Monday, August 27, 2012

Shepherding Their Hearts

Raaja, Amir, and Santoshi- 12, 10, and 6- The youngest of seven children, living with their parents who are laborers working to build out neighborhood. 
They live in one of the unfinished houses, with no windows, no indoor plumbing, hijacked electricity, no furniture, not fans... Unable to afford education, they spend most of the day playing or doing odd jobs around the neighborhood like mowing (not easy), hauling rocks, pulling weeds...
They are children- so excited by little things, thrilled to have toys to play with- and yet they know hardship.  Often they come to my house hungry, wearing holey clothing that is held up by ropes.  They have no boundaries- coming into our house without knocking, playing with whatever they find...and yet they also know "their place".  Shocked at first when I offered them food or water to drink from our cups, amazed that we would give them a ball to play with outside. 
I feel for these children, I want to help them, I want to teach them to read and let them know that they are more than what their society tells them they are.  And yet there are days when I just want them to go away.  When I want them to stop yelling in my house, messing up my child's toys, pinching Silas's cheeks, hitting eachother and giving Silas a bad example.  And I wonder if having these kids in my house so much is protecting Silas and giving him what he needs. 
Then I realize how much they have to learn that we can teach them.  Though their parents love them, they show them no discipline but a fist, and the only time they can give them is the time spent working to provide for their needs.  But I can teach them discipline, I can give them time.
  I was talking to a friend the other day about how to discipline Silas and I realized that I can apply the same thing to them.  I can shepherd their hearts, point them to the gospel in the way I speak to them, in the way I correct them.  Teach them to honor God and eachother.  Teach them that their actions have eternal consequences, that their actions are sinful...  Oh but I need help.  How do I say all of that in Hindi?  How do I balance showing them love and teaching them with caring for my own family, helping my husband, teaching Silas? 

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