Only one thing is needed...

The drama that has unfolded in the past few days has simplified my life beautifully. Much of it happened last night.

I had just finished teaching, and was at D’s. For the past few days, she has been sick, so I have popped by to visit every few hours. Suddenly, F called.

“Sister, do you still have the car? Dr M says my sister must go to the hospital now.”

Fs’ sister has had a wound on her leg for a long time. It has got so bad that she can’t walk. Since F shared the news with us, we have been praying together for her healing. For reasons we couldn’t understand, she didn’t want to get medical help. Finally, she agreed to be seen by a doctor friend of ours, Dr M.

“No, I returned the car yesterday. But let me try to find a vehicle.”

I rushed out to look for our neighbour, who drives a taxi, and we went to F’s house in a hurry.

A crowd had gathered in the house. I could hear crying from a room. Dr M was hurriedly writing a report for the hospital.

“What’s wrong with her?”, I asked.

“Her blood glucose level is too high. She must go to the hospital immediately. Do you have a car?”

“No, but I got a taxi.”

“Ok, in that case, I’ll go with her and explain her condition to the doctor. This is taking too long to write out”, she said exasperatedly, waving the handwritten report she was working on.

We talked a little more about her condition. Then I saw M, one of our students, and F’s niece. I put my arm around her, and she burst into tears. I hugged her and made her sit next to me, comforting her. She was very scared – her father died a few years ago, and now, her mother appeared so sick. I held her close to me.

Then, a few people carried F’s sister out of the room. She groaned and cried. The next few minutes were chaotic. I wasn’t sure if we could fit her in the taxi, she was really quite big-sized, and the taxi driver was panicking too. He suggested calling an ambulance, but Dr M said that would take too long. Finally, they squeezed her in and drove off. F got ready to follow on a motorbike, with another niece. I put my hand on his shoulder and told him to ride safely, and be calm. He nodded. They set off, and I shouted, “Turn on your lights!”

Then I walked back to D’s and filled her in on what happened. We prayed together. I went home to eat dinner and shower, then went to D’s again, where I spent the night to look after her. I left the next morning to go to the library.

With LS away on leave, and D sick, I briefed our local teacher N on what to teach this morning. She studied the lesson plan I printed out for her, then I left quickly to photocopy her worksheets and gather the materials for her. By the time I returned, she had started the class. Elsewhere in the library, the boys were using the computer, with A supervising them. I settled down to do my work, checking on N every now and then, and finding her in complete control.

When the kids left, I gathered N & A and updated them on what happened the night before. We prayed together for F & D, then locked up for the morning and went for lunch.

After lunch, I prepared porridge for D and brought it to her place. While resting there, I realized that I wasn’t tired, but felt strangely rested. Life had become incredibly simple in spite of, and perhaps, precisely because of the turmoil of the past few days.

When I was at the library, my focus was to strongly support and encourage my local teachers to run with the tasks they were assigned. When I was at D’s, I cared for her needs as best as I could. That was the one thing that was needed then. And in the few moments I was at home alone, I would rest and worship in the dark, and then go over to D’s when I felt re-energised by God to serve her. At every place, only one thing was needed. It was as if the clutter of my usual hectic life had been stripped away by the various emergencies of the week, and replaced by a singular focus that was beautiful in its simplicity.

I have been reminded of the story of Mary and Martha, and how the former chose the one thing that was needed. I think I understand that story a little better now, after the seeming chaos of the past few days. Unexpected events have a way of clarifying our vision and reframing our priorities, if we give God room to direct us. By not focusing on needs per se, which often drive us to frantic action, but on His heart for people, things can become incredibly simple. During emergencies, we often can’t do very much at all, but in His grace, He shows us just one or two things we can do with love. And when we do those things, there really is peace that transcends understanding and rest that you wouldn’t associate normally with sleeping on the floor on a mat for two out of three consecutive days...