"Such Unexpected Relief!" - Cathie

Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless

One day, nine years ago, three widows arrived. Beside them were 12 children. The oldest child was 12, but looked nine years old. All 15 of them were malnourished. They had been released from the ship on which they were sailing two days before. "That's Italy. Row ashore." they were told.

Of course, Istanbul wasn't Italy! So, they were lost, without comfort and without hope. The three husbands were killed in the deadly, never-ending war of the Horn of Africa.


On Sunday, at church David asked for prayer, "for three needy families". We didn't give details, but they were in a cold, miserable flat, no beds, no food, no money, no curtains for the windows. People prayed for folk they had never met; about whom they knew nothing. Only the need for "needy families".

The next day, Monday, I was giving out clothing., Along came the 15 Somali people I'd met on Friday. I had nothing to give them, except a smile, and "come back later." At that moment a truck drove up. Out came one bed. Then another. And another. 15 beds were piled up as many people watched with jealous eyes. Who had sent these? How did they arrive at exactly the right moment?

Then came the mattresses. 14 of them. 15 beds and 143 mattresses. I made a decision. All of the items would go to the 15 people, three mothers and 12 children. They could sell some of them, since their tiny flat didn't have space for all of those beds on the cold cement floor. I never saw those families again, but I believe the Lord kept looking after those three widows and their tiny, malnourished children.

Psalm 82:3 and 4 says, "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

Thank God for the group that cleared out their "training center" that day, that had heard I needed beds for fatherless people. I found out later how the beds and mattresses came. God's timing was just right.