hall your bags of grain to the front door and be wealthy....

There once was a man, he was a good man, and though he was not wealthy, neither was he poor. One day this man was praying to God when suddenly He appeared. “Do not be afraid my child,” God said. The man in shock jumped back, “have I done something to fall out of your favor God?” God smiled and slowly shook His head ‘no’. “I have come to grant you one wish.” The man, still suffering from the first bout of shock collapsed. “What have I done to deserve such a gift?” he breathlessly asked. God replied, “you have always prayed to me and been devoted, you have lived a good life and though I rarely ever do these types of things, I have decided to grant you one wish, what ever that wish may be.” The man filled with anticipation and excitement stepped closer, thoughts of all the wishes he had in his life flashed through his mind. Suddenly the man shouted, “I want to be the richest man in the world!” With a smile on His face God said, “your wish has been granted, return to your home, and there you will find three bags of grain. As long as you live, these bags will never be empty, and you will never want for food.” Then just as He appeared, God disappeared. Once the man was able to come out of his state of shock, he began to grow angry with God. How could God trick him to think that wealth was three endless bags of grain? The man angrily walked home furious with God for the trick He had played on him. So the years passed, and though the three bags of grain never were empty, the man was never satisfied. Finally, the man was dying, and while lying on his deathbed, God again appeared to him. The man, though ill as he was, rose from his bed and angrily yelled at God, “you promised me wealth, but you tricked me with three bags of never-ending grain. What happened to the wealth that you promised me?” cried the man. God calmly said, “oh but child, I did give you wealth, those three bags of grain have never been empty, and you have always had more than you needed, yet when your neighbors were hungry you never offered any of your surplus to them. When the homeless and hungry children begged for food you coldly turned them away. I had given you plenty of times to use the grain I gave you to do with what you wanted. Instead of sharing with those who had little, you let anger and resentment fill your heart. Little did you know, that if you had given of what you had, those neighbors would have returned the favor when they got back on their feet three times over, while those that were hungry and homeless too would have returned your kindness in many other ways that would have advanced your wealth, had you just used what you had to offer…When you give to others, you get more than you give.”

This is a Sikh story that was told to my by Winnie. At the time, it was poignant, yet its true meaning didn’t hit me until today. So many times, I realized, I worry about not having enough shampoo or enough toothpaste. God forbid that I run out of Mac makeup, or that there isn’t enough chocolate for me to have seconds…..So, in order to feel secure and ‘fulfilled’, I buy more than is needed, I eat more than is needed…. This way, when I need it, it will be there. Not unlike other people, the feeling of ‘not having enough’ or ‘not getting enough’ terrifies us. We want to make sure that we have enough, so in our need to be prepared, we over spend, overeat, and over use. And by the time we realize that we can’t fill the void, we are either in debt, overweight, friendless, or all three…So, after we have read all the self-help books we can read, and when we actually start listening to the Man Upstairs, do we realize that all those unnecessary things we have been attempting to stuff in the void were all wrong… What our soul, yes soul, needed all along was….duh! soul food…. No, not the kind from mama’s kitchen, unless it was her sound advice, but the kind of soul food that comes from giving, from believing in something more than any material item, from praying and giving thanks for the blessings we receive everyday… All of a sudden, Winnie’s story makes sense to me. Instead of being a pleasant story, it was a wake up call for me. Sometimes it is so obvious that we must give, like me working in the slums and feeding the hungry children. But other times, it is less obvious and more subtle. We must always be willing to give to someone who has less than us. God has made us all wealthy, it is just our choice in how we use that wealth. When you have a little extra, or a lot extra for that matter, would it hurt to share with someone who doesn’t have an extra this or that? Don’t suspect that everyone is out for a free ride, while there are those that will use you, there are so many more that need you. These past couple of weeks for me have been wonderful and sad all at once. I see happiness, and I see pain. I realize that many times, we humans are full of self-importance, not that we aren't important, but it is hard for us to see other people's importance when all we see is our own. So today, and from this day forward, I will scoot my bags of grain to the front door of my home, and let no woman/child/man who passes go hungry.

On a different note, our National conference is just one week away. We are all rushing here and there to get everything prepared for the big day. I have learned more about using computers and their confounded programs than all three and a half years of college! I am looking forward to a change of pace once this chaotic event is finished. Things are a little slower in regards to my slum clinic. We are short of funds and hands. HOWEVER, I know that God will see us through this rough spot and provide us with the things that we need. He already has shone me that He will never let me fall from His protection, just a week ago, the government gave us a bigger building for Asha Setu just a block away. Not only that, but they have agreed to pay for remodeling and reconstruction of the land surrounding the buildings as well.

I will be traveling to Shillong later on this month after the conference is done to go through an orientation for working at Maitri's other work cites in the North of India. Besides working long hours at Maitri, I have had little chance to see the country, however, Winnie has promised to remedy this once things slow down a little more after the pending conference. I am looking forward to this.

The weather here is ever-changing, and it has taken its' tole on me. My body temperature rises and falls much like the weather itself. Indian weather can be tricky like that, or so says, Sonal and Winnie. The curious thing is that the weather has been cool and nice. I can never figure out myself when it comes to these things. I am just too complicated. So, until my body figures out what temperature it wants to be, I will continue to carry a shawl and a fan to keep me warm or cool.

I have been doing alot of cooking for the General since coming here. Much to Winnie's dismay, he has put on a couple of pounds since. I am also teaching their cook, Shanti, how to prepare these dishes as well. They want to have American food, so I have made a number of American dishes such as: twice-baked potatoes, chicken-pot-pie, chocolate cake, apple fritters, and country butter biscuits... It is funny how I have always considered myself an insufficient cook, but all those visits to Grandma Shirley's have paid off. Almost everything I know about cooking has come from her, mostly because she was the only one who had the patience to teach a very impatient pupil. I always think of her when I make strawberry shortcake and apple pie. So, when I am feeling the most homesick, cooking, not eating (can you believe that?!), helps me think of those I love the most.... I miss you very much Grandma Shirley and all the rest of you...Until the next blog, hall your grain bags to the front door people~K