Your Hands, Her Hand, My Hands

I didn't get to tell this story before. But it's one that's stuck with me and is such a vivid picture of the human condition amidst God's invitation.

When I met with the missionary couple, Gary and Bev, from Canada in Phnom Penh, I asked Bev how it was like dealing with poverty in the provinces. She said that she went to the villages in the provinces once on a medical mission. With the state of the education system in Cambodia, the dilapitating local education has produced a dilapitating healthcare infrarstructure. And in a country with an Aids/HIV crisis on its hands, there is such need especially in places where there is so little education on basic sanitation and medical treatment. So while Bev is not a doctor nor trained in health sciences, her little knowledge beats none at all in some villages. 

Once, the team arrived in a village where they met a middle-aged lady with a huge sore on her hand which had become infected. She had HIV and needed to have her would taken care of. I think Bev said she gave her anti-biotics (or something to stop infection) and painkillers and told her to come back the next day for another check-up. She didn't show up. Bev was disapointed. The day after, she came back and her hand was worse. The sore had become much larger and one of her veins was discoloured. This meant she had blood poisoning. The lady had refused to believe Bev. She was stuck in her old traditions. She took the painkillers but not the anti-biotics. Instead, according to folklore, she pain money to have cow urine poured on her hand in hopes of having it cured. It didn't. Bev and Gary paid for a tuk tuk to rush her to Phnom Penh for treatment. The small sore could be taken care of, but now, she had to have her arm amputated. When Bev finished telling the story, I could tell this affected her quite a lot. Her last sentence rang in the silence. 

Cambodia needs more than just medical aid. It runs so much deeper than that. It needs more than just education. Deeper than even a new government administration. It needs changed lives. Changed souls. 

The world needs more than just aid. It runs so much deeper than that. More than just thinking positive or being democratic. So often, we, whether in Cambodia with no education or North America with the best institutions, are offered help, hope and life. But we think we know better. And even if we have a small inkling that what is offered might actually be true, we are too stuck in our ways and too prideful to give it a go. Instead, we let our lives spin out of control until we hit a road block. Jesus holds His hand out for us. We think this is crazy. Modern citizens of this world don't believe in a God - let alone a God who came down to earth years ago and died on a cross. And now you tell me He died and resurrected for my sins?!? Only children believe fairy tales like these. So we pile more dirt, more mess and more clutter on our lives until we cannot take it. Even then, some of us will refuse to stop. And for some of us, we think it is too late. Science might not be able to save that lady's arm but God is always in the business of saving. God is always in the business of meeting needs - physical, spiritual, mental..  We just need to put our pride aside and realize we cannot save ourselves.

Lord, continue to teach me and challenge me to face injustice and love this people and culture. Show me what it means to love deeply. Not just the kids I teach but their parents, this people, this nation, the unreached, the impoverished, the man with no legs who scours the beach for change, the old man who begs at the local market, the lady who sells vegetables, the children who peddle bracelets... Oh Lord, in me there is no love for these people. I am so tempted to live here not get my hands dirty with the troubles of this country. Teach me, Lord, in humility to stick my hands in the mud not because my hands are clean or my hands are strong but because Your hands are clean and Your hands are strong and the people need to see Your hands. The people need You. I need You.