AP

Surprised by God’s Kindness

In the pitch dark of a strange house, I carried my towel, clothes and toiletries to the bathroom. My arms were full, and I was completely unaware of the danger I was clutching to my chest. That morning, I was about to experience that the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love (Psalm 147:11).

Long before that morning, Psalm 1 challenged me: those who delight in God’s Word and live by it, find lasting success. Thus, I made it a priority to give God my best and first time of each day. Morning by morning I opened my Bible to listen to and speak with him. These times recalibrated my soul, helping me face burdens and temptations, and deal with my poor attitudes before I interacted with others. This daily rhythm became like fresh bread and living water to keep me on track.

At the time, our family lived in U.M., a desert town in Balochistan. Life was tough, but we felt God had called us there to share the gospel and give medical help. One weekend my husband, Ian, and I travelled to a distant mission hospital for meetings. I relished the break: green grass, flowers, solid walls, ceiling fans, and proper windows, a reprieve from living in this harsh environment amongst impoverished people.

Before bed, I opened my suitcase and arranged the next day’s clothes in a neat pile at the top. Leaving the suitcase open on the floor, I positioned it so we wouldn’t trip in the dark.

Early the next morning, we quietly slipped out of bed, picked up our things and slipped through the dark corridors to the bathroom. We would shower before others and then have a devotional time, as the verse says, In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly (Psalm 5:3).

Inside, I switched on the light, delighted with the contrasts from back home: electricity that worked, no frogs, shiny tiles, no peak holes from ill-fitting doors, and good water. After drying myself, I started putting on my clothes. As I reached for the trousers, I heard a quiet voice: “Shake out your shalwars.” Without thinking, I held up the baggy pants and shook them. To my horror, a thin, wiggly thing, like a long brown pencil, tumbled to the floor. I gasped and jumped back. Ian grabbed a sandal and struck it repeatedly on the head.

Was this a death adder? Even though dead, the snake kept writhing. As our racing hearts slowed, we thought, “How bizarre: I had hugged those clothes just minutes before, with no clue of the death trap curled inside. How did it get in my suitcase? When did it come in? Did it travel with us from U.M.? What was it doing in our room at night? I’d never heard a voice before telling me to shake out my clothes—and I just acted automatically. Who warned me?”

In my quiet time that morning, I opened my Bible and poured out my thanks to God. From Psalm 18: I love you, O Lord my strength. The Lord rescued me because he delighted in me. To the faithful you show yourself faithful… but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. The Lord shields all who take refuge in him. It is God who keeps my way secure. The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Saviour!

Later at breakfast, we showed the others. “Can anyone identify this?”

A local man looked carefully. “This is a viper. Patients come to the hospital with bites. Untreated, the bite kills quickly.” He added, “We have a common proverb: someone who is unfaithful and betrays your confidence is ‘a viper in the sleeve’”.

That morning, I looked up, imagining my Heavenly Father smiling as he watched my delight in his rescue. I like to think the God of the universe enjoys my spending time with him. He is utterly faithful and wants me to be faithful too.

Sometimes now, when I get dressed, I recall this incident and rejoice that I serve a righteous God who asks me to give him my all. He can be trusted with snakes, suffering, and even death. My job is to know him, trust and obey.

And so, in my busy life, where I get distracted so easily, may I continue to prioritize quality time with him. May my prayers rise like incense and give him joy, as he gives me joy. After all, love is a four-letter word, spelled T – I – M – E.

– Dorcas Denness