The little Joys of India

 

We often pride ourselves in America of saying that we find great joy in small things. We like to believe that finding joy in life’s quirks is a skill.

Here, it is a necessity.

It is necessary to laugh off awkward situations and to get excited and thrilled for seemingly normal things. Many examples come to my mind and I will recount some for your pleasure.

One of my favorite moments was on our very first ministry day. Our entire team went to a leper colony for the first time and after a couple of minutes we all individually scattered to where we most felt called. I was sitting down on a mat with a man who was blind and both of his hands were practically inexistent. After using the little Hindi I knew to say hello and ask the names of the other man and two ladies, a silence fell on all of us. Sunshei Requiem, the man on the mat, was lightly tapping the ground making music. Then it hit me. I went back to the van, pulled Tom’s jambeau out and gently handed it to the man. The drum was barley touching the ground when he started playing it. He was playing and signing, it was so glorious!  A small crowd surrounded us and we all took turns singing while he played and played. With the little hands he had left he was pouring his entire heart into this instrument. I felt God was softly reminding me of why I was here. He created and knows me; he knows my imagination and how I can pour out His love on the people He puts in my path. Just thinking about that afternoon fills me with hope over the many ways we can communicate with these people. It wasn’t just a drum for him or a good idea for me; it was a conversation.

Good moments often take place in the kitchen. Well, for me at least. God has been helping me acknowledge and accept more and more how I, Jack, can truly serve these people, where my ministry is. Indian women are devoted, hard-working and sacrificial. We are guests to them and accepting our help would be an insult. The moments in Ajmer where Angeli and I peeled potatoes, cut vegetables, cooked meals, washed dishes and talked were privileges in my eyes. After eating meals in Ajmer, it meant a lot to me to be able to help with the dishes. The same goes for when I did dishes at my orphanage. It wasn’t just that I got to serve them by lightening a little bit of their chores; it was that I wasn’t seen as a guest anymore but as family. They didn’t refuse my help but accepted it.

My last little joy, which really isn’t that little, is when people ask for prayer. Whether is it praying in unison for a girl on the team, or praying in the leper colony for Lajemere’s fever or Maum Tahaj’s knees, I can only praise the Lord for the power he has given to us, the power of prayer.

So many more stories could be told, like succeeding in finding a newspaper to buy after countless weeks of fruitlessness, or being offered a real, fresh coconut (and discovering how much you enjoy it). I have had the honour to read Psalms aloud to a sick person in the team who just can’t open her eyes. I love hearing kids sing/shout Praise Ye the Lord till my ears vibrate. I even enjoy, and actually feel clean, after taking a cold shower. Just going to the bathroom and realizing that it is not a squatty has given me immeasurable joy.

There is no possible way to end a blog without a hint of advice, so here is mine: Actively search for the small ways God blesses you. Whether it is through relationships, your neighborhood, or gentle rain coaxing you to sit and look at His creation, look for them.

 

and prayer warriors; keep up the good work.