DAY TO DAY LIFE - A FAITH TEST
Mom got up early in the morning around 3.30 am and started to pray. Just like a deer that panteth for water her heart was searching for God. She believed the verse...whosoever seeks Him early in the morning will find Him. Pastor Stephen hurried to bus stop around 4 a.m. to journey to Kodaikanal and was surprised to see lights on at clinic. Wondering why the lights were on at this time of the night..he peeped through the window. Pastor saw mom praying with tears holding a open Bible in her hands. Kodaikanal bus arrived and he left silently.
Around 6:30 am she laid down very tired with her Bible near by After some time Omar woke up and went to brush his teeth. They didn't have tooth powder or even firewood ash since they did not cook food couple of days. She folded the torn mat, kept it in a corner of house and sat on the cot. Cot was made out of woven bamboo and torn in the middle. He brushed his teeth with powdered brick taken from the street. She borrowed 5 paise from Kuppayammal and made black coffee for the morning. He began to dust furniture in clinic. She asked with great frustration , "Omar! Why do you dust them? We are not even getting four clients in a month". Clinic looked dull and empty as there was no patients.....no income. Both commenced reading the Bible. She drew his attention to a portion in the Bible, "Omar! Did you see this...Jesus says...Ask and it shall be given unto you, knock and it shall be opened unto you, seek and you shall find. Accordingly He gives us what we want every month". "Yes mom! It's a miracle....we don't have income from clinic; somehow every month passes by wonderfully". Then a young kid came to door and asked for money she owes to fabric shop. Mom sent him away promising to pay debt in a week. When the boy left, he asked sadly, "Mom! What will we do if we don't get money in a week?" Mom replied, "Why don't we get money? God will never put His children to shame, because the Bible says so and we should believe it". They spent time talking about promises of God.
Afternoon came. The opposite neighbor came with a clay pot to collect water used for washing rice and dhal which was a drink to her horse and cow. There was only one half pot of water. She asked why they didn't have any more water. Mom mentioned that she didn't cook today. The lady felt sad for them and said that the doctor should not have left them in this situation as though he doesn't have a wife and children and it is a great sin. Mom asked her to bring some boiled rice water if she had not poured it to her cows. After some time the lady brought boiled rice water. Omar was very tired due to hunger, slowly got up and both drank it and felt little stronger. At that time rice vendor appeared demanding to pay debt she owed for buying rice. Mom appealed that she'll pay as soon as possible and that's why she didn't come again to buy rice. Omar laid down again and mom read the Bible. Scorching sun started to go down the sky.
Little later in the same manner came meat vendor demanding her to pay debt.....then milk man .....and tailor...and so on and on....the endless row of people.
After they left mom prayed, "Lord! Help me to pay all my debts, I can't pay them on my own and I commit this into your hands". Omar in his half sleep said, "Mom! Daily creditors are demanding for money. Not only we couldn't pay rent for many months...every month we find it hard to pay electricity bill....bills for children in college...God only knows when we'll be able to get rid of all these debts". Mom rejoined, "Omar! Didn't God feed Elijah through a crow! Likewise God in his appointed time will do a miracle to pay off our debts. We should praise God for these debts..because Satan is nerve-racking our faith and we should not loose heart. See..Richard Wumbrand and others are tortured for Christ in communist countries. We don't have so much torture and still they are so zealous for the Lord". He commented, "Yes mom! Jesus said...Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? You seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6: 26,28-30, 33).Â