He Touched Me -- Part 3

He Touched Me -- Part 3

2 Corinthians 12:9 Philippians 4:7

Of course the radio in Africa is like the old fashioned party line phone!!  Our missionaries in the capital city came on and mentioned that the Brethren Mission's doctor was in town ready to go home on furlough.  Perhaps we could fly down and get a second opinion.

This doctor was contacted by our missionary and the doctor agreed to see us but it had to be done the next day as they were flying home to the USA the day after that.  Sound simple?  Not in Africa!  We were 300 miles from the capital, which was at least a 2 day drive.  So...we would fly down in our little Cessna 185...not my favorite mode of transportation!!!

The Lord  blessed us with good weather the following day as we loaded all six of us in the plane.  As we approached the airport, the Lord touched me with such calmness and peace...His peace...and I knew that everything was going to be fine..not necessarily that this was not a correct diagnosis, but that he was THERE no matter what by my side.  Is this how the woman with the issue of blood felt when she touched the hem of Jesus' garment?  It was an indescribable moment!

God saw fit to have this young doctor right where we needed him at the right time.  He could find no lump!!!!  Did God heal me?  Apparently, or the other doctor just did not have the experience to correctly diagnose.  Relief flooded my family's heart.  For me, it was simply a confirmation of the touch of the Master's calm, sweet peace residing in my heart.

God's ways are not always something we understand nor do we know why.  But His grace is always sufficient to meet every single need at the precise moment it is needed!  He is Prince of Peace for which we give praise and honor as He imparts that peace to us during our struggles here on earth. The touch of His mighty attributes are within our reach!

He Touched Me -- Part 2

He Touched Me -- 2
Luke 8:43-48

As we saw when Jesus walked the dirt paths of Galilee, His power and love were evident as He touched the lives of those in need of healing, whether it was emotionally or physically.  The woman in the Scripture today was one of those touched by the Master when the medical doctors were unable to provide the correct treatment.

Now, fast forward to 1983.  When you are living in the middle of the African bush, medical issues are addressed in a vastly different way!  No need to check around for specialists or the most highly recommended.  We were alone on our hospital station with just a missionary nurse and a visiting doctor from another part of the country.

During this time, I discovered a lump in a breast and finally reached the conclusion that it would be wise to have the visiting doctor exam me.  His response...after lunch he would get out his medical books and do some research!  This doctor had not seen breast cancer in 30 years while working in Africa!

Later that afternoon, he arrived at our door and informed us that we should go straight home to the States because I needed a mastectomy immediately.  This news was like a torch set in the dry fields around us in the African dry season...hot, overwhelming emotions galloped through our hearts and minds.

I can honestly say that I was not concerned for myself and what I might be facing...I had faith that God would give me sufficient grace as I needed it.  I was not a happy camper at the thought of leaving Africa for this!  My primary concern was for my husband and children as they processed this abrupt interruption in life.

We tearfully informed our 4 kids and then consulted with missionaries by radio at another station.  Our plan was to leave the kids with them, just the two of us fly home, have surgery and return.

Our faith was reaching out to Him, the Compassionate One.  We only asked for a touch of His grace and faith as we fought the fears and uncertainty that faced us.  His gentle hands began to hold us close.

He Touched Me - Part 1

He Touched Me -- Part 1
Mark 5:25-34

The arid desert heat scorches the earth until the sun sets along the horizon and the cool of the night envelops the land.  A lone woman wanders the dark streets seeking a place to lay her head.  Loneliness haunts her as she is reminded of another time and place...a time when she was loved and respected...a place where she was protected and welcome.  Sorrow awakens in her heart again as she contemplates the morrow.  Will it never end, this constant bleeding that prostrates her with weakness?  Doctors have no answers.  Unclean!  Unclean! echoes in her head...she is ostracized from society because she is considered unclean according to the Jewish law.  Her husband divorces her...she cannot worship God because she cannot atone for her blood loss.  Do you hear the rush of tears roaring down her cheeks?  Twelve years with no place to call home, existing on others' charity, no way to provide for herself.

But someone cares...jostled by the crowd, toes stepped on, pressed on all sides, she became a part of the crowd who desired to see and hear the man from Nazereth, Jesus.  As the whispers through the crowd reach her ears, discouragement begins to seep into her heart.  This Jesus will not care to speak to her, an outcast and unclean.  Yet her faith has compelled her forward...if she can but touch His garment, she will be healed.  She slips quietly throughout the crowd, fighting the dizziness and weakness that has become her life.  There He is...her hand extends out and touches the hem of His garment...she feels her body respond...energy jolts her...she is healed!  Jesus of Nazereth turns and speaks!!!  He felt the power leave Him!  He asks, "Who touched me?"  With trembling, she falls before Him and speaks softly, "It was I"...and she relates the truth to Him and the surrounding crowd.  Jesus proclaims, "Daughter, your faith has made you well,  Go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

Can you imagine the indescribable joy that flooded her heart?  The humility as she considered what God had done for her, an outcast?  Not only was her body healed but her standing in society was restored.  Need we even question the new reality of her relationship with God?  The Son is glorified!

An Ordinary Day Part 2

An Ordinary Day Part 2
Psalms 116:15

A parent's worst nightmare was taking place right in front of our eyes as we grieved with these precious African parents.  How do you pray?  Words allude the mind.  How can the heart and mind comprehend?  Words were not needed...God was present in the room.  He knew the heart cries before a thought or utterance was voiced.

Silently, as hearts began to beseech the Heavenly Father, waves of broken sobbing washed over each of us as the family stood frozen in place watching and waiting in stunned shock.

After an hour, the agonizing desperate hope for the girls to be revived had to be abandoned. All gathered in this small African room realized that Debora and Evelyne had already entered the gates of heaven.  The dark, oppressive rainy day seemed to intensify the paralyzing grief.

Yet...picture this...the Lord Jesus bending down on one knee, opening His arms wide as He beckons these little ones to run to Him. As they are clasped in His gentle loving arms, Jesus says, "Welcome home, my princesses!  I have been waiting for you.  Let's go see the mansion I have prepared for you and then begin a long visit together.  I have so many more things to share with you!"

Hope had not died!  Now the hope was alive...Debora and Evelyne were in heaven with the Lord Jesus!  Their parents would one day see them again when the Lord God beckoned them to heaven.

Four reminders to consider:

First, our lives are not our own, they are as a vapor, here only a little while, the time of our death known only to the Lord.
Secondly, our death is precious to the Lord...He can't wait to love on us in person!  Those left behind do not grieve without hope as God has promised we will see them again.
Thirdly, we should strive to live a life that will have no regrets when we meet Jesus.  May the Lord Jesus say to us, "well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Last but not least, share the Gospel so others too will have the hope that lives within us of an eternal life that will be amazing, beyond our finite comprehension.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

An Ordinary Day Part 1

An Ordinary Day Part 1
James 4:14

The African sun was obliterated by dark storm clouds...beginning of an ordinary day...radio broadcast, breakfast, school, a normal routine day.  A truck drives up, a few words are spoken and suddenly in one breath the day becomes one of tragedy.

Two little girls, daughters of one of the African Bible school teachers, had been found in the mission station's swimming pool. The pool had been built for the kids who attended the boarding school on our mission compound.  As it was no longer a boarding school, the pool was not in use.  Rain water would collect in the pool and African families would come to fill their containers. The little girls had slipped silently into the deeper water,  unable to climb out because of the slippery green mold that lined the concrete bottom.

Immediately, we called together our family, including our 2 houseboys, and prayed for the Lord's intervention in the lives of these girls. As we prayed in English, or houseboys prayed in Sango yet there was that evident bond of fellowship that surpassed the barrier of color, culture and language.

The little girls were taken to the station dispensary.  Our missionary dentist and missionary nurse began mouth to mouth resuscitation with the help of African nurses.  The gloom deepened as the people began to gather outside to await the outcome.  Inside, the tension, expectancy and heartbreak were palatable.  My heart was gripped y an iron band of sorrow as I watched the valiant efforts to revive the girls. Rain began to pour down, striking the tin roof as if made of nails instead of water...as if each drop of rain was a tear drop from those incased in this small room desperately praying for life.

It is difficult to understand on this side of heaven, why God allows hurtful things to transpire and harm little children.  It grips our hearts to see any child suffer, leaving us feeling so helpless.  Yet, we know that each one of us was created for a specific purpose, a specific plan...all with God's timeline.  Do we consider at any time how our daily lives might change if we knew the timeline??

"For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time..."