The title track to my CD, Rush the Sea, (follow link just above to listen and view the CRW single page) is a song inspired by a mission I took to India a few years ago.  I was there to play a small role in an evangelistic film whose profits were set to fund a local orphanage, which was adjacent to the movie set.  Between takes, I spent my afternoons playing with the children and learning their dice games.
 
One particular day I had traveled into "town." (Keep in mind what the natives called a "village", was home to seven million people.) I was walking down the street, along with some others from our group, (we had been severely admonished to stay together), and some children began to vie for our attention, groveling for pocket change.  We walked on, (having also been adamantly instructed by the locals to not give anything lest we be swarmed and the money be delivered to beggar pimps).  To my chagrin, our local liaison/translator, shooed them away.  The streets flowed, or rather churned, with the movement of people; walking, biking, driving, riding.  People.  Everywhere.  Blank expressions, animated smiles, oblivious chatter, and stares...mostly stares of awe, shock, or admiration at our presence.  White people.  Not only white people but a long, blonde haired, blue eyed, white female. 
 
Then on the right of me - a woman - walking (if you can call it that) with her hand (using the word loosely) extended towards the passing crowd.  She uttered some request, obviously a plea for pity.  She was piteous...if I ever saw pitiful.  She was it.  Her whole body was crumpled up into a frame no more than a foot and a half in length.  Her face was normal...the face of a grandma...sweet, soft and folded by time.  The rest of her was a shriveled mess.  She moved about by thrusting her hind quarters forward in deliberate side by side efforts.  She caught sight of me, looked into my eyes and moved towards me, studying my face to see if she could find mercy there. 
 
She did see mercy in my eyes - compassion and empathy.  But I turned my eyes away, walked past and then stopped abruptly a little beyond her.  I had no rupees to give, as I hadn't exchanged my money and even my American dollars were being held by my American companion. I had to find a way to help.  The group was anxious to get a move on so I hadn't much time.  I asked my American companion if I could borrow some rupees to give the woman, looking back now and motioning to the woman to wait patiently as I was going to do something for her.  My American companion agreed and went into her little passport bag...she had some rupees apparently.  When she pulled out some bills, our local liaison/translator, looking on, exclaimed, "Not that much!"  I wasn't very aware of the exchange rate, so I saw that as a sign that it was a good amount.  I wanted to give the woman "much." I communicated that I would reimburse my American companion for her contribution.  She went and gave it to the woman while I looked on.  The woman snatched it and placed it safely inside her truncated sari.  I watched, trying to make eye contact and communicate somehow, despite the language barrier, the awesome love of Christ. 

 

 

So many of us find it hard to really pursue our deepest dreams, longings, and passions.  There is so much hurt, so many disappointments that fringe our everyday.  But I love what Mother Theresa says in her famed poem: "What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.  Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; give the world the best you've got anyway.  You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway."  Rush the Sea!  We CAN - we WILL - we MUST make a difference!  Live your faith!  Dare to be who God made you to be!  The world, and that grandma-faced women in the litter strewn market in India - needs you.  They need us. They need us now.  Come on!  Let's Rush the Sea!

Stephanie Pauline
More than Music Inc.