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Cindy Fahy

 

Finding Treasures in the Dust

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cindy-fahThrough the scorching heatwaves that blurred the dusty Indian plain before me, I saw them coming in the distance, their vibrantly colored silks shining through the grit and heat like flames on the horizon.  As they drew closer, the sight of them pierced my heart like a sword: they were crawling.  Painstakingly and in suffocating heat, they inched their way to the wheelchair distribution held by the disability ministry of Joni and Friends.

I rubbed my eyes to clear away the film of dust and saw their faces more clearly:  they were smiling bright, joyful, downright happy smiles in spite of their gnarled legs and calloused knees and hands.  Dropping the tools of my trade as an international journalist, I ran through the heat and dust of that Indian plain to meet them. When I reached them, we hugged and laughed, tears of joy inexplicably rolling down our faces. I knew instinctively that God had something transformational to teach me through these beautiful two sisters.

As their wheelchairs were prepared, I learned that Dapuri and Basavaya had known Jesus all their lives. Their mother was a devout Christian and they had attended church in their tiny village outside Ongole, India, for over 50 years. How did they get to and from church?  They crawled.  For 50 years. Their joy had suddenly made sense: it was supernatural, other-worldly, divine.  It was Jesus shining out of them.

“In my country, many believe in the stigma of a disability,” said Basavaya. “But in God’s eyes we are all equally loved.  Jesus has given us strength from the beginning — even when we had no home of our own, He has given us grace and power to carry on our lives.”

For 19 years I worked for Joni and Friends, traveling to the harshest places on earth to interview and serve children and adults affected by disability.  Whenever I’ve seen this kind of joy in someone who has no earthly reason to be joyful, it’s always because Jesus lives inside.  I’ve been to countless countries and seen it over and over again.  The question is, when will I learn what they know so well?

As they wheeled together out the door in their new wheelchairs, Basavaya and Dapuri turned to us and waved goodbye. Their smiles were just as bright and joyful going out “in style” as they had been when they crawled in.  At the sight of them, Truth penetrated my soul.

“I have learned in whatsoever state to be content,” says Philippians 4:12. These women were the living, breathing Word of God — brighter and more brilliant than any polished sermon. Their joy didn’t depend on their circumstances or their comfort.  Crawling or wheeling, these sisters had joy unspeakable and full of glory that supercedes any pain or disability, any lack or stigma.

What about me?

This picture of Dapuri and Basavaya now sits on my desk in a place of honor. They are my treasures. I never want to forget them because I’m sorely tempted by living in the lap of Western luxury.  I’m tempted to compare. I’m tempted to believe I “need” so many things.  I’m tempted to ask God to remove every hindrance, challenge or hint of suffering.  I’m a terrible patient when I’m sick and I have no patience with pain.

A glance at Dapuri and Basavaya teaches me all I need to know.  It is well with my soul.  I have been redeemed and restored.  I have been given all the riches of Christ Jesus. What do I truly need?  His grace, which is enough.  His power that’s made perfect in my weakness.  His Father love that calls me His very own.

The world is a hectic, frantic place.  We’re running as fast as we can to keep it together.  My prayer is that Bring It Up with Deb & Cindy will refocus us all on what’s real, what’s important, what’s right and true and good.

Sure, there will be days when we’re riding high and days when we’re crawling in the dirt.  Let’s Bring It Up … let’s talk about it.  But most of all, let’s understand what matters most.  So that when the heat gets turned up and the dirt is flying all around us they’ll see us coming — our joy shining out in front like a blazing light that cannot be dimmed.

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7 Comments on “Finding Treasures in the Dust”

  1. Such a beautiful picture of Phil. 4… and such a great reminder… our contentedness is based in the love of our Jesus, not our circumstances… how rich we are!

  2. Great post, Cindy. I think a healthy perspective on suffering is tough to maintain when the reality is that we’re living in the richest country on the planet. Being reminded of the huge difference between needs vs wants is helpful.

  3. Hi!Cindy,Great “Bring It Up” radio show from you!I love your show and enjoyed the show dated 8-30-15 but can not follow you completely for the rapid conversations :-)) Congratulatons from China and the radio show can bring me up!!!

  4. Hi Cindy – I’m utterly destroyed by your article; so ashamed that I have every material thing I need and more. I’ve lived in unrelenting pain for many years, but I have a nice comortable home, a clean soft bed where I can rest when it all gets to be too much; in other words, the thought of living as these two women have lived and to still have that much joy, is so foreign to me, an unthinkable existence in my little finite mind. I ask God. – “Why did you designate that I should be born in this country, never going hungry, never homeless, taking all You’ve given me for granted most of the time, always living in areas where I’ve not seen poverty, or that kind of suffering. It could have been me crawling in the dust for all those years had You put me there instead of here”. I don’t hear an answer except I’m reminded once again He is sovereign, He doesn’t have to answer to me for anything He does. Then it hit me – He found and rescued me when I WAS crawling in the dust and dirt, a reprobate living as I wished, never consulting Him before making a decision, not realizing I was dirty, my spirit homeless, desperately in need until He allowed me to hit the bottom of the Pit I’d been circling for a very long time. That is where He rescued me, opened my eyes to see what I was, what I had become, and by His grace brought me to a place of repentence. That’s joy unspeakable, to have your sins forgiven, to be washed clean, to be given a new life, a new heart and the strong, sure hope of living for Eternity with Him in all of His beauty. That’s pure joy, the same joy “your” two sisters have. Thanks for a wonderful story Cindy, one of so many you have to tell. Much love to you! xo

  5. Cindy,

    I’m so blessed to read your article and luxuriate in the joy God brings to these underserved people. What a testimony that our complaining western world needs.

    God bless you!

    Love,
    Danna

  6. Hi, Cindy:
    First, let me thank you for announcing on last evening’s show that you’re beginning a Community Bible study session at the Church at Rocky Peak this Tuesday. God answered my prayer to find a place where my mother, who is about to be 86, is a Christian, and is a cancer survivor, can find comfort in her time remaining. Her name is Bernie Jenkins. I told her to please seek you out when she arrives. Also, thanks for the information about Joni and Friends. A group of us family members from the United Cerebral Palsy residential campus in Chatsworth is looking to start up a worship service for the residents. I contacted Joni and Friends for guidance with this endeavor. God bless you in your work. You ARE making a difference in our lives, mine especially.
    With Christ’s love,
    Cindi Murphy

 

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