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.