i’ve just returned from uganda.
i got a bug bite that needed to be drained and was put on an antibiotic during the process so infection would not set in. after seven days into the medication – fever, nausea, shakes, chills, and rash took over me.
a medical team at the hospital, including a tropical disease doctor, worked around the clock to gather blood work, monitor my heart, check my vital signs, and give me plenty of fluids.
i would press a button and a nurse would come to bring a cold cloth or refresh my cup of water. the technician ran a clean ship with her slip covers on everything that touched me. no germs. no way. as a i looked to my right out of the hospital window, i waited for the sun to set or the fog to take over.
tests were being run to see if i had malaria, a parasite, dengue fever. with only the beeping sounds of medical machines and the heavy breathing of my roommate, i laid in silence.
the tears left my eyes, making a trail to my ears. i was thinking of only one thing. saddam…
…saddam. waiting in his very best for us.
his mom greeted us at the door and ushered us to the only seat in the one roomed home…
i asked saddam’s mom,
“your smile is beautiful. what gives you that smile?”
“the grace of God. He is good to me.”
and now i’ve seen two worlds.
the one from which i came with a target store to buy the gifts. fast food chains to satisfy hunger. coffee shops to indulge caffeine habits.
clothing stores reminding me i’m one season behind on the latest trend.
and the one in which i stand with the cares of the world being food for the day.
yet it’s the same grace that flows from the same God to all of us.
Read the entire post on the Shauna Pilgreen blog.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shauna Pilgreen and her husband, Ben live in San Fransisco with their three sons. They sponsor Sadaam in Uganda and you can read more from Shauna at Shauna Pilgreen.