Thanksgiving: Grateful for Negative Malaria Tests

Wednesday night was another bout of: stomach pains, headaches, dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea…general body weakness. I am grateful Sr. Gabriella is a most wonderful care taker here at the convent. I am grateful three others Sisters came in to check on me or greet me before they left for work. I am grateful Sr. Kabule brought me pink roses and a get well card. I am grateful Sr. Gabriella and Sr. Latifica brought flowers and a Happy Thanksgiving card!

I am grateful I was taken to KAVU Health Centre where many of my friends work. I am grateful that upon arrival I am greeted with a warm welcome by two my dearest friends Banda and Sam. I am grateful I was taken to a nice room. I am grateful there was a toilet in the room even if I failed to flush it properly. I am grateful for the care Sr. Elizabeth provided and the medicine graciously given. I am grateful for the negative malaria tests.

I am grateful for a good friend not minding handling my stool culture….

I am grateful for the two German volunteers, Jan and Felix coming to visit to provide comic relief. I am grateful for the doctor taking time to help me figure out why I am sick. I am grateful for Sam bringing fruits and clean water and spending time with me. I am grateful for Sr. Christine and Sr. Stephania bringing me chicken and potatoes (my thanksgiving meal). I am grateful for the bed to lie on and blankets to hover under. I am grateful for the visit by Sr. Rosemary and cracking jokes as always…

As I rode home in the car with Sr. Gabriella, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of sickness. Had I not gotten sick – I wouldn’t have seen so many of the people I love here in Zambia on this Thanksgiving.

I am reminded of St. Therese and her “Little Way” and took great delight in being thankful today for all the little things: for toliets, for clean water,  for flowers, for medicine, for a bed to rest on, but most of all, thankful for the wonderful company God has blessed me with and the prayers everyone is blessing upon me.

I am grateful to have ended the day being able to communicate on Skype with family and friends.

Thank God for the gift of negative malaria tests and unknown sicknesses.

"I Will Never Leave You Orphans"

If God can do anything –why are there even orphans in the world?

Well – from my understanding – God doesn’t cause evil or suffering – humans do. Evil exists in the world because of the fall in the Garden of Eden. Evil exists as a result of a void of love.

But why or how can two parents leave their child abandoned into the hands of strangers?

Usually – for reasons that are caused by evil which lead the parents to suffering – I believe one reason people still cause other people suffering is because they themselves don’t feel loved –they feel unloved and wounded.

If two parents are full of love for their child – will they not lay down their life for that child?

Yet – in order to do so – in order to be full of love – parents must know how loved they are – they must know of the Father’s unfailing love – so that this love may overflow onto their children and those around them. It’s not easy – it’s not simple – but when people know how loved they are – they are willing to lay down their lives for anyone.

Jesus was only able to die on the cross because He knew what great love the Father bestowed upon him. We have evidence Jesus knew of this great love when he cried out, “My God – why have You forsaken me?” In order to have felt forsaken – it means Jesus must have felt the unfailing love of His Father.

And we have seen what a love like this can do – this kind of love can compel one person to radically change the world – to lay down his life for the entire world.

May we all know what great love the Father bestows upon us and may this love overflow from us onto the whole world. May we know we will never be left or forsaken by Our Father in Heaven.