It's hard to express in words the past two weeks--overwelming, lonely, wonderful, exciting, rich...unforgetable. More and more I am realizing what a privilage it is to be here, what a privilage it is to serve those who have become invisible in society. One of the translators on the ward made an interesting comment he said, "I saw the pictures of the type of surguries that Mercy Ships does and I thought 'we don't have anybody with conditions like that, Mercy Ships won't be able to do those surguries here in Ghana'. " He said, "I never realized people here in Ghana had such deformities." Yes, the conditions that come through our doors are appalling--large facial tumors, severe cleft lips/palates, debilitating burns and contractures. Many of the patients we see have spent years isolated from society because of their physical conditions. I can't help but think that these physical deformities are a reflection of the human soul. So much of humanity is crippled emotionally and spiritually by the effects of sin,we live with heartache, disappointment, hopelessness,lonliness ...we are a broken people. While I cannot fully understand the stigma and social alienation many of my patients have experienced; I do feel I can relate to the poverty of their spiritual condition. I too struggle...to maintain hope, to trust, to walk away from temptation,to make sense of life's disappointments.
Today I had the joy of sitting and reading aloud to one of the beautiful ladies on our ward, Selena. She suffered from an accident in which she was hit by a car while walking on the side of the road, both legs were broken. She spent 2.5 years living at the public hospital during which time she underwent several operations in an attempt to save her legs. Finally, the medical professionals told her her legs were "spoiled" and that they would have to amputate. She refused the aputation believing God would heal her. She ended up at Mercy Ships where we did have to amputate her left leg. She has not seen her children for years because she has been unable to care for them. We sat reading a book by Loren Cunningham about surrendering to God. Every so often she would stop me and we would discuss what we had just read.
"What does he mean when he says 'lay down our rights'?" she would softly interupt. And we would talk about what it means to give up our family up to God, our wills, our hearts, our hurts. "What does it mean put on the alter?", she asked.
"The Things we give up to God as a sacrifice, an expression of our love", I replied.
"Oh an offering", she said, the light of understanding evident in her eyes.
"Yeah an offering." I said
It was precious. I sat on the narrow iron bed next to her own and we shared our thoughts and experiences as sisters. She is a beautiful sister in Christ and I am inspired by her longing to know God more.
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