Yesterday night as i was reading through one of the book called "growing deep in God" i came across this chapter where the author shared an inspiring story that came through a email. and i decided to type it out and shared it with all of you over here. May all of you be blessed by this, like how i was.
This story was told to Arnold, a retired mission doctor by another another mission doctor in Africa :
"One night, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labour ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying 2-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (there was no electricity to run an no incubator ), nor any 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 the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stroke 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 was our last water bottle!" she exclaimed.
As in the West, it is no use crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no use crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drug stores down forest pathways.
"All right!," I said. "Put the baby near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from the 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.
The baby could easily die if it got chills, i told them about the 2-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During the prayer time, one 10-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 by way of a corollary, "And while you are about it, would you please send a dolly for the little girl, so that she will know that you really love her?"
As often with children's prayer, I was put on the spot. Could i honestly say, "AMEN?" I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yess, I know that he can do anything and 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 a parcel from the homeland. I had been in African for almost 4 years at the time, and i had never ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put 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 packaging strings, carefully undoing each knot.
We, unfolded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some 40 pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, i lifted brightly coloured, 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 butch of buns for the weekend.
Then as i put my hand in again, i felt the... could it really be? I gasped it eagerly 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 truely 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 shore! She had never doubted! Looking up she asked me, "Can i go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl so she'll know God loves her?"
That parcel has been on the way for 5months. 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 girl's had put in a dolly for an African child- five months before - in answer to the believing prayer of a 10-year-old girl to bring it "that afternoon". "
Aren't God amazing? I was really touched and teared upon reading this! (: He is really a true living God, who sees our future. We do not know what our future may be but He knows it. Can u imagine 5 months ago, God already knew what they needed and like us we might not know what we may happen to us next but God already knows and He even knows all our needs. and all we need to do is pray and ask him earnestly, just like the 10-year-old girl, Ruth. although, Ruth was so young but it was not her prayer that caught my attention but it was her heart. Ruth prayed her heart out and didn't doubt that God will not answer her prayer at all. it was such a simple prayer and all we needed was FAITH to believe not on the usual but the unusual! even sometimes i don't deny that i will doubt but its all of a choice that i choose to make or should i say i want to.
*Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, it is believing in God who hears and answers and even exceeds our prayer. Prayer is not all about us, its all about God! It is not how long or eloqent our prayer is but prayer is all about who God is! (:
-Jerlynkoh
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