The Hot Water Bottle

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 (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. 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. Justsend 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.