Sometimes Life is Life, no matter where you are. The past three weeks have been full of battling bugs here in Addis. I think we have passed the flu around 3 times, had croup, colds, tummy bugs, etc. We are thankful that nothing serious has emerged, but it has been one of those seasons of hunkering down and caring for littles. Here, that often drags me down…I think, I should be out serving or ministering to others and I can’t even get everyone well. But, God is teaching me here and now. Mine are my ministry. Little hearts and bodies need me and I am here. I want to leave this compound…Sometimes I want to leave my little apartment, but God is sweetly and patiently teaching me contentment and to pour out.
Pray and you will see the hand of God…If I want to experience the fullness here, I must learn to obey, to pray. Why am I so slow to understand this and obey?
In the middle of one of our nights of illness, Evie woke up from her sleep, barely able to get oxygen…she was wheezing and straining for air. She was hysterical, making loud honking sounds…her body was fighting against her. I had been sick for two days and was in a deep sleep when Dave called for me to come… “I need you to get Evie calmed down…” I could hear the fear in his voice. I ran to the bathroom in my sleepy haze, turned the shower on and grabbed Evie in my arms…Dave said, “I need to get her to the hospital…” My mind began to race as I held my little girl struggling for air. The hospital is too far. She’ll be more scared. How will we get there in the middle of the night? Who can we call? What about the other kids? God stopped my strain of doubts and worries and I prayed. One line, but I called out to the Name above all Names. The Holy Spirit led me tongue… “Jesus, be Evie’s Breath of Life right now.” Immediately. She calmed. He is Peace. He is Life. He is Breath. He gave it to her, in that moment. She did not struggle or strain any more. Thank you, Jesus. He gave me a picture of when at Creation he opened the airways of Adam and breathed LIFE giving air into him…and now, in the middle of Addis in a tiny apartment, he did the same for his Little Evie. I breathed in relief and gratitude.
Dave walked back in and said, “What happened?” I told him, God gave her breath. We slept the rest of the night with Evie tucked in between us…waiting and hoping. God healed her and there was not another attack. I was reminded that it is in the moments of our days and nights that we MUST cry out…we must know that HE is the Life-Giver.
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