Life is temporary experience on this Earth. W H Davies asked: “What is this life if full of care? We have not time to see when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass?”
Colley Cibber in the poem, ‘The Blind Boy’ asks, “What are the blessings of the sight.”
Yes, I think and weigh these questions: we have the blessings of the sight to see wondrous things on this Earth which any blind boy can never see. Therefore, we have to thank God for the eyesight.
We thank Thee for the fresh waters of rivers moving, overcoming all obstacles; never stopping but pushing, itself until it reaches the seas. We thank Thee for dressing Goa with waterfalls, lakes and caves. We thank Thee for the wildlife at Netravali, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary; and the flock of birds flying overhead and its excited clamour. We thank Thee for The Basilica of Bom Jesus, the Mangeshi Temple and Shantadurga, these well known places. We thank Thee for giving us street fighting heroes, these selfless warriors, in whose bellies burn the fire to put an end to the greed which ruins Goa. We also thank Thee for our enlightened leaders who selflessly rule us. We thank Thee for we are born with eyes to see these things.
On this Earth, we all meet Satan. Eve and Adam, fell victim to the deceitfulness of the serpent; even Jesus was tempted by the Devil but Jesus did not fall prey to the evil plans of the Devil. Satan entered Judas Iscariot and he betrayed Jesus for the greed of thirty silver coins.
Evil men force innocent individuals to accept their wicked plans to achieve their hidden goals and thus sow seeds of suspicion, jealousy and hatred in the mind of Simpletons. Wicked men brainwash Simple Simons with wild, untrue stories and thus disrupt marital and family relationships; thus plant negative thoughts in good man’s brains.
We often sin with clumsy thought: “Maka Kiteak Podlam”. We take the role of a mere viewers at the cows, buffaloes, goats, horses, dogs, cats, monkeys; almost a real zoo on our roads. Some riders bang on these creatures and meet with mishap. Thus we become guilty of not showing concern for other riders. We do not drive these animals away. We prefer to see no evil. We leave these cows to ‘Gau rakshaks’ cow protectors to clear our motorways.
We go to seek happiness with mental restlessness; sowing deeds that are disgraceful, detestable, disgusting, shameful, sickening, sinful, hateful, horrible seeds; we plant here and stain our souls. So, like the song of Kenny Rogers, we sink deep in sin far from the peaceful shore; we rock round the clock, using God given free will.
But God lifted me from the turbulent waters of life and now safe am I with His showers of Blessings. I can now see that narrow road that leads to salvation.
Lord my time has come with creeping age. “I am tired, I am weak, I am coming home. Hold my hand precious Lord lest I fall.” I sing the words written by Thomas A Dorsey. I also pray with the words of Author Lewis Hartsough, “Wash me; cleanse me in the blood that flowed on Calvary. I am coming home Lord.”