humbled.

Since I have returned from my summer vacation, Lindsey and I have been invited to my house helper Anita’s house twice. Anita lives in a slum/lower income area that is about a ten minute walk from my house. Her house is becoming one of my favorite places to be in my city and her family is becoming like my family.

Tonight we were invited to come to her house for a Krishna puja (worship). Today is Krishna’s birthday so everyone celebrates through singing, dancing, and giving offering to the idol. So my roommate and I went, but we went saying that we were followers of Christ ONLY and that we would go to be with her family but we would not participate, so that’s what we did. It is always humbling to be the two white girls entering into a slum. They treat us like we are movie stars and that we are the most important people on the planet.

When we first come to Anita’s house everyone else stops what they are doing and caters to Lindsey and I. We never see Anita cause she is busy preparing food. First we are given water, then before we can finish the water, Anita is already pouring us a glass of Coke. While we are still trying to finish off our coke, she is asking us if we want chai (tea). Even if we say no, which is exactly what we did, she tries that much harder to make it for us. The chai is always accompanied by something salty and something sweet! While eating we begin to gather a large crowd of woman of all ages, including young teenagers and little kids. They just stare at us. We have to beg them to come in and talk to us. Its kind of crazy. Eventually we made it down stairs to the Krishna puja. So a few minutes later they bring plastic chairs for Lindsey and I to sit in. We of course have to sit in them which is soo uncomfortable because there are older aunties and mom’s who deserve a chair so much more than we do. About five minutes later, a lady comes up with two bottled sodas for us to drink. As we are the ONLY ones sitting in a chair and drinking something, the ladies begin to fan us so that we are not hot. Sometimes I just can’t take it. I don’t deserve this treatment. It makes me so uncomfortable, yet so humbled. Not long after this, a lady comes with her camera so that we can take a picture with her baby.

Meanwhile, as we are sitting and having a large gathering a woman around us, Anita is upstairs preparing a full dinner for us (the woman doesn't stop). We eventually come back upstairs and her sweet 5 children entertain us with dancing, singing, and using both Hindi and English to try to communicate to us. Of course they are always offering us more food!! The food is finally ready. Anita sits us both down on the floor and serves us. Usually no one eats till we are done to make sure that we get enough food. But today we had a break through and Anita and her kids actually ate with us!! Lindsey and I are making progress. Tonight at 11:30 we finally said we had to go. She offered us chai again of course and tried to convince us to stay the night.

This is what I love about living in India. Anita. I don't deserve her heart of service and love towards me. I am always left humbled. As I was walking home, the Lord gave me a beautiful picture of Himself. His dealings with us are completely undeserved. Who am I? He became flesh in order to identify with me!! And yet, I am humbled again.

"although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but EMPTIED Himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbles Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."