There are times when it is difficult.
I thought of writing about Sunday when my 12-year-old daughter and I participated in an off-road duathlon and my bike broke. Maybe that is a story for another day. I thought of saying something about being called at 3 in the morning and struggling in vain for hours to solve a nasty data problem for a client.
Something about perseverance and completing the race, hope and relationships.
But somehow I cannot think of anything but the little girl who just died of malaria. My best friend in secondary school’s niece. She was 9. I know nothing of the grief that that family must be suffering. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to them. There is something in me that wants to rebel against this.
I read last week about the new slavery index that was published. India is the country with the most slaves and many of them are little girls forced to give their bodies to strangers. 16 million slaves of the 30 million slaves worldwide are here in India… There is something in me that want to shake a fist at God about this.
But then I remember about the Lord Jesus who cried with those who suffered. Who came for suffering – to die for those who do not deserve it. For me and for you. He did not shake his fist at them who crucified him, but asked his Father to forgive them. He is also the one who rose again and is with those who suffer even today. He is with the family whose house is empty and quiet with loss. He feels with every slave, be it the little boy forced to clean houses or the rich entrepreneur enslaved to his work. And the biggest slavery is to be a slave to sin.
He is even with me tonight as I continue to try to fix a stored procedure rife with spaghetti code. Through my struggle I have already learned a lot more about the clients’ system. Through the broken bicycle I made a memory with my daughter. There are deeper hardships and pain than these and through it all, He is on our side if we let Him.
Admit it, most of us have struggles and pain. Who can escape it? Please share your struggle here as a comment and your perspective on it. Also your ideas on what we can do to expose and fight against modern slavery.
Running with a Friend 
My mother has been staying with me for last 2 years after the demise of my father. She has Trigeminal Neurologia which is a very painful disease. She is also gradually losing her mental balance and is progressing fast towards full blown dementia. We as a family tried our best to make her comfortable, but she longed desperately to be at our ancestral house where there is no body to look after. Last week we took a decision and sent her back after making all sort of arrangement by hiring a full time maid and talking to relatives to assist her. We thought that she would be happy there at least for a few days. But the very next day she started saying that she wants to go to her house. She is confused and disturbed and when I talk to her she is indecisive and can not say clearly what she wants. I think she has reached a stage where it is I who has to decide for her irrespective of what she says. The old and sick are so vulnerable. When I talk to her she says yes to everything I suggest. If I say you could stay there she replies in affirmative. If I tell her that she should return to us she says she will. I talked to my wife and bared my soul. Lets do the right thing. We do what is best for her. She might get irritated with us, we might irritated with her constant insistence for going and living in her own house but she would be looked after best by us and we make effort to get her back with us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Biren
Your patience and love for your mother is an example to all. May God provide the courage and strength you need for this test.
LikeLike
It is but the land of contradictions that we live in…….praying for the human race to be more humane and more compassionate towards every one …..may god give the strength to the family and resting peace to the departed soul
meanwhile regarding that off-road day of cycling, i must admit that watching you cycle along with your daughter …. made me feel about the moments you were sharing, “moments” are but as the word suggests momentary and you were lucky to be part of it to make a memory out of it…..
meanwhile the struggle stays, the perseverance stays…..and its our generations duty to instill in the coming generation’s mind the idea of t- “right to live” and “living it right” 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike