“God’s has perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and a whole lot of faith… but it’s worth the wait.” *
This week God has really been working me over on waiting for Him, waiting on His timing. No matter how hard it gets, how impatient I get, and no matter what other’s think. I could have done some things differently this week – the way “I” thought they should be done, but I would never know if the outcome was the one God had planned.
Our former day guard, now our groundskeeper/Raelee wrangler/torturer/best friend – Kimuli, his dad has been sick. Very sick. We were asked for transport to a clinic, but we told them that we would, but it would have to be to Dr. Nelson or we wouldn’t pay for it. The dad wanted to go to a muslim hospital so we did give them transport. We kept getting told that he was sick, didn’t know if he was going to live but we never could find out where he was or what exactly was wrong. What we did know was it was something to do with his leg and it was swollen with skin peeling. After three days, Kimuli came to us with 3 pages of prescriptions costing 100,000 shillings. The only thing we could make out in those three pages was cellulitis. We told him we would give it to him this time but we needed a receipt. We haven’t gotten one. The very next day his dad was transferred to the main hospital ran by the government and we were told after he had been there three hours he has cancer in his leg and needs to have it amputated – for a million shillings. That is A LOT of money here. It’s around $300 USD but here, most people won’t even see 100,000 in their life. Kimuli didn’t come to us, and we weren’t asked to give the money. If they didn’t pay all the money up front, the hospital would just let him die. Christian wanted to give them the money, I didn’t. Not that I am cold-hearted or bitter, but for one they didn’t want our help until it came to money. Two, we didn’t know what was really going on with him so I couldn’t just blindly give out that much money and how would we do it? Would we have even more people coming to us? We did the only thing we knew to do, pray. Then we went to Dr. Nelson for advice. He told us that there is no way in three hours that they could determine cancer and decide to amputate. And if it was cellulitis all those prescriptions were for nothing, (and that clinic knew it) and it is possible that it might be treated. He also told us that the reason we didn’t get a receipt and won’t get one from this hospital IF we paid was that the government clinics and hospitals are supposed to be free care. He went with us to the hospital to see the man. (Which to us was a Godsend and over and above.) It is cellulitis, but the man had sat for months in pain not going for care and now from his toes up to his knees is rotted. I couldn’t even get close to his bed because of the smell. It was heartbreaking, frustrating, and so very sad all at the same time. Dr. Nelson said it could have been easily treated in the early stages when the swelling and pain started, but now he will have to have it amputated or he will die. So the hospital knows this is life or death, and obviously these people have no money. The man’s other leg is crippled so he will never walk or work again.
We came home and cried and argued over what to do. I still said no to putting out the money no questions asked. We’ve already seen the hospital is corrupt, what’s to say we give it and they demand more? Who do we give it to? And how do we know that is really the cost. We were told that they were trying to sell some land to come up with the money. This is where it gets so confusing here. I think chickens, livestock and any amount of land is like a savings account. They barely get by day-to-day but they will not get rid of any of it. Christian didn’t want them to lose their land. How do we know they don’t have twenty acres and might only have to sell two? How do we know if giving money is the right answer? I said we wait a day or two. He waited all this time, and he isn’t going to be much worse off in a couple of days. So we prayed. Yesterday we heard nothing – from God or anyone else. All night last night I lay awake and prayed. I thought about the three people we did send to the Dr. yesterday and how that would look to this man’s family. I thought about the building we are making into a home for ourselves and how that is looked at. I thought about all the advantages and blessings I have and how could I deny this family a chance? This morning we talked to our farm manager who says they still don’t have the money. Christian had many of the same thoughts I had, and we decided we would pay it. We tried to figure out how we could do it anonymously but then realized maybe that wouldn’t be the right way to witness. So we went back to Dr. Nelson to get his advice again. He has been having a rough week himself, he says too many very sick children have come to the hospital – two from our worker that have very advanced malaria and infection. But he took the time to talk with us and found out who the Dr that would be operating was so that we could go to him because he was actually the one wanting the money. Dr. Nelson was concerned (as were we) that if we gave it to the wrong person it would disappear. We thanked him for all he does for us and he called us his friends, which means more than he will ever know to us.
We went directly to the hospital and ran into one of our workers. We were trying to figure out where to go, and were told they were trying to find transport to take Kimuli’s dad to another hospital for the surgery. They couldn’t get a taxi van or car because by this time the smell was so overwhelming no one would let him into their vehicle. They were looking for a truck. We have a truck! So we transported him and 6 others about an hour away to a catholic hospital. Christian helped the men get him checked in and settled. They immediately bathed him. The surgery will be tomorrow, and from what little we have gathered it is not going to cost as much. It seems that a man with the group – who has lost his leg – is giving them some money. Christian paid for antibiotics he will have to take for the next 4 days. We don’t believe in coincidence and it was perfect timing with our arrival at the hospital. While I was waiting with Raelee I thought of some things…
We get to where we think we know what the best thing is for somebody else. If this man is already struggling over losing his livelihood, and part of his body – what would it do to him to have to accept the money from people he doesn’t even like? How do we know that what we did today didn’t have more of an impact on him? It all comes down to faith – the faith that God is there, listening, and will answer in His own time and according to HIS plans. If we were supposed to have done something yesterday, I know He would have let us know.
Some weeks it seems everyday is a battle and some weeks we just get plain tired of it all and instead of turning to the One Who can make the burden lighter, we tune everything out and it only compounds and makes the little things bigger. I don’t want to get jaded or bitter. I want to love and there is only one way to do that – Jesus. Focusing on Him instead of the problems. Looking at people through His eyes. And remembering that He brought us here for His purposes and He will bring us through it all. Pray for us, that the struggles won’t become the thing we focus on and lose sight of the blessings and the love.
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9
- taken from wordinspiration.wordpress.com
His Grace For The Journey 