Subject: Isaiah 65:24

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; 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. A
lthough we lived on the equator, nights were
often chil ly with treacherous drafts. One
student midwife went for the box we had for
such babie s 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,"  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  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
afterno o n, 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
< /FONT>= 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 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 as
they learn submission to Your leading.
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. Where there is a sin blocking
them, reveal it, and break its hold over my
friend's life.

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. 
Amen

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."

Live Your Life in Such a Way that

When Your Feet Hit the Floor in the Morning
Satan Shudders and Says,
"Oh No, She's Awake"


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