and speak to your old friend who was there for you; gift a toy to a poor child in your neighbourhood; take the old man/woman whom you see everyday on your way to office in your vehicle and drop him/her at their destination. And keep your eyes, ears and hands open to others in need.

“To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” Proverbs 15:23 (ESV)

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 (ESV)

Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns.  ~Author Unknown

A good character is the best tombstone.  Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered.  Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.  ~Charles H. Spurgeon

Remove hatred, Practice kindness!