Lord, You Didn't Prepare Me for This!
For almost 11 years, from November 2003 to May 2014, at least two or three times a month — sometimes weekly — I would find myself muttering or musing, "Lord, You didn't prepare me for this!"
The list of various stimuli that assaulted my senses, challenged me physically, or defied and made moot all human and divine reason seemed endless.
- potty training children in the street and no toilet paper for cleaning;
- dump children fighting with wild pigs and monkeys for discarded garbage;
- heat so oppressive that tires would stick to the roads and all-day power outages;
- homeless men, women, and children bathing and washing clothes in the public fountains;
- language and cultural faux pas that would have me laughing one minute and crying the next;
- 10-year-old brides, 8-year-old temple prostitutes, and destitute parents murdering their newborn girls;
- lepers washing their bandages in dirty streams and children being intentionally crippled for more productive begging.
I could go on and on. As I said, the list is endless. Thus, the reason behind this series of stories and testimonies. All of the stories here are true. Unlike many reality-based TV shows, the names here, where known, have not been changed to either protect or praise anyone. These stories are about an India and its people of whom many have never heard or experienced . . . and they're about a God who is more than capable of bringing us through whatever impossible or improbable circumstance might confront us.
If you enjoy these stories, please share them with your family and friends. If you have questions or comments for me, feel free to contact me.
