Little Hand in the Basket
Today is Tuesday, April 7: A man from WaSuTah came to our door at 6a.m. He said his sister just had a baby and it was not moving and he thought it was not breathing. Please could we come. I packed my things and BletJhaw and I were off on the motorbike right away. As we entered the hut, the mother pointed to a basket. The baby was dead and covered with rags in the basket. Sadness filled our hearts. I wanted to cry. It was a girl. I looked closely at the Mother and did not see sadness. In fact nobody in the room seemed upset and sad. She had just had the baby one and a half hours ago and was doing quite well. I asked a lot of questions and found out that she had had a healthy pregnancy. The baby had been moving right up until the time she delivered it. It was her 3rd child and childbirth was quick and easy. I was very perplexed because I could not figure out what had gone so tragically wrong at the last minute. They said after the baby came out it did not move and did not breath.- - - -I looked at the basket and saw a little hand - - - -I prayed for them before we left.Once at home BletJhaw told me that it seemed the lady did not want this baby. Her husband is using opium and does not help her at all. She already has 2 girls and though she might keep it if it was a boy. Because this was a girl, we are thinking that she did not want it. I cannot bear to think that she might have destroyed this little life.“Oh Lord,” I cried, “If only I had been there. What are You feeling as You look down on all this wretchedness? Your little creation, Your little life!”I probably never will know for sure what really happened today. All I know is that God is in control of all things. He knows the suffering of His people here. He loves them all. The grief and hardships of this Mother, inaudible to any human ear, God knows and cares and understands.My sad heart also is in His hands.