At times when ends barely meet, when the heart can no longer take anypain, And life seems really impossible, remember what the Lord said,"Before they Call, I will answer". Please read on...>>
Isaiah 65:24>
This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa Onenight I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spiteOf all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and aCrying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the babyAlive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run anincubator).
We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on theequator, Nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One studentmidwife went For the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool thatthe baby would Be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and filla hot water bottle. She came back Shortly in distress to tell me that infilling the bottle, it had burst(rubber perishes easily in tropicalclimates). "And it is our last hot water Bottle!" she exclaimed. As inthe West, it is no good crying over spilled Milk so in CentralAfrica it might be considered no good crying over burst Water bottles.They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down Forestpathways.
"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 anyof The orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave theyoungsters Various suggestions of things to pray about and told themabout the tiny Baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warmenough, mentioning The hot water bottle, and that the baby could soeasily die If it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-oldsister, crying Because her mother had died.
During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usualblunt Conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed,"send us a Water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the babywill be dead, so Please send it this afternoon."
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "Andwhile You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the littlegirl so She'll know You really love her?" As often with children'sprayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly Say, "Amen". I just didnot believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know That He can doeverything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren'tThere? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be bySending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost fourYears 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 waterbottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while Iwas teaching In the nurses' training school, a message was sent thatthere 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. Icould not Open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. Wefolded The paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitementwas>mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on thelarge 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 thechildren looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed Raisins andsultanas - 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? IGrasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot waterbottle. I Cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not trulybelieved that He Could
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, cryingOut, "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 dollyto that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?" Thatparcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my formerSunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's promptingto send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girlshad put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answerto the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."
"Before they call, I will answer" (Isaiah 65:24). This awesome prayertakes less than a minute. When you receive this, say the prayer, that'sall you have to do. No strings attached. Just send it on to whomever youwant - but do send it on. Prayer is one of the best free gifts wereceive. 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 amasking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where thereis pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting,release a renewed confidence to work through them. Where there istiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding,guidance, and strength as they learn submission to Your leading.
Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them byrevealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy withYou. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Yourcourage. Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break itshold over my friend's life. Bless their finances, give them greatervision, 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 todo these things in Jesus' name.
P.S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless youboth. Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christwould do.
"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing tomove your feet."
(THAT'S MY FAV LINE ABOVE ALL)
CUZ CHELSEA, CHELSEA IS OUR NAME!
