An impossible God? (continued)

This is a continuation from my previous post.
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Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car tat my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the verandah, was a large 22-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 packaging strings, carefully undoing each knot.

We unfolded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some 40 pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly coloured, 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 eagerly 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 10-year-old to bring it “that afternoon”.

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Indeed, “before they call, I will answer!” (Isaiah 65:24). God is in the business of hearing, answering and even exceeding our prayers! We must get out of our rut of “business as usual” to engage in “unusual business” with God.

Pray, with faith, with no doubt.