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| Click here to Listen and Download "Beti" and other songs by Cindrella Prakash |
As the weeks have worn on, I must admit that I have grown tired and weak. There have been moments of sadness, loneliness, and feeling overwhelmed. In that I have been over-sensitive as well as pitching in my own dose of rudeness and feelings of grumpy. All of this, I know, are the symptoms of spiritual growing pains. However, just like physical growth, spiritual growth is exhausting. There are points when I have been led to forget who I am and even why I'm here. This is the ultimate peak of weariness.
Hanging with a group of women today during lunch, several were laying on the floor, taking a quick power nap before work started again. Myself, drained, how could I resist joining them. I stretched my body next to them atop the cool concrete and felt my heart beat. My breathing calm as we lay in rest. Still. Some of the ladies chatted softly in Bengali. One stole another's phone and was flooding it with pictures of all things random. Me? I just laid there, listened, and rested, because when you don't know the language and really have no idea what's going on, what else are you going to do?
Suddenly one of the women began to sing softly "Beti" by Cindrella Prakash, a talented and beautiful musician that came to visit us a couple weeks ago. The Hindi song sings "I am the daughter of that king who reigns over the heavens and earth...." It continues with all the names of the Father and who the Father is. One by one, all of the women joined. The melody of their voices wafting up to their Father in an essence so sweet. The moment swept over me, and I nearly cried. Hearing the proclamation "I am my Father's Daughter " The sound of women's spirits calling "Abba Father." These women have lived lives seeing darkness that most elders have never seen. They have been beat down, broken, and discouraged in ways I will never know. Yet, through the storm, the Father beckoned and now, in the calm his daughters answered.
Then a quiet whisper tugged at my heart. "I'm your Father too." And there my heart broke. Though my chaos is peace in comparison, in my own way I have felt darkness. Even in my moments of frustration in India there have been moments of war raging inside of me. Still, through all the exhaustion and emotions there was a constant call of my Father saying "You're mine."
These women and I were the same. Though I am super white and from America, and they have beautiful dark skin and are from the lovely India; though we have lived completely different lives, we are the same. As I have traveled to India, our stories have collided. Maybe for just a millisecond in time, but in that millisecond our path have combined and we have walked on the same path, being called "Daughter." We are one, and I raised my voice with their's. Though my Hindi poor and most of the words I did not understand. I know I butchered just about every syllable, but the sound was beautiful. Through our voices, our spirits were unified as Daughters of the King. I felt it, and though I'll never know, I sensed they felt it too. The woman to one side rested her hand on my back, and on the other, a sister brought her leg close to mine. My big sister came and sat across from me and grabbed my hand, joining the chorus, as we proclaimed "Papa we are yours!"
There is a certain strength that rises with the acknowledgement of being a Daughter of the King. It has a lot more to do with who the King is than who we are. It is in the understanding of who this King is that we become aware of the power we possess as his children. In the beginning where it says "Man and woman he created them in His image." That is a statement saying we are His children, bearing his likeness to the world. So if we want to gain an understanding of who we are as His children, we must first dive into the knowledge of who he is. Then and only than can we begin to see who we are, and in the knowledge of who we are all darkness flees. Fear is stripped away in the light of glory. The insecurity that leads to inferiority is diminished by the light of Love.
We are the children of God, created to bear His image. Walking in this truth we find strength and courage that casts out every weakness and fear. When we are weak, he is strong. He is perfect and so are we. In India, walking through life with my sisters, I have come to the knowledge that there is no greater calling than to be called a child of God, and he is calling each and everyone of us daily.
Beti (Daughter) by Cindrella Prakash.
Me beti hun us Maharaja ki
(I am the daughter of that King)
Jo aasman aur dharti par raaj karta hai
(Who reigns over the heavens and the earth)
Me beti hun us Kalakar ki
(I am the daughter of that Artist)
Jo indradhanush banake mujhse vaada karta hai
(Who draws a rainbow and makes a covenant with me)
Me beti hun us shaant Yehova ki
(I am the daughter of that peaceful Jehovah)
Jo aansuon ko botal me kaid karta hai
(Who stores my tears in a bottle)
Me beti hun us namr Param Pita Ki
(I am the daughter of that gentle First Father)
Jo mujhse bahut dher saara pyaar karta hai
(Who loves me immensely)
Me beti hun pankhon ko faila kar
(I am the daughter....I spread my wings)
Me beti hun aasman ko chu kar
(I am the daughter....I touch the sky)
Aks me Khuda ka chehera dekhti hun
(I look at my reflection and see my Father's face)
Me beti hun mere Papa ki beti
(I am the daughter...my Father's daughter)
Titli jaisi khoobsurati Papa ne mujhe di
(Butterfly like beauty my Father has given me)
Mushkil pe hasne ki taakat Papa ne mujhe di
(The strength to laugh at the days to come my Father has given me)
Sangeet se mere dil ko bhara bhi Papa ne hi
(My heart is filled with music by my Father alone)
Chehere pe yeh muskurahat Papa ne mujhe di
(This smile on my face my Father has given me)
Me beti hun pankhon ko faila kar
(I am the daughter....I spread my wings)
Me beti hun aasman ko chu kar
(I am the daughter....I touch the sky)
Aks me Khuda ka chehera dekhti hun
(I look at my reflection and see my Father's face)
Me beti hun mere Papa ki beti
(I am the daughter of that King)
Jo aasman aur dharti par raaj karta hai
(Who reigns over the heavens and the earth)
Me beti hun us Kalakar ki
(I am the daughter of that Artist)
Jo indradhanush banake mujhse vaada karta hai
(Who draws a rainbow and makes a covenant with me)
Me beti hun us shaant Yehova ki
(I am the daughter of that peaceful Jehovah)
Jo aansuon ko botal me kaid karta hai
(Who stores my tears in a bottle)
Me beti hun us namr Param Pita Ki
(I am the daughter of that gentle First Father)
Jo mujhse bahut dher saara pyaar karta hai
(Who loves me immensely)
Me beti hun pankhon ko faila kar
(I am the daughter....I spread my wings)
Me beti hun aasman ko chu kar
(I am the daughter....I touch the sky)
Aks me Khuda ka chehera dekhti hun
(I look at my reflection and see my Father's face)
Me beti hun mere Papa ki beti
(I am the daughter...my Father's daughter)
Titli jaisi khoobsurati Papa ne mujhe di
(Butterfly like beauty my Father has given me)
Mushkil pe hasne ki taakat Papa ne mujhe di
(The strength to laugh at the days to come my Father has given me)
Sangeet se mere dil ko bhara bhi Papa ne hi
(My heart is filled with music by my Father alone)
Chehere pe yeh muskurahat Papa ne mujhe di
(This smile on my face my Father has given me)
Me beti hun pankhon ko faila kar
(I am the daughter....I spread my wings)
Me beti hun aasman ko chu kar
(I am the daughter....I touch the sky)
Aks me Khuda ka chehera dekhti hun
(I look at my reflection and see my Father's face)
Me beti hun mere Papa ki beti
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