Rice Grains

Tonight I have no pictures. Just a precious moment to write about. After doing a visa run to Cambodia today, I arrived home at 8:30, tired, hungry and ready to relax. Then I remembered that I had talked to my elderly neighbor lady about going with her on Sunday to visit her husband, who has been in the hospital over 20 days. These dear people have been in many ways like grandparents to me. They have often invited me to stop by and have started serving me drinks from their little store free of charge.

So, back in my apartment, I looked out my window to see if the little table in front of the store was still filled with people. Yes, there were quite a few people there. So I tracked back down the 5 pairs of stairs from my fifth floor apartment and walked across the street.

I recognized some of the people but not all of them, but they warmly welcomed me in. No sooner had I sat down than my "grandma" motioned me to the back of the store, where there was a makeshift bed with her husband curled up and groaning. He had come home!

She leaned over her husband to tell him I had come to visit, and soon more family members were called back to the bed to turn "grandpa" on his back so he could see me. He grabbed my hand and clung to it, feebly attempting to talk, a smile on his face. I didn't understand a word of it, except for the word "ICU".

His feet were swollen, his stomach was bloated, his eyes were closed, and I couldn't help but wonder if they had brought him home to spend his final days there. I felt compelled to ask if I could pray to Jesus for him, and he smiled and began talking again. As he talked, I began to wonder if he was already a Christian, so I asked his grandson standing nearby. Sure enough, his grandson said yes, his grandparents are Christian, though the rest of the family are Buddhist.

Wow, what joy! What relief! I had found myself desperately wanting to share the Good News with him but not knowing exactly how to approach it because of the language barrier. But God already had that under control. Anyway, the rest of the family moved out to the front in order to (I am guessing) give me privacy in praying for this dear man. I told him I would pray in English; I am a stumbling sort of pray-er even in English, so I thought attempting to pray in Thai would be over the top.:)

And I could feel this man relaxing! He couldn't have understood much of what I said, but I believe the Holy Spirit filled in the gaps. Wow, what an experience! I don't have the words to explain it, but I was deeply moved. I came home and sobbed tears of--joy?--relief?--empathy? Or maybe simply being female is enough.:)

I am hoping to return tomorrow afternoon for a visit; I am praying that this time of interaction might be one means of sharing the light and love of Jesus with others in this sweet, gentle family.