Hats Off to BIS!

On the 24th Nov I was travelling from Dehri to Patna, on my way to Nepal. I found something which caught my attention and not only was I glued to it…

What was that?

What do you think this is?

Have a closer look into other details as well…

Any guess????

I took a bus and went to Muzaffarpur and then from there took a train to Raxaul, the Nepal border.

As soon as I alighted from the train and came just outside the station and once again found something very similar to what I found in Patna…

Any guess now to what this is????

I don’t want to hold your curiosity longer. Have a look at what they are.

 

Packaged Drinking Water!

Later I found that Softech was a software company earlier which started manufacturing packaged drinking water since 2007!

Both the product did not taste a bit like mineral water and the odour was also not good.

So after coming back, I lodged a complaint on 5th Dec with the Standards Promotion & Consumer Affairs Department of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This afternoon I receive a call from the Patna Office of BIS, saying that they received the complaint forwarded to them and asked me to elaborate the complaint and then promised that they would take the matter with the manufacturers.

A response from BIS within two days of lodging a complaint. Hats off to BIS and the officials and staff!

Isn’t Indian systems are working well? Let us bring to notice to the proper authorities the failures and malfunctioning that we come across. Don’t hesitate to do your part in making India clean and corruption free!

PROFIT Garage 2011

PROFIT (PROfessionals Fellowship of International Talents) conducted PROFIT Garage, a conference to motivate Christian professionals towards workplace evangelism, in Bangalore.

The messages that I shared and the workshop that I conducted at the conference can be read and the presentation downloaded at:

You Are The Dynamite – Reasons for workplace evangelism http://mariyoshwordfromtheword.blogspot.com/2011/11/you-are-dynamite.html

Amar, Akbar, Anthony – Workshop on Worldviews http://mariyoshwordfromtheword.blogspot.com/2011/11/profit-garageworkshop-on-worldviews.html

There is no one else – The Irrefutable workplace missionary call http://mariyoshwordfromtheword.blogspot.com/2011/11/profit-garagethere-is-no-one-else.html

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To know more about PROFIT visit www.profitconnect.net or write to profit@gemsbihar.org PROFIT or PROfessionals Fellowship of International Talents is a mission initiative of GEMS - Gospel Echoing Missionary Society, for professionals.

I am Ravi

I am Ravi. I am ten years old and I like playing crikate with my friends and Dhoni is my hero. I am from a village in Jharkhand. I come from a family of three brothers and three sisters, always drunken father and beaten mother. Even though our father beats our mother everyday, she cooks special food only for him, while we children starve everyday. Because our father spends most of his earnings in drinking mahua or smoking ganja and gambling. Apart from working all day at home my mother works as a maid in a few houses and it was because of her that we children were getting our morsel of food at least two times in a day regularly, until she died. Ma was the only creature in this world who was ever loving towards me. I cried for many weeks after her death. Even now whenever I remember her, my eyes become filled with tears. After her death our life became very miserable. Because she was the only one who was making sure that we got some proper food everyday. After she passed away, my babuji sent my two didis to work in houses as maids. And I had very less time to play with my sisters. After my mother’s demise they were the ones who cared for all of us.

I like going to school and I love reciting my favourite rhyme ‘Machili jal ki rani hey, jeevan uska pani hey’ (Fish is the queen of waters and water is its life). I also like playing with my friend Deepu (who was known as pada at school, as he was very strong). He never cries when our masterji beats him and he fakes tears every time he is beaten, as masterji continues to beat him until he cries or his own hands ache. Every evening after school we both chupke se pluck guava from Sharmaji’s garden. Once we were caught by him and we were thrashed and he beat us more not for stealing, but for entering his garden and touching his trees. And he called us names ‘Garib achuth kutha’ (Poor untouchable dog) and said that because we touched the trees they became ill-fated. Sharmaji’s son also was of our age and studied in the same school, but I never understood why the trees and fruits did not become ill-fated when he touched.

One fateful day a person came to meet my father. On seeing him, my father was very happy and borrowed a chair from the neighbour’s house to seat him and asked me to go and buy tanda for him. He was introduced to us as Papu chacha. My father and he had a long talk which lasted for more than two hours and ended in Papu chacha giving a huge bundle of rupee notes to my father. Never before we had seen so much money at our house. And after a while my father called me and told me to pack my things in a jola and told me that I was to go with Papu chacha to town. I did not ask my father any questions, as I knew that it will only attract his anger which will end up in beatings. As I was keeping my things in the bag I looked at the sad faces of my brothers and sisters and the thought that I am going to be separated from them brought tears to my eyes. Within a short while I was in the jeep with Papu chacha, waving my hands to my siblings and neighbourhood friends, not knowing that it was the last time I was seeing them. I wanted to stay awake all through the journey to remember the way back home, but my continuous crying left no strength in me and very soon I feel asleep. Darkness covered the sky and so my life, as I was entering into an unknown and uncertain destiny.

“Sir ji, I think the Mestri is calling me and I need to go, and thanks for the twenty rupees that you gave me, it is equal to my two days wage.” As if doing some mental calculation Ravi continued, “that makes seventy rupees” and looking at me, “I am accumulating money to go home”. And with a broad smile, he started to run. And at the top of my voice I shouted, “Ravi, I will come tomorrow night to meet you.” Only then did I realize that it was half past one and Ravi was called to serve customers at the dhaba, even at this hour.

I am traveling from Varanasi to Dehri-On-Sone and on the way I stopped at this dhaba to have tea and that is how I met Ravi.

(More on Ravi and such children is to come in the future).

From the news: (source - http://www.globalmarch.org/news/101007.php)

On 10 October last year, the government notified all child domestic labourers, children in roadside dhabas, eateries, restaurants, and child labour in the entertainment sector illegal under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986. This is the extension of the restrictions on the employment of child domestics to everyone from only government employees within the service rule in 1999. This service rule is a direct result of Bachpan Bachao Andolan's (Save the Childhood Movement), a NGO working for the rights of the child, effort to highlight the case of first child domestic slave rescued in India in 1996.

The responses of the states are appalling. In Madhya Pradesh only 94 children have been identified while in Jharkhand only 6 children were identified as working in these sectors of these 4 children were found to be over 14 years of age. In the capital Delhi, 55 child labourers working in homes and dhabas while NGOs estimate that there are more than 2 lakh  child domestics and child labourers working in dhabas, eateries, etc.

What can I do?

Even as we celebrate this day as Children’s Day let us take a decisive step to help such children:

1. Learn about the laws on Child Labour and with the help of legally supported NGOs free such children

2. Support the livelihood and education of such children in your locality, if not, through some NGO that works among them

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mahua – an intoxicating drink

ganja – opium

Ma – mother

babuji – father

didi – elder sister

chupke se – quietly

tanda – cold drink

chacha – uncle

jola – bag

mestri – supervisor

dhaba – roadside hotel

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Technorati Tags: child labour,dhaba,children's day

Three years of twosome

Three years before at this time of the day Angel and I said, “I do”.

Before leaving home my wife gave me an envelope and told me to open only on the 6th Oct. This is what I found when I opened it!

There was one more surprise waiting for me inside! Another card!!

Angel had handmade these cards for me.

“An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.”

Proverbs 31:10-13 (ESV)

I thank God for my wife Angel! She is the most wonderful person in my life!!

Up, up and up

There was this cute little boy who had a very weird dream one day. And he continued to have the same dream for several nights to come. He had several other dreams, but this one was the weirdest and also the one which he enjoyed the most. And he dreamt for that dream to come true. As a little boy he never knew that this dream would change him and his destiny forever – his desires, his career and himself. What dream did he have?

He dreamt that he was floating and flying in his room. He was floating upto the ceiling and was moving to other rooms as well. It was fun! He was thoroughly enjoying this experience and wished that it never ended. But as all dreams come to an end this too ended, as his nanny woke him up for he was getting late for school. But he was thinking of the dream all the way to his school and as well during the class hours.

It was not long enough that he discovered that he was not the only one who had this dream, as he listened his English teacher narrate the story of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at school.

There were several nights when he closed his eyes wishing to dream that same dream! Experiencing floating and flying in dreams and listening & reading it in fairly tales was fun, but he longed for something real.

It was not long enough did he find that he was not alone in this pursuit. He learnt at school of the Wright Brothers who wanted to fly and made the first aeroplane. But he has seen aeroplanes, those that take off, fly and land. But his dream was not that. In his dreams he was floating, flying and was going up, up and up.

And one day at school his science teacher taught him that it is the gravitational force that keeps all things fixed to the ground and the absence of which means that all of us would be floating; like that of inside a ‘Rocket’ or in ‘Space’. It was very fascinating and REAL! He wanted to know more about Rockets and Space.

In a few weeks time his dad told him that he will take him to a book store and that he could pick any book that he wanted (but not to cost more than 100 rupees)! He was very excited at the thought that his father was taking him to a book store and that weekend his dad did take him and all through the way he was only thinking about books on rockets and space! That store had only books in the vernacular and he was interested to read in English. But as he was browsing through the books at the shelf one book caught his eyes. A book on science by a known author Sujatha (who too was brought up in his hometown, Trichy and by his grandparents, like him). He was only in the 6th grade but was familiar with Sujatha’s writings in Junior Vikatan and Ananda Vikatan. This book was on science facts and lots on the space & universe and he liked it! He immediately grabbed that book and his father bought it for him.

As soon as he came home, he started reading it and completed it in a couple of nights. He learnt lots about rockets, astronauts, planets, galaxies, stars, satellites and space travel. His fascination started to become his passion. His dreams started to become his desire. And he wanted to make his crazy craving to fly & float as his career!

He was so much fascinated that he even enjoyed the slightest moment of the ‘floating’ feeling while going around in a Giant Wheel and he desired for that moment to last forever!

He also bought and read more books on Astronomy from ‘Higginbotham’s’ and ‘New Century Book House’ and at Book Fairs. As he grew up Physics and Astrophysics became his favourite subjects and he also began to read ‘Classical Mechanics’ when he was in the 9th grade! And he was looking for options to learn and experience science and that made him to become a member of ‘Indian Science Congress Association’ which only remained as ‘Membership Card’! As he read the book ‘The first man on the moon’ by Scholastic publishers and on Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, he wanted to go to the NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) of the USA. As he read on the first Indian to space, Rakesh Sharma, he also wanted to go to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization)!

As he neared his completion of 12th grade he started to look for options to pursue higher education in Astronomy/Astrophysics and applied for many universities in the United Kingdom. But this pursuit did not materialize as his father refused to support his education in abroad. It so appeared that his childhood dreams had come to an end. It seemed as if all his hopes and dreams would never come true. He even started to question his life’s purpose and almost decided to quit (to read this and his life changing experience read I Quit)

After 12 years of all this had happened, as he was traveling in a train he was remembering these and was thinking whether his childhood dream would never come true! Just then he remembered a verse in the Bible -

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV)

And he wished for Jesus to come soon, for He loves Jesus and loves flying - up, up and up!

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(Penned in the train ‘Sanghamitra Express’ on 2nd Oct 2011). This post is neither a scientific nor a theological essay, but only a personal memoir.

Technorati Tags: dream,floating in the air,astronomy

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!

I Quit

“I Quit” were the only words that had filled my mind that afternoon. And I was choked and felt a lump in my throat. It was not the food that I was having that Sunday afternoon that choked me, but the words of my father. Rice refused to enter my throat and tears were rolling down my eyes and were adding more salt to the food and to the sore in my heart, as my childhood dreams came tumbling down – the dreams of becoming an Astronomer. “Will not my dreams come true?” , “What about all the sacrifices that I have made all these years and the efforts that I have put, were they for nothing?” were flooding my mind and were waiting to breach the wall of my silence. But I did not say a word to my father, who had just refused to send me to pursue Astrophysics. I got up silently, but crying within myself and went into the inner room and locked myself in. As if just waiting to see the world, tears came rolling down my eyes and I fell on my knees. The limitless times I spent on books on astronomy, quitting games and all entertainment, years of going without a new school uniform as I had spent the money in buying such books, all were filling my mind and were deeply disturbing me. “But I am not going to end myself as I had decided exactly two years from this day”, I said to myself.

What happened two years back?

I had wanted to do very well in my 10th grade board exams and was trying hard and just arrived the exams. But on the second day of exam, even as I was getting ready, something terrible happened at home. Accusations had turned into arguments and ended in screaming and swearing. Though it was not new, neither for me nor for my sister, it were all turning very wild. My sister and I shrieked at the panic. And it all happened in a second. Blood was pouring down from my mother’s head. I rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was refused admission and we had to go to the police station, where they were unwilling to file a complaint. I lost all hope. Hope in me, hope in my parents, hope in the society, hope on the system and hope on God, if he even existed, as I was mumbling. As my grandparents came for our rescue, I rushed to the school as I cannot afford to miss my exams. Even as I scribbled the answers, my heart suffered within. And I wanted to quit! The results resulted in me resolving to live no more. I hated life and everyone and everything around me. Struggling with suicidal thoughts and not finding the courage to do it, I was waiting and wanting for my life to end – may be by the speeding bus or by the lightning. Every night I closed my eyes, hoping not to see the next day. But even that hope failed!

But something began to happen in my life that gave me hope and I began to hope beyond hopelessness! That same hope was what making me to live this day amidst shattered dreams. As Joy Lobo’s friend wanted to help him, there was this classmate who offered me help. Joy’s friend couldn’t understand that it was not his help in successfully finishing the model was needed, but he himself. But this classmate of mine, having understood that, started to talk to me, built relationship with me. And he had the understanding that it was not his relationship that would give me hope, everlasting, but my relationship with God. And one fine evening as He took me to a small gathering and the leader was leading the group in a song with these words,

“I will never leave you, I will never forsake you;

I am the God who sees you, I will keep you as the apple of my eye”.

The meeting ended, but these words continued to echo in my heart and mind. And as I went home, I locked myself in the room and as the profundity of those words struck me, I was crying and that was the start of my relationship with God – moving from hopelessness to everlasting hope; from suicide to salvation. And I wanted to LIVE!

Dear friend,

If you find yourself in this narration, you have hope! Don’t quit! There is a way out. I found hope in Jesus Christ. He loves you and cares for you, more than your friends. And He is the only One who can understand you to the best and can satisfy you and give you hope.

You might also be singing with Joy,

“Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again”

Jesus came to give you life, and that you may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:1-5 (ESV)

This is your chance to have life and hope! Talk your heart out to Jesus. If you feel like crying, cry to Him. His love will embrace you and His words will encourage you. Try to get a copy of the Bible and start reading it. He is the Sun (Malachi 4:2) and His word is the real sunshine that will guide you,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

Quit quitting and start living life, that Jesus offers!

The Toddler and the Toad

Everyday on my way to my office, I see this child. He must be two or three years old. You can always find him by the road side near his home – happily playing. The house this child lives in and the dresses that he wears, no doubt, say that he is born into a very poor family. When most of the other children in this campus are growing up well, I always wonder what would be going through this child’s mind when he sees them. There are other children like him too, living in this same locality, under the same poor conditions. Though all these children play happily around their homes, I have seen their sad faces many a times. What would they all be thinking seeing the children with better living standards? Is is that, “I am unfortunate that I was born in this family”?

Even during the winter these children do not wear good warm clothes, because their parents cannot afford them. I always get the feeling that these children “just grow”. Because, compared to the children from good houses, they receive less care or no care at all. You can always see these children roaming around and playing in the street.

I also used to wonder with what would these children play? I have seen these children playing with some thrown away thing, that they would have pick from the bin. The other day, I saw a boy dragging something and making sound as if driving a vehicle. He had tied a rope to a cardboard box and that was his truck!

Now, coming back to this child of whom I began; sometimes when both our eyes meet – it doesn’t happen often, because for him to see he needs to lift his head and for me to look into him I need to stoop down – he would give a broad smile, an innocent and a happy one; but sometimes doubtful. One day, many months back, I borrowed a bike from one of my colleague and was driving to my home, hurriedly. He was standing by the roadside and I drove past him, speedily. After I reached my building, which is some 12 to 15 metres away from his hut, he fell down and started to cry – probably he was startled by the speed & sound of the bike. I felt so bad that day for making him cry.

I always used to ask God like “Lord, why is it that there are so many children like this child who are living in poor conditions, devoid of care, basic needs and a happy childhood?” The thing that these children do not even have good toys makes me very sad. But the other day what I saw was amazing. This child was laughing and playing and was trying to catch something and he succeeded too. He was playing with a toad in his hand. He was catching it and then dropping it and as it was hopping, he was laughing and then he was going behind it and was catching it. He was having real fun, but there were tears in my eyes. Ah, how good God is! Toad as a toy for a toddler! I understood that He doesn’t deprive anyone of love and happiness. In His own, amazing way He supplies & satisfies people. May be, as God sent the big fish to save Jonah, so he sent the toad to this child to see him smile! And He also brings people like you and me into the lives of such children & people, hoping that we would understand His purpose and would help them.

May be our children wear frog costumes and walk in the fancy dress row or watch ‘The Princess and The Frog’ the television show or as all boys, bored playing with the exquisite toys, they might catch frogs! But here are children who have nothing but these dirty toads to play with!

God has given riches to some, so that they would share it with those who are poor. He has given education to some, so that they would educate the others. He has given opportunities to some, so that they would create opportunities for those who lack. He has given privileges & advantages to some, so that they would help the underprivileged & disadvantaged. He has blessed some, so that they would bless others. And there is more joy in giving, than receiving and especially in giving to the poor and the needy.

The Bible says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Proverbs 19:17 (ESV)

“You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (ESV)

I have resolved to help these children, in all ways possible and to start with I have planned to buy toys for these children. What is it that you have resolved today to help the poor and the needy? Our one small act of love can bring smile in their faces. Would you like to be a smile-bringer?

Rain…. down the memory lane….

19th June 2011, Sunday 11:15 PM……

Here I am, lying down on the cot in my home, and what is it that is occupying my mind right now? The Rain! I hear the sounds of the rain outside my window. It has been raining here continuously for the last two days. And I am lying in my cot and have been thinking about rain and rain coats! And why did I think about raincoats? Because my wife asked me, “When all other dresses are still wet, how come the umbrellas have dried up so fast?” ‘It is because of its material’, I was saying in my mind. Ah! My thoughts are now all about the material of the umbrella! Umbrellas are not soaked with water and so they get dried up soon. So why don’t they make such clothes for rainy season……? They already have… the Raincoats!! But they are worn over the dresses… Why don’t they make something that is like a dress…? And… they already have raincoats that are like dresses – shirts and pants! But still they are worn over the dress. What is the point in thinking about this, anyway???

But my thoughts don’t seem to anchor… They go back to several years down the memory lane… to my childhood… My dad had bought for me and my sister, brand new raincoats. Mine was green in colour and hers was pink and they had flower patterns all over them. The day I got that raincoat, I was so happy and excited! I was just waiting for the rain to arrive, so that I could wear it! Everyday I took the raincoat in my schoolbag. I just wanted it to rain right after the school hours… May be God should listen to our school bell ringing and send the rain!! So that I can proudly wear it and walk outside my class to go to the bus stop, to catch the bus. And I won’t be looking for a shelter, because I have a raincoat! And the rains did not disappoint me. It did come pouring down when I was in the class and I was just expecting it to last longer… and it did… not for just that day, but continued to pour for several days, that our school had to be closed down owing to the heavy rains…

The very next day, it was pouring heavily and my grandparents and my uncle said that the school must be closed. But I wanted to go to school… because I had a raincoat and I wanted to wear it! And I did go to school that day… only to find that the school was closed! But I was very happy that I was wearing the raincoat and I was not even mindful of my shoes that were drenched in the ankle-length of water in our school campus!

There were several other things that I liked when it rained, during my childhood. Because of continuous outpouring the weather would chill down and our house floor would become cold as ice and Grandfather would spread the woollen blanket on the floor – the blanket that my Dad had given, the one which he used when he was in the Army in Sikkim & Dehradun. I always liked the warmth of the blanket and that of my home and more than all the warmth of love of my grandparents! I would sit on the blanket and put my leg on the cold floor, now and then, to feel the chillness. It was fun! My Grandma would make hot bhajis and tea and I loved it! I loved sitting on the woollen blanket, watch the pouring rain from the door and eat the bhaji and drink the tea… I miss those days!

I had totally forgotten about one another thing… the smell that the first rain brings… wow… that is awesome…

And of course, the peak of all was making paper boats and floating them in the flowing water. 

There were also these adventurous things that happened during my teenage days at our home… Once it had rained so heavily that one lake flooded and breached and all the water rushed to the low lying areas and since our house was in such a place, our house was surrounded by water. And it was not stagnant water, but flooding water… We couldn’t step out of our house for two days! The water came upto the doorpost and it did not flow into our house, as it started to subsidise. But water had entered into many houses in our locality and in other places in Trichy, my hometown, water had flooded whole houses and washed away the residents’ belongings. It was very sad, indeed…

As with all, memories recollected, bring back good and bad, joyful and sad moments… Good moments are to be cherished and bad moments are to be forgotten, unless they are meant to teach us some good lesson and principles or motivate us towards a good purpose and course of action!

Above all, rain always brings this verse in my mind, “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45)

 

Rain drops, rain drops, pouring down outside my window,

Taking me down the memory lane, that are not shallow;

Waters flooding and paper boats floating,

Usual sight when the rain is pouring;

Carrying the umbrella and wearing the raincoat,

And keeping oneself from becoming thoroughly wet;

Rain – bringing joy to a child and concern to a farmer,

But still all keep expecting it even further;

Rain - for some a gain and for some a pain,

But God is gracious in sending it on the sinner and the saint.

The Record Making Leader

These slides on the title ‘The Record Making Leader’ were prepared and presented in the GEMS Area Leaders meeting in a session this morning, in which I was invited to preach on the above said title. I am sharing this with a view that this would inspire all who read, even though much is not in words and would require the reader to read from the pictures or read some extra material to know more. (I will publish these shortly in English too).