Page 28 - BR-May-2018

May 2018 May 2018

During the prayer time one ten year old girl, Ruth,
prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of African
children . “Please God, “ she prayed, “send us a
hot water bottle today. It will 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 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 almost four years at that time, and I had
never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if someone 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 the knot.
We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting.
Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focussed on the large cardboard box!

From the top I lifted out 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 raisins and sultanas – that
would make a batch of buns for the week-end. Then as I put my hand in again I
felt the ... could it be?
I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new
rubber hot water bottle. 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 and give this
dolly to the little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus loves
her?” “Of course,” I replied.

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