EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMES FROM THE LORD!

The 'Mottki' on the 'chula' next to the 'nahni' (ignore the clothes of the workers!)

The 'Randhon' with the space for firewood below.

The above pics are from a 150 year old house in Raia, Goa (My Grandmother's step mom's place) which is undergoing major repair right now. I happened to step into the house to say hello to our relatives who have come from Mumbai to take care of the property. At the time when i took these snaps, i was doing it so i could show them to my sons and explain to them what Goan houses were like in our childhood days.


I remembered how my grandmother would wake up at 5.00 in the morning to light up the stove (as in the picture) and put the water for the coffee on boil. Then she would go to the well that was 22 hands deep (i.e. 22 pulls of the rope to get the pot up). It required 26 pots of water to fill the large metal pot (Like pic above, but bigger). She did this until she was 83 years of age (The last three years of her life, she lost the use of one hand due to a stroke ... she died at 86!). As we grew up, we offered to help her draw water from the well but she would always refuse saying that it was her daily exercise which keeps her fit!

We had no fridge those days. There was a low cupboard buried into a thick mud wall that would keep the food cool. In the village, we used handmade kerosene lamps to light the house since electricity had not reached Utorda (my village). The toilets were away from the house since they were 'pig toilets' (i won't explain that! I've had horrific experiences with those!). There was no TV/Video and the only pass time was to gather in the 'balcao' (Verandah) and sing 'Mannde' and 'Dulpods' (Folk songs).

When i returned to Dubai and looked at the snaps, i had tears in my eyes as i remembered how the Lord had brought me and my family out of 'financial poverty' into 'spiritual richness' which included even worldly blessings like a beautiful apartment (s), cars, electronic gadgets etc. etc.

Never for once stop counting your blessings.
Never fail to Trust Him.

Never lean on your own understanding.
Never fail to acknowledge him in everything. 
Let Him DIRECT YOUR PATH! (Read Pr. 3:5,6)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning - James 1:17