Submitted by JL - Thanks
>>THIS WILL TRULY LIFT YOU UP SPIRITUALLY. ENJOY &
>>>>BELIEVE.
>>>>BELIEVE.
>>>>
>>>>Isaiah 65:24
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>This is a story written by a doctor who worked in 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 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 I ask. 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. I ask You to do these things
>>>>in Jesus' name. Amen
2 comments:
God is good all the time. He may not show when we need him but he is always right on time.
I was talking to the mother of some friends of mine a while back. She is in her 70s. She was telling me how several things had come up unexpectedly and she was out of money. She said she looked up and told God she needed the money to pay the electric bill. She had always tithed and reminded Him that He said he would provide if she needed it. She said within 30 minutes there was a knock at the door. She opened it and saw an old friend she had not seen in years. The lady was coming down her street and said God told her to stop at her house. She put something in her hand and left. After she left she looked at what she had been given. It was just a little over what the electric bill was. After she told me this, in my office no less, I had to fight back tears. Thankfully, nobody came in for a while.
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