Article August 18, 2003 ISSUE

Love was the physician

In a remote area of Africa, God's help was immediate—"a very present help in trouble."

By Rebecca Odegaard

It Was Just About A Year Ago. I was crouched down in the middle of a plain in Tanzania asking God to help me. I was in trouble. For a couple of days I'd been increasingly unwell, and on a morning drive with our safari guide, it became obvious to him that I was not doing well. After asking a few questions about my condition, he named a kind of dehydration he was sure I was experiencing. He then mixed up a two-liter bottle of a green concoction and told me to drink it within an hour.

I thanked him for his kindness, but I put the bottle in the seat pocket of the jeep. I then took a little walk so I could be alone to get the help I needed through prayer. And although it sure looked like I needed physical relief, what I really longed for was the deep, restorative assurance of God's presence with me. I've always found that when I really open up to feeling God's closeness and presence, a feeling of calm comes that restores health.