For Help
Weeping With Thanks
Thursday, December 28, 2023
What Wonders God Works, As the Sun Rises, Beginning a New Day!
Psalm 104:14
You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth,
Ephesians 5:20
… giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
…
Words of Grace For Today
People in desperate situations hope that someone will make a difference, help them, provide the basics of life and security.
Trapped on an island overrun by the enemy in a world wide war, the doctors and nurses and voluntold helpers (having found their way to the camp of the resistance fighters) have bound up patients for months or is it already years with old strips from old clothes. Everyone is malnourished if not starving. Everyone’s clothes are tattered and torn. Uniforms for soldiers cannot be required since no one has them. Spotty communications begging for supplies bring at most ‘Stand bye.’
Then, wrangling with all sorts of resistance from the infighting and egos of the top generals and admirals, a small group of 4 soldiers disembark from a submarine in rubber boats and paddle through the surf. Met by members of the resistance, more rubber boats are dispatched from the sub with supplies. Not enough, but something.
Visiting the ‘hospital’ the new soldiers still in black dyed fatigues cut open the new ‘plastic’ sealed packages of sulphanilamide, a new antibiotic and dressings. Weeping with joy and relief the doctor orders the nurses and helpers to take off all the bandages on the patients and to pour the sulphanilamide on and cover them with new dressings. Patients with fatal infections now have a chance at life.
(paraphrased from W.E.B. Higgins’ Behind Enemy Lines)
Ahh the immense tears-of-joy outpouring when assistance arrives for those subsisting as they irritate the enemy.
How many more people on earth this day could cry ‘Would that assistance were brought here!?!’
And we carry on, giving thanks for all that we have, all that keeps us alive, and all the blessings each day that come our way. It may not be supplies, clothes, and food, or shelter sufficient to stand the new normals of weather wind heat and cold, but it is all we need to know joy.