B.G. Kent
2009-02-06 02:43:56 UTC
This beautiful 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,
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 hot water bottle today. 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 the homeland. I
had been in
Africa for almost four 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
verandah was a large 22-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?'
'Of course,' I replied!
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
months 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)
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.
This awesome prayer takes less than a minute.
Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading
this. I ask You
to minister to their spirit. 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 tiredness or exhaustion, I
ask You to
give them understanding, guidance, and strength. Where
there is fear,
reveal our 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.
Amen
P. S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will
bless you
both.
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,
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 hot water bottle today. 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 the homeland. I
had been in
Africa for almost four 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
verandah was a large 22-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?'
'Of course,' I replied!
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
months 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)
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.
This awesome prayer takes less than a minute.
Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading
this. I ask You
to minister to their spirit. 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 tiredness or exhaustion, I
ask You to
give them understanding, guidance, and strength. Where
there is fear,
reveal our 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.
Amen
P. S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will
bless you
both.