Tears Away

Once I read somewhere that when someone hurts you, then God will send someone else to wipe your tears away. I have experienced this phenomenon of God's love and tenderness today in an amazingly simple and elegant way.
I went this morning to Musoma to do some shopping as we were running out of commodities in the house, to see what's cooking there in the diocesan curia and also to check if there is any mail for me after more than two weeks of my absence due to the seminar and retreat in Kenya.

I still feel sore and vulnerable after such a long spell of malaria, still feeling overdosed and chemically induced in some semi-conscious state of oblivion as I come back to reality and to normal mode of functioning. I felt I needed these few hours off in Musoma, sitting in my favorite place and taking it easy. The liver and stomach pain has ben unbearable for so many days, coming and going in waves, that I welcomed this first day off after the hectic time in Kenya and long fight with malaria.

When I went to the back of the post office in Musoma to ask if there is anything new for me, one of the post office employees in the parcel department told me that there is a parcel for me. I cannot deny I got excited as I did not expect any parcels as simply no one told to be on watch for new arrivals. I was curious who that person might be that send me this parcel. When I was shown the parcel, my first quick look was at the sender's ID on the parcel. I was taken by total surprise! I could never expect that person to send me a surprise parcel. The feeling was as if I was told I won unexpectedly a big payout in national lottery! This initial feeling of surprise turned into joy and happiness and gratitude for that person who remembered me and out of nowhere, out of the blue without warning sent me a beautiful gift with ( as I discovered after opening the package at home) a personal hand-written note that filled my heart with warmth.

This is a person I keep deep in my heart for more than a year, in concerned prayer - first when she was pregnant and going through difficult times, then after keeping her in safe hands of God. I am so happy to look at the picture she included with the letter, seeing her holding in her arms in happiness her one year old boy. How can I not thank God for the miracle of life and maternity and continue to keep her by the power of prayer and best wishes in safe zone of God's love and mercy? This is not an obligation, it is a noble privilege!

I called her immediately upon returning home and shared the news, telling her that most probably she has already counted me among ungrateful S.O.B.'s who are dumb enough to fail to say 'thank you' receiving a wonderful gift like this. How so? Imagine, she sent this parcel on January 5 this year and the parcel arrived today, after six months! She was very happy to learn that the surprise parcel finally arrived as she thought it was gone since I didn't acknowledge the receipt of it for so long. Happiness and smiles on both sides of the line...

There was another reason for our amazement and happiness. Today is the very first birthday of her son. I offered morning Mass for her and her son remembering very well the occasion as I like to keep important dates and anniversaries in my mind. Then the parcel from her arrived just today, on this very special day...

I still shake my head in disbelief how God likes to use coincidences, simple things, as these today, to make people happy and erase bad memories and wipe tears of pain and suffering away...