Digging Ditches

Doctor Helen Roseveare, affectionately called Mama Luka, pioneered vital medical work in the Rain forests of the Belgian Congo - now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Throughout her eight years in training for the mission field and her first twelve years in Congo Helen Roseveare had prayed that God would give her a mountain top experience of his glory and power. However, after enduring civil war and having to start from the beginning again, and later when caring for her elderly mother, she realised that God's work is done in the valleys. He gives us the valleys and we are to dig the ditches (2 Kings 3: 16), trusting that they will be filled with life-giving water at the appropriate time. This is an inspiring story because it shows those times when God's blessings seem withdrawn - they are subsequently shown to have been there all the time. If you have ever experienced times when God's call on your life seems remote, or you are encountering trials and problems, you will find refreshment from Helen's pen. She shows how 'trusting in the Lord' can be a gritty, rewarding drama rather than a wispy platitude.