It was approaching 110◦ that day in late May in Odhav as the motorized rickshaw crossed the stream of green effluent being discharged from a nearby pharmaceutical plant. The compound we entered was connected to the ashram we had been directed to visit by the Director for Human Services for the state of Gujarat, India. The barren, dust blown yard adjacent to the building was strewn with cakes of cow dung, parched by the blazing heat of the impending summer. Near the entrance to the building, children scampered about oblivious to the apparent open cesspool just a few yards away. A guide met us at the entrance and led us down a darkened hallway, past young and older women with children peeking from behind saris to get a glimpse of the strangely clad foreigner. Once inside the Director’s office, we were warmly greeted with a handshake, bows of welcome and a fresh pot of tea. After chatting with the director, she turned and motioned to her assistant who stepped through the door with a tiny infant in her arms. The assistant approached me with a warm smile and place the tiny cherub in my arms. Six weeks old, this precious tiny girl looked up with her big bright eyes and burst into a warm and melting grin. I could do no less than reciprocate as I arose from my seat, baby in arms, and went to the nearby window for a clearer vision through my tear laden eyes of this beautiful creation that would become my daughter. In the midst of heat, dirt and squalor had emerged a precious masterpiece, beyond words to describe. As the years have passed, I have only grown more in love with each of my children whose arrival in my life has brought great joy and thanksgiving. Each has his or her story and each brings his or her own special set of memories of experiences that constitute relationship. I have learned that joy comes not from what appears in the surroundings but rather from God’s specially created gem that emerges to take hold of our heart. May you each day find the gem that has been specially prepared for your joy! It’s not far from your grasp.
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