Eye's Wide Open

On October 12, I returned from my trip to India. I was there for about 2 weeks and in that time I was able to see and be apart of things that I would have never been able to understand while living here in the USA. It is impossible for me to tell you everything In one blog so I hope to be able to share my experience through multiple blogs which will cover a wide range of things.

The first blog tonight I will talk about the experience I had at the Taj Mahal. The morning began at 4:30am. We had to be up and at the train station by 6am to catch the train leaving Delhi going to Agra. On the way to the train station, riding in the cab we, on occasions were forced to stop not by stop lights or policemen directing traffic, but by the shear grace of God preventing us from wrecking.

Once we were stopped there would be 5 to 6 children that could not be older than 6 or 7 that would be at your window playing drums, dancing or trying to sell you something so they could get money from you. This of course broke my heart to see these little kids in the middle of traffic begging for money. We were told not to give them any because most of them would take the money back to another individual who would keep the money for themselves giving barely anything at all back to the children.

Once we arrived at the train station you saw a mass of people coming at you at once all wanting money, begging, pleading, offering to help you carry your bags so that they may have something to go buy food with. Due to the number of people you did not dare pull any money out for fear of getting rushed by the crowd. Once you were on the platform you were able to see people laying everywhere sleeping and begging for money because they had no where else to go.

Moving on, the train ride itself was unique because it gave you a much different perspective that what you saw in Delhi. In Delhi, things are not as dirty or as run down. Once you are outside the big city you begin to see and only partial begin to understand the magnitude of what poverty is really like.

Once we arrived at the Taj Mahal we were made aware that it was a Holiday and that Muslims would be coming to the Taj Mahal to pray and the price of admission would be free. Once we made our way through the gate the Taj Mahal came into view and it is truly an unbelievable site. I have to be honest though the thing that amazed me the most was seeing so many people gathering to pray in one area.

It made me think of what it will be like in Heaven, when all of God's children are bowing before HIM and singing HIS praises. Just thinking about that, it got me very excited for that day. After I began watching the prayer a little more I started thinking just how lost people really are and how desperately people need Christ.
After the prayer was over there were a number of people who made it very clear that they did not want our group there, either through a look or something they said that I could not understand, but it was one of those things that you did not need a translator for you just knew it was not good.

Then, another group of people that had just got done praying wanted us to take their picture and were very receptive to us. So the difference between the people was truly amazing to see and I cant help but believe GOD wanted us to experience that difference. Well that is the day at the Taj Mahal, I looked forward to sharing more soon. Enjoy the pictures.
In His Grace