GOD AND A PURE HEART
"It is easier to build strong children than to
repair broken men."
— Frederick Douglass
Last Sunday (10th June) was the
Certification Day of our Personality Development (Summer) programme. We had
published two books on this occasion. One of them was titled ‘Little Lady’. Eight-year-old Richa Ojha had written some 20-plus stories
and we had put them together in this book. Some of these stories she had heard
from us or her school teachers and parents. Some she had read from the books.
And, some, she had written from her own experience. The idea of a book was
planted in little Richa’s mind more than two months ago and, she had diligently
worked on it. That kind of commitment was missing in rest of the participants,
who were much older in age. So, the book was a tribute to this little lady for
her exceptional commitment.
I had particularly loved two stories she had
shared in this book. Incidentally, both the stories were about our relationship
with God…
FACE OF
GOD
Jack was a village boy who wanted to see God.
He wanted to meet God and talk to Him. One day, he packed some food, water and
toys in his bag and went in search of God.
Jack
searched the whole day, till evening. But, he couldn’t find God. Finally, he
stopped at a park nearby and saw an old lady sitting on a bench alone. She
looked very sad and tired. Initially, jack was a little reluctant; but, then he
sat with her and shared his food and water. They spoke to each other for a long
time. Then, they both went home happily.
After
reaching home, Jack told his mother about how he met God, that day. “It was a
loving old lady,” he said. On the other hand, the old lady said to her family,
“Today, I met God; He was a young boy”... They both had found God in each
other.
MORAL: God is everywhere – in
everyone and everything... We must have a pure heart to find Him.
GOD HELPS
THOSE
WHO HELP
THEMSELVES
Once, there lived a priest. He was a great
devotee and always thought that God would help him in any situation. He spent
most of his time in the temple serving God and performing rituals.
One day,
it rained heavily and slowly there was a flood-kind of situation. As usual, the
priest was in the temple. A villager came running and shouted, “Sir, please go
home, or else you will be drowned.” On hearing this, the priest thought that he
did not have to worry as God would save him.
After
some time, the temple steps were getting filled with water. A man came on a boat
and he offered to help the priest. But, again, the priest didn’t go with the
person. He was sure that God would surely come to help him.
Slowly
and slowly, the entire temple-town got drowned in water. The priest climbed up
to the highest place in the temple and sat there. Suddenly, a helicopter came
to his rescue; but, the priest, once again, refused to go in the helicopter… He
was still waiting for God!
At last,
the Priest lost his life in that heavy rain and flood. When he met God in
heaven, he was very upset. He questioned God, “I have served You my entire life
and I was sure that in my difficult situation, You would come and help me. Why
didn’t You save me in the flood?”
God smiled and said to the Priest, “My dear
child, what do you think? Who were those three men who came to rescue you when
everyone was running for his own life?”
MORAL: God helps us in His own ways. But, He
helps us only when we help ourselves.
I had heard both these stories before Richa brought them for her book.
But, when this little one narrated them, they really sounded meaningful…
Is God easily approachable
to little children? Do we adults complicate our relationship with Him?
Jesus had said,
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them: for, the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic: Kamal Kishore Rikhari
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