India is
wonderfully full of contradictions. Buildings may be crumbling, but they are
have intricately designed features; women in the slums are thin and cautious
but their smiles and the fabric of their saris are beautiful. One fact that
cannot be denied though is that India is dirty. Really, really dirty. Let me
attempt a description. Imagine a flood leaving buildings looking in need of a
good power washing from top to bottom. Then take the trash from a landfill the size
of a football field and sprinkle it all over. Cover that trash with a layer of
dirt. Add in some cows, water buffalo, dogs, monkeys, cats, rats and peacocks
roaming around. January isn’t in the rainy season and it was very dry and
dusty, so a thick layer of pollution caused the sky to be hazy every day. I had
dirt under my nails constantly, a personal pet peeve, and whenever someone
would have a coughing fit or blow our noses, we’d look at the tissue and say,
“What IS that?” To which someone usually answered, “Dude, I think it’s just
India.”
In
contrast, the depth of devotion to God and the hospitality I received in India
was unmatched. Every act of service was an honor for them. The children are
eager to listen, learn new songs, recite memory verses, speak English with us,
play games, and share short testimonies. Four times a day, they sing praises
and pray for health, supporters, the World Race team, etc. The gestures of
respect and submission stemming from love was hard to accept sometimes, especially
when it apparent that they were going without to serve us. Having had
experience in the hospitality industry for a few years I can safely say that
India has set the bar.
For some
reason, I had the idea that higher standards of
cleanliness and a better ability to connect with God went hand in hand.
The orphans, our ministry hosts, and all of our fellow Christians in India
gently caused me to change my way of thinking. Also, I’m going to go out on a
limb and say that it works the other way around. The more convenient and
sanitary our lives are, the less we’ll trust God to meet our daily needs.
Something to take to heart!
