Not all of India is pretty

India is a place that can overwhelm you with great riches and can break your heart with desperate poverty. It is a place that can put your emotions in conflict. It is hard to know if you should marvel at the wonders you see around you or weep at the suffering of people you come in contact with.

When I first went to India I had no idea what to do with beggars. I wanted to save everyone, give to everyone. I was in an inner turmoil as to know what to do. As with all things, I learnt that we need to let God show us what to do. To some we gave money, to others we gave food or soap and to some we made paper planes and drew cartoons. To some we did not give. It is not something you can turn your back on because it is "in your face". It is not like back here in N.Z where it is easy to be out of sight, out of mind. It will always be something that we need to seek Gods guidance on. The other side of it is that God has told us to pray for the sick. I may need to be relying on God to up my faith levels.

If only we could grasp the importance of being grateful for what we have. It is not that we need to go live a life of poverty ourselves because God has blessed us and he provides for us but if we are not grateful for what he gives us then it is meaningless provision, we are basically spitting in Gods face when we complain about what HE has provided us with. Let's take a reality check and really look at how amazingly well off we are. We have a roof over our heads (even if it is a bit leaky or needs a paint) We have three meals a day (even if it might not be what we feel like that day) I really feel very strongly on this. As a whole, we as a nation are complainers. As my husband would say SUMO ( shut up and move on) Enough said.

On an entirely different note: I feel like God has been injecting me with a deeper compassion lately but with that compassion it seems the tears are flowing a bit more freely. I have always been a reasonably compassionate person but now I feel tears welling when I don't really want them to. I have never been a "crier" and I guess I have always liked the fact that I can control my tears but something in me is stirring and I actually don't mind if tears begin to fall. India is getting deep under my skin and is beginning to drain out of my eyes. Oh, how I long for India!!! (big sigh)