Strange Love

     I feel that this week the Lord has been giving me a strange love for the children, culture and people of India like I never thought I would have.  As I look back on my first few weeks here, I tipped toed around garbage lying on the streets. 

I plugged my nose to the interesting smells that filled the air. 

I steered far away from the stray animals and their lovely trail of droppings they left behind. 

At preschool I would distance myself from touching a child for the fear of getting their germs on me, sickness ect.  After using the squatty, they would come to me asking for help to pull up their pants.  I would grit my teeth in disgust as I helped them not knowing what if the substance on their legs and hands was either water or pee. I would basically wash myself in hand sanitizer every time I saw the bottle! 

I didn’t enjoy washing my laundry by hand, especially if the water was still brown after five rinses with “fresh” water that smelled funny. 

The bus rides were torturous with being smashed up next to a strange person as the smells of B.O. cigarettes, liquor, chew and a strange incense the driver liked to burn for his god.  

For my first weeks, I wouldn’t want to touch anything or anyone because of how dirty everything was.  I was so caught up in how dirty and horrifying situations are here that I wasn’t taking all the little joys in.

    But now, I see and know that the Lord has been teaching me to look past all the outward things and not let the little petty issues bother me.  

I no longer avoid all the garbage on the ground, staring at it to only get disgusted.  I have even gotten to the point of going bare foot!! Haha Not by choice however!  My sandal broke one afternoon while walking and I had to go without it for a few blocks until I got tape. 

Don’t worry though; I still steer clear of the animal droppings.

 I no longer want to avoid holding the children at preschool.  But rather, I want to snuggle them up and take them home.  The substance on their hands and legs is almost always just water.  There’s a few kids that just say that have to go to the bathroom just so they can play with the wash bucket in there.  Others, still not sure if it’s water or pee. 

Washing my laundry by hand has gotten a little bit better as I’m still learning new techniques.  I’ve grown to be okay with wearing dirty clothes as well. 

The bus rides can still be annoying and very uncomfortable.  But somehow at times, you find it comical when there are people hanging out the door, you’re hot, smelly, and there’s strange Indian music blaring in your ear.  It’s almost hard not to laugh. 

Over these last weeks the Lord has been teaching me to enjoy all the little things and embrace the culture.  He’s giving me a strange love for this city that I didn’t know I’d have. A love that says it’s okay to enjoy the little things too.   

Soak in all the joys.