I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about the beauty I’ve witnessed here in India.
India is beautiful.
That statement rang true the moment we arrived. However, it has only been emphasized with each day we have been immersed in the culture.
Let me start by saying it is a completely different world here in the East. Their written language resembles a work of art, their clothing is intricate fabric folded upon fabric, their motivation in most anything is honor and duty. Each aspect of the cultural make-up is beautiful in of itself, stand-alone items. But the true beauty lies in the sincerity of India’s culture.
See, Indians love India. And rightfully so. They are proud of their language, their music, their style, their villages. Their appreciation of our adoption of their culture far outweighs their curiosity of ours. When I wear my sari, which has easily been incorrectly wrapped 50% of the time… often ladies in the villages will pull me away to re-wrap it, it never fails that girls and women alike will stop me and say, “Sister! Sari…Super :)” as they make an okay sign with their hands (sidenote: want to boost your self-esteem with a shower of compliments? Wear a sari as a white girl in India). Point is, there is so much sincerity in their culture that they feel honor when we take it on as our own, even for just a month. They love the world they live in and don’t try to be a part of anything else. And that is beautiful.
After living 22 years in America and ministering four months in Europe, India’s sincerity is like a breath of fresh air. And with it, healing has ensued.
In the colors of the punjabis I’ve worn, I’ve felt the adornment of my Father who also adorns me in the developing beauties of my spirit. In the long open-air vehicle drives through the green rice fields, He has instilled freedom into my mind, allowing my heart to soar. In the many who have approached me requesting prayer with great expectations, I have owned the inheritance of authority on this earth that has been extended through Christ. And God has used all of this to flood my soul with healing.
But this healing is not exclusive to me. This healing which has provoked freedom has been felt by my teammates and even more so by the Indian people themselves. They know firsthand Jesus as the Healer. They have witnessed His healing of their lives and live testimonies of His providence. God has gifted Andhra Pradesh with this special aura of healing and has brought honor to His faithful believers here. And it is beautiful to be a part of. Stunning in fact.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. Behold, they say to me, ‘Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come!’ ” –Jeremiah 17:14-15
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.” –Malachi 4:2-3
All month long, I have been infatuated with the colors here in India. Everywhere I turn, vibrant hues of the rainbow paint the people, the houses, the streets, the fields. It is remarkable and invigorating. And it has taken me this long to realize that the stunning colors are quite simply the visual expression of the beauty instilled within the endearing sincerity of the Indian people and culture. So in years to come, when I remember my precious time in this blessed country, I will always recall the colors of India.
