Meenaben's story
Illiteracy and poverty have shaped the lives of millions of women in India like Meenaben. But idol worship and superstition are also part of the darkness of life in India. Last week, you read how illiteracy impacted Meenaben and her family. In part 3, we'll see how her life was affected by putting her trust in manmade idols, before she knew about Jesus.
Part 3 - Keeping the gods happy
I have a god in my small home. Each day I light a candle and put a small offering of rice in front of the god, and ask him to send happiness and good fortune to my family.
From my childhood, I learned to worship the gods faithfully. My mother and father told me the gods expect me to bring them gifts and sacrifices so they can be happy and will bless me.
When I was a little girl, my parents took me and my sisters and brother to the temple in a nearby village. The priests demanded a blood sacrifice to cleanse our family. So my father spent his whole month's wages to buy a goat to be sacrificed.
We bowed down in front of the stone gods in the temples. I remember the statues seemed so huge. I was sure their eyes were looking right through me and could see all my sins.
What do the gods look like in your country? Here, the gods can appear in many different forms. Some gods are big and scary. They will put a curse on anyone who makes them angry. Other gods seem happy. They promise to bring good luck if we please them.
The gods are not just in our temples. Their spirits are everywhere. We must be careful to show respect to the trees and rocks because a spirit may be living inside.
Sometimes as I am walking along a path to a nearby village, I might pass a tree surrounded by flowers and incense. This is where someone is leaving sacrifices to their god.
My family's animals are very important. Families that own many cows are very lucky, because their cows will bless them with good fortune. My family only has one cow, but it is like part of our family.
When the land is dry, we give our cow special food that has been blessed by the priest. If the gods see we are taking good care of our cow, maybe they will send rain to make the fields grow green again.
I think the gods must not listen to me when I pray. Maybe I don't pray loud enough? Or give enough? They never answer my prayers. I am not important to them. I must have done something to make them angry...
Enjoy this week's activities. Don't forget to check your email again next week, when you'll read part 4 of Meenaben's story!
Download a PDF of this story to print.
