[Nfb-krafters-korner] feel good

[Blindhands at aol.com]

I read this and just had to send it along.
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 labour 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
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 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 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. When you receive this, say the prayer, that's all you  
have
to do. 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. Father, I ask you to bless my  
friends reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at  
this
very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where  
there is self doubt, release a renewed confidence to work through them.  Where
there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by  revealing Your 
nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You.  Where there is 
fear,
reveal Your 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. Give each of them discernment to  recognize the evil forces around 
them, and reveal to them the power they have in  You to defeat it.  I ask you 
to
do these things in Jesus' name.
 
P.S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.  
Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ would  do.
 
"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move  
your feet.
 
 
 
Joyce  Kane
_www.KraftersKorner.org_ (http://www.krafterskorner.org/) 
Blindhands at AOL.com