Isaiah 65:24

This beautiful 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 (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
hot water bottle today. 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 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 - we would use them to 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?" Of course, I
replied!

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)

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. This awesome prayer takes
less than a minute

Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this. I ask You to
minister to their spirit. 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!