Christmas Contradiction

Saturday found me merrily decorating our home here in Rwanda for Christmas. Julie located a few boxes of Decorations, left by former missionaries here. Though our tree is only two feet tall, it bears our favorite family ornaments, and it greets us with its happy, colorful lights each time we walk into the family room.

Little Suzanne, the cutie who lived with us for a week about one month ago, came to spend the day with us. Ruthie taught her how to make Christmas cookies. I've never seen so much flour on a child in my life! she even had a Bunch of it on her rearend, though I don't know how or why!

Meanwhile, Tim was working in the hospital. Emergencies kept coming in, one after the other.

After a while, I brought some food and tea to the OR staff, as it was afternoon and they hadn't been able to break for lunch. Some hadn't had breakfast. When I went to drop off the food, I saw a thin, shriveled woman about my age, being treated for severe burns all over her left arm and left torso. All her skin in these areas was gone, and tears were silently streaming down her face as she tried to endure the treatment.

I wiped her tears and held her head in my arms, feeling so much sorrow for her and for all who suffer so much here. I held her hand and let her squeeze mine tightly while the nurses continued to work, just as my mon used to do for me when I had to undergo some sort of treatment at the pediatrician's office. Towards the end, I almost reached for her bloodied, bandaged, burned arm to hold it upright for her, as she was tiring of holding it. The nurse quickly told me, "Be careful! HIV!" boy, did i feel stupid! This is why non-medical folks need to stick to delivering food and not to being near patients when being treated. This poor woman. Not only is she aged far beyond her years, not only is she far too thin, desperately poor and terribly burned, but she also is HIV positive. How different our lives are. We are both in our 40s, we are both mothers, but our similarities end there. She has almost no options in her life, I have too many. She must suffer each day, many of my days are lived in ease and comfort. We have the same God, but He, somehow, in His wisdom which I cannot begin to understand, but can only trust is good and right, gave us very different lives.

What a contrast to my Bing Crosby morning, decorating my cozy home on the mission compound!

I'm so glad I left the house to bring that food. I will always remember, I hope, this precious woman's face. Lord, please give her a Merry Christmas. Please help me to help that happen.