Keerthi

Keerthi!

Genesis 45:5”And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”’’

‘Keerthi’ means ‘fame’ in telugu and in tamil and this is the name of one of my students who joined our Abide School, a free school run by us for the poor and under privileged children, offering them uniform, text books and note books, with free noon meal as well. Besides direct supervision of the school activities, I also teach the lower class children. Keerthi, was in the first batch that joined the school, when I was cooking, teaching, cleaning their plates and the school myself. I was ‘all-in-all’ because the staff were yet to join, though a novice in the telugu language myself, through hard home work I was teaching the kids myself. Keerthi was the only girl child in her family of two boys and one girl, coming from a tribal family, her father works as a construction laborer. This child was taken along with the parents while they worked in the mud, cement and bricks, with absolutely no smell of education or school. Their pastor brought the family to us, she looked at me with wide, fearful eyes; the day they brought her to join our school, she created a big racket wailing loudly, refusing to leave her father’s hands. Her father looked pathetically at me, I spoke firmly to him and said, ‘leave her with me, I will take care of her!’ My tryst with her started that day when I thrust the writing pad and chalk piece in her hands and it was no easy road!

She would sob for every small thing and stand by the window and cry ‘daddy, daddy’, I wondered, ‘would I be able to educate her?’ She was a slow learner, disinterested in studies or anything to do with school, since she had a happy-go-life living on the streets, without homework and discipline. Even after many months of continuous coaching, she was just not progressing, unabashed I confess today of crying out to the Lord to help both of us: patience for me and wisdom for her. What happened in the coming years is nothing short of a miracle!

She now studies in standard five! Imagine! Hang on……there’s a lot more….she has been holding the ‘FIRST RANK’ position for a long time. Besides studies, she has wonderful handwriting, good memory power, she is sharp and smart and most important she is a good disciplined student. Her school record is perfect with no black mark! Her father, mother, their family status, financial position nothing has changed but this child Keerthi is not the same anymore! Recently she came into my room as the leader of her class with a boy who did not turn up to school the previous day, let me narrate exactly what she said: She asked, ‘may I come in madam?’ I said yes, she further pointed out to the boy standing close to her and said confidently ‘he did not come yesterday to school!’ I was stunned and speechless! Amazing flower of my life! I type this on my laptop with eyes brimmed with tears and gratitude to God! We talked into Hyderabad in the year 2009, with empty hands and nil balance in the bank, no clue of God’s plans whatsoever!

I remember the words of Joseph to his brothers, “do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life!”

Preserve life! Do you hear me? Every pain in your life has a purpose! Don’t worry!