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 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 (ru
bber 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 fo ur 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 cam e 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 month s 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 whomeve r 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 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."

probably not sth i would believe in.

yes yes, everyone needs a lil help from God here and there, therefore there comes the phrase do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet.

to me, the phrase only applies to those who don't even bother to help themselves e.g. pray for money when you dun get your butt off tt couch to work, or maybe food when you don't even wana step into the kitchen.

or rather, does it mean that if they did pray for the dying mother, maybe she'd just be able to stay alive? probably that would be a fraction of one-percent chance that might happen, at least that is what i believe. look around you, how many of your friends did not study for that exam yet passed with flying colours while yours with just borderline grades? did she pray? or rather, did you pray but still as bad?

look at the natural habitat around you. trees are getting lesser, air pollution is getting worse by the days. would you just pray that more trees could pop outta nowhere, or would you use lesser paper and not throw them away when you made just a silly scratch on it?

people should do physical things that help you earn your goal, while optimistic people can pray, which hopefully aids to the results. pesessmistic people like me, maybe shouldn't, cos i'll have to hard time convincing myself why didn't God help me when it don't come true.