Have the tissues handy.
GOD IS AN AWESOME GODThis 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; 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 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 many 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 so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During the 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 by way of a corollary, "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 twenty-two 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, Mummy, 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
Please share this amazing story with as many others as you can.
Our God really IS . . . AN AWESOME GOD!
Hi to all.....
Last night was a big night for me and Logan :) I got to see him have his Mommy give him a bottle for the first time. Now for a "regular" baby, this is no big deal... but for Logan.... it's HUGE! They put 41 cc's of milk in the bottle thinking he would dribble out a lot... nope! Not Termite!! He finished all they would let him have and they made him quit with 4cc's left. And he did it in 20 minutes. Not bad considering he doesn't know how to suck and breathe, so Beth has to allow him to quit sucking so he will breathe. When the boy was sucking..... he was REALLY sucking!!! And when he burps... mercy! The little guy really gets rid of the gas bubble!
As of this morning, he weighs 4 lbs, 5.8 oz. He's growing so fast, you can almost watch it happen. They are taping his foot to correct the turned position and we have been told that by the time he leaves the hospital, it will be fine. He doesn't seem to mind it at all.
Logan did have 2 Apnea episodes through the late night and again this morning, but the staff is not concerned... yet. He went through a lot yesterday, he had 3 bottles and once again they took blood for his work up. His hernias a really bothering him. In fact, the doctors are watching him very closely to decide how much longer they can wait before correcting them. And......... today he starts his innoculations. On his birthday!! Poor little guy :( But better that he be protected than let some bad germ get hold of him.
Last night, Beth brought something to my attention... Logan has a chin dimple! She does also.... and so did her grandma. So this little one is showing the extension of a very special lady.... his great gramma. His little eyelashes are growing.... Logan is starting to look like "Logan".
Looks like in the near future, our little one is going to have to undergo the surgery for the hernias. There's just not much longer they can wait. He had to be given medicine to help with the "hurt" of them and that's not good.
And I must add that Nana doesn't like it when everything's not going really good for him. We hate to see him in pain... as does any parent. We just keep reminding ourselves that he's a fighter... and he has a tremendous strength for such a little guy. God has and will continue to protect him and watch over him.....
So to our little miracle baby...... Happy Birthday Termite! You've given so many people so much happiness in these 2 months. Thank you God for your blessing, and we pray for Logan's continued well being and progress.
Hi Aunti Nancy .... the doctors have scheduled me for surgery tomorrow to fix my hernias. Can you please ask my friends at the Freepers Thread to please say a special prayer for me, my Mommy and my Daddy too? Mommy's really worried about me. God will protect me.. I know he will. Thank you... I love you ... "TT"