A Catholic Renewal

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"Se, jag gör allting nytt..." (Upp 21:5)

onsdag, november 21, 2007
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***

Isaiah 65:24 *Before they call, I will answer*

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. 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 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 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 veranda 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 30 or 40 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 - they 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 a 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 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). This awesome prayer takes less than a minute. 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.

Etiketter: , , ,

postat av Charlotte Thérèse @ 16:13  
4 Kommentar/-er:
  • 21 november, 2007 23:08 sa Blogger LeoH

    Så är det! Ibland väntar bönesvaret på bönen!

     
  • 24 november, 2007 11:51 sa Blogger Charlotte Thérèse

    Leo,

    Jag tycker att det ofta är så. Gud förbereder redan svaren på det vi kommer att be om en dag... Alltid ett steg före...

    Charlotte

     
  • 24 november, 2007 15:02 sa Anonymous Anonym

    Har hört om denna underbara historia tidigare. Denna lilla flicka måste ju minnas detta för livet och finna verklig förtröstan på att Gud är vår Far i himlen som bryr sig, dessutom om detaljer!

    Har själv också varit med om bönesvar som legat och väntat, faktiskt flera år. En dag för två år sedan frågade jag Gud om en sak och av en händelse samma dag så rotade jag i gamla saker på vinden och hittade en gammal dagbok från gymnasietiden.

    Jag slog upp en sida på måfå och vad finner jag? Svaret direkt på det jag frågat om. Det som stod där var att jag förmodligen skulle undra över detta om 15 år... PÅ DATUMET 15 år senare läser jag detta som jag totalt glömt.

    Snacka om bönesvar! Gud hänvisar inte alltid till sitt eget ord utan till våra "egna"!

     
  • 24 november, 2007 21:23 sa Blogger Charlotte Thérèse

    Eva-Maria,

    Ja, ibland är det verkligen häftigt!

    Någon annan som kommer att tänka på egna bönesvar ni vill dela med er av i samband med detta?

    Jag ska fundera... Bra att påminna sig ibland!

    Charlotte

     
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    "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (okänd källa)

    "Where there is no love, put love and gather love."  Johannes av Korset

    "The soul of one who loves God, always swims in joy, always keeps holiday, and is always in the mood for singing." Johannes av Korset

    "To write is to pray."  Thomas Merton

    "In vino veritas!" (Det kan tolkas bokstavligen så - på ett djupt sätt - i eukaristin.)

    "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I will not stand idly by when I see an unjust war taking place." Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Copyright: Charlotte Thérèse, 2007

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