A Rattle of Love

July 18, 2022

It was a pleasant Thursday morning when I took a walk, asking and praying for the Lord to show me the way, His way to love and serve… even through my own tears and fears.

As I look up in the space of surrender the lady that sells rattles, baskets and cobweb sticks appears and greets me with folded hands.

I already have a working relationship with her and have blessed her by buying her basket and cobweb stick. I did not have any use for a rattle!

The Chai meeting

Overwhelmed with love and gratitude, the Lord inspires me to be open for a spontaneous lesson to love and serve freely. I pulled myself up and invited her for “Chai” (Indian tea with spices) as she hadn’t even had her breakfast. I boldly walked hand in hand with my friend whom people naturally looked down upon and treated poorly. We find a tea stall in front of the temple and we enjoyed our hot cup of masala chai. It was probably the best chai I ever had for the first time. She enjoys her tea and shares a recent picture of her daughter who she is putting through school fighting her abusive husband.

A word of strength and support

Her love for the Lord and faith in God’s hand in her daughter’s life shook my being’s core and turned into big blobs of salty tears, making my troubles seem small as a speck. She identifies my tears and gives me a fistful of confident encouragement to have faith, gestures to be strong and to leave everything to Him. He knows everything and will take care. She wipes my tears away with a simple gesture of love and respect. I spontaneously buy a rattle for ten rupees and give her hundred rupees more as an offering to her good heart’s ministry. I get a teaching on how these rattles were made using God’s natural resources of palm leaves and small pebbles. She reveals her mastery over that simple handmade work of art. She holds my hands with gratitude and thanks me and we shared this beautiful space of God’s presence and exchanged our joys and sorrows as she directs me to go inside the temple.

The rattle of love moves on

I moved on with a rattle in my hand pondering upon the Lord’s grace and reached the garden where I saw a little boy cleaning the ground. I connect with his grandma and asked if I can bless the boy with the rattle. He happily received it and made sweet sounds of love. The lady wanted food and I guided her to receive God’s free food being served in the temple. With heart filled with love and gratitude I thanked the Lord for He had made my day.

The lady with the rattle of love is deaf and dumb. She did not and cannot speak a word! All we share is abundant gestures of love… and friendship...

The final note

We do not know sign language and we chat way beyond words! The picture was taken when I invited her to my home and exchanged blessings of love and smiles.

The lady whose name is unknown and yet is known to be “Love”!