The Things We Take for Granted

When we go to Guatemala in the summers, part of our mission is to build houses for widows and their children. One of the hardest parts of the trip is the see how the family was living before. The pictures below are two examples of "beds" where the widows had been sleeping.





Inside the house we build a bunk bed out of raw wood and top it off with a small mattress. This past year, some of our folks got to go back and visit a widow we had built a house for earlier in the week. The widow was SO excited to see them and thanked them endlessly. But, one thing she said really struck us. She said, "I LOVE my new bed. It makes my bones not hurt."

I get a knot in my throat just thinking about it, because you have to understand...when we say "new bed", we're not talking about a queen pillow top mattress or even a memory foam topper. It's the kind of mattress that middle class Americans might let our dogs sleep on, but never our children and certainly not ourselves (see below).



I didn't fully understand the significance of her statement until the past couple of months. If you've ever been pregnant, you know that sleeping can be a challenge as you near the end. For the past couple of months, I would wake up everytime I turned over. For one thing, I had to rearrange the four pillows I had all around me. For another thing, my hips and ribs were KILLING me. Sometimes they would hurt all day, sometimes just for the first couple of hours in the day.

Now, you should know that I not only have the four pillows to make me comfortable, but I am also sleeping on a great mattress PLUS a memory foam topper, and I STILL hurt! After a few weeks of this, I couldn't imagine it getting any worse or lasting for the next few months. So, Andy and I prayed that God would relieve this pain and help me sleep. And, I tell you, He did!! Now, when I get up for one of my many trips to the potty during the night, I thank God that I don't feel the pain. Last night, when I thanked God, He reminded me of these women and children who were sleeping on MUCH less than me and hurting all day everyday. Boy, was I humbled. Pray for them as you crawl in bed tonight. And, if you feel so led, you can help them here.