I Can't Handle THIS Truth

This week I learned some very sad truths about India. A girl of around 5 years old was brought to the House of Joy today. I asked about her background and found out that her father murdered her mother by burning her to death. This precious little girl also has burns on her body, meaning she was probably with her mother at the time of her death. It happened about 3 years ago and so I’m not sure how much she remembers. I also learned that since the mother’s death, the father has been released from prison! You mean to tell me he only went to prison for about 2 years for the murder of his wife?!? A woman’s life here is not valued as much as a man’s. I believe that the sentence for murder is death, but not so for killing a woman.

The murdering of their wives in hope of a better dowry is actually a common incident. The husbands often make the murder look like an accident saying “Her sari got caught in the flame of the stove.” They get off with two years and then set off in hopes of beginning their life again with a wealthier woman. Several hundred incidents like this occur every year in Bangalore alone. In fact, they have estimated that these “dowry deaths” take place every 87 minutes! This injustice, disrespect and disregard for women angers me. It angers me that this HOJ girl has been given away because of her father’s greed. But I take great comfort in the fact that God has a plan for her life and that He has brought her out of that environment into one of love, peace and joy! This only makes me long even more for thy kingdom to come, Dear Lord!