This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa ..
One
night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in
spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature
baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty
keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity
to run an incubator).
We also had no special feeding facilities.
Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with
treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for
such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
Another
went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back
shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst
(rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). "And it is our last hot
water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over
spilled milk so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying
over burst water bottles They do not grow on trees, and there are no
drugstores down forest pathways.
"All
right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and
sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your
job is to keep the baby warm."
The following noon, as I did most
days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who
chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of
things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our
problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water
bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also
told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had
died.
During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed
with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God"
she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as
the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."
While
I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while
You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so
she'll know You really love her?"
As often with children's
prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say,"Amen". I just did
not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do
everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The
only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me
a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost fo ur years at
that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway,
if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I
lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was
teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there
was a car at my front door.
By
the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda,
was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I
could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.
Together
we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the
paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting.
Some
thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.
>From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes
sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for
the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came
a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns
for the weekend Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could
it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber
hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not
truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the
children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle,
He must have sent the dolly too!"
Rummaging
down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully
dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
Looking up
at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that
little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"
That
parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my
former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's
prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of
the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five month s
before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it
"that afternoon."
"Before they call, I will answer" (Isaiah
65:24) This awesome prayer takes less than a minute. When you receive
this, say the prayer, that's all you have to do. No strings attached.
Just send it on to whomever you want - but do send it on. Prayer is one
of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of
rewards.
Let's
continue praying for one another Father, I ask you to bless my friends
reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at
this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.
Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work
through them. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew
them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater
intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release
to them Your courage. Bless their finances, give them greater vision,
and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give
each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and
reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. I ask you to do these things in Jesus' name.
"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet"