The gardener's wife

Namaskaar

Somebody forgot to close the oven door. It is steaming hot.

Except for the sun, there are a few other hot spots in our lives. Our arrival in Chandigarh was the spark for many explosive situations. It is like falling into a pot of chillies and the more you struggle, the more the people closest to you get hurt. But we have learned that there are some things we cannot change. We accept this, but keep hoping things will get better. I believe it will through prayer and perseverance.

Our gardener was blessed with a new baby daughter. Unfortunately his wife became very ill after the birth and he missed many days at work. He took her to the doctor who prescribed medicine, but nothing seemed to work. After using the excuse too many times and seeing the dejected expression on his face, we decided to do something about the situation. We arranged with a local pastor to go to his house and pray. But the day did not progress as we thought it would. Our boss informed us that we might have to move to another house in August... My reaction was not positive, but maybe you will be able to sympathize with me if you know our moving-history. I was disappointed to say the least.

In the evening we went to the gardener's house in a small town on the outskirts of Chandigarh. With house I don't mean the picture you form in your minds. They stay in an oblong, red-brick building with a flat roof. It is divided into 4 equal-sized rooms. One room per family. The walls in between the rooms have openings on top. On the sides are holes and if you put your eye next to the wall, you can see what's happening next-door. No space for privacy. There is a familiar smell in the air, they stay next to the water buffalo camp. The fan and the TV make loud noises and a mouse watches from the corner.

We meet the gardener's wife, his two sons and his new baby daughter. The pastor explains clearly that prayer in the name of Jesus is not a magic formula, but that they have to believe that God can heal them. After the prayer a few things changed that evening. The gardener's wife has a smile on her face and says she's feeling much better. My heart is filled with thankfulness for the house we have even if it is just for a short time. The gardener smiles every day when he comes to work and says everything is going well.

Thank you for your letters. They are like icy cold water in a desert. Thank you for your prayers. It makes us soar like eagles. We are praying for you too.