The Hot Water Bottle
Thomas Hankin
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 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. 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 the 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 today.
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by
way of a corollary, "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 inside. 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, Mummy, and give
this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves
her?"
The 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.
God Bless.
Tom.
Feather Forestwalker
years ago. It's nice to see it circulating the internet. . .by the way,
it's a true missions story from American Baptist Churches USA.
God bless,
Feather
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Thomas Hankin
news:1B0wc.21367$Tn6....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
> Thanks for this, Thomas. . .we got this in our ABCW Missions news a
> few years ago. It's nice to see it circulating the internet. . .by the
> way, it's a true missions story from American Baptist Churches USA.
>
> God bless,
>
> Feather
Thanks for the info Feather. I figured it was true. But, then again, I've
got a wall full of certificates of ownership for some bridge in Brooklin.
LOL.
God Bless.
Tom.
Feather Forestwalker
Thomas Hankin wrote:
I was serious: that story IS true. . .came from one of the American
Baptist missionaries in Africa.
God bless,
Feather
Thomas Hankin
>
>
> Thomas Hankin wrote:
>
>> Feather Forestwalker <fea...@NOSPAM.com> wrote in
>> news:1B0wc.21367$Tn6....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>>
>>
>>>Thanks for this, Thomas. . .we got this in our ABCW Missions news a
>>>few years ago. It's nice to see it circulating the internet. . .by
>>>the way, it's a true missions story from American Baptist Churches
>>>USA.
>>>
>>>God bless,
>>>
>>>Feather
>>
>>
>> Thanks for the info Feather. I figured it was true. But, then
>> again, I've got a wall full of certificates of ownership for some
>> bridge in Brooklin. LOL.
>>
>>
>> God Bless.
>>
>> Tom.
>
> I was serious: that story IS true. . .came from one of the American
> Baptist missionaries in Africa.
>
> God bless,
>
> Feather
>
I know. I wouldn't have posted it if I thought it wasn't true. That is
just one of the many ways that God works. I was just making mention of
my own gullability, not casting doubt on the story. Sorry if I gave you
that impression.
So relax, Oh-Kay? :)
Tom
Feather Forestwalker
Thomas Hankin wrote:
*LOL* I was relaxed. . . I misunderstood you is all. We can do that from
time to time and still remain friends and brother and sister in Christ,
amen?
((((Thomas)))
:::vera:::
What a wonderful story... That is how God answers prayer...
True... God knows what we need, much better than we ourselves, and much earlier.
Love and Peace to you, Tom,
::: vera :::
--
:::::::::: http://www.acc-growing-deeper.de ::::::::::
:::::::::: http://www.acc-growing-deeper.de/Israel.htm ::::::::::
Thomas Hankin
That's for sure. LOL.
((((Feather))))
God Bless.
Tom.
Feather Forestwalker
Thomas Hankin wrote:
Cyber hugs are so kewl. Thank you!
(((((((((Tom)))))))))))
God bless,
Thomas Hankin
$Tn6....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
Wow! Gasp! That was a good one. Whew! Thanks.
Red in the face.
Tom.
Feather Forestwalker
>>>That's for sure. LOL.
>>>
>>>((((Feather))))
>>>
>>>God Bless.
>>>
>>>Tom.
>>
>>Cyber hugs are so kewl. Thank you!
>>
>>(((((((((Tom)))))))))))
>>
>>God bless,
>>
>>Feather
>>
>
>
> Wow! Gasp! That was a good one. Whew! Thanks.
>
> Red in the face.
>
> Tom.
LOL...did you notice how one side was weaker than the other? *sorry*
That's exactly right, tho. . .my left side is weaker than my right and
it's becoming more pronounced as I get older.
Why in the heck am I telling you this???
I MUST BE BORED or something, eh? Nawwww......just watching simulcast
horse races. . .love to watch them run!
Thomas Hankin
$uX2...@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net:
> Thomas Hankin wrote:
>
>>>>That's for sure. LOL.
>>>>
>>>>((((Feather))))
>>>>
>>>>God Bless.
>>>>
>>>>Tom.
>>>
>>>Cyber hugs are so kewl. Thank you!
>>>
>>>(((((((((Tom)))))))))))
>>>
>>>God bless,
>>>
>>>Feather
>>>
>>
>>
>> Wow! Gasp! That was a good one. Whew! Thanks.
>>
>> Red in the face.
>>
>> Tom.
>
> LOL...did you notice how one side was weaker than the other? *sorry*
> That's exactly right, tho. . .my left side is weaker than my right and
> it's becoming more pronounced as I get older.
No, actually, I hadn't noticed, I was just trying to breath. LOL.
> Why in the heck am I telling you this???
> I MUST BE BORED or something, eh? Nawwww......just watching simulcast
> horse races. . .love to watch them run!
Maybe you're bored, maybe you're just passing time with a cyber-friend.
God Bless.
Tom.