Fresh perspective...

We had the surgical outreach here at Zithulele this past February. We did over fifty cataract surgeries in a week, and the patients who were scheduled had to stay two nights in the community centre. We provided mattresses to ensure that the patients and their caregivers were comfortable for the duration of their stay. The mattresses are the focus of this snippet from Zithulele.

Mohau (our optometrist), Candace and I went to Ngcwanguba Store, the local general dealer some twenty kilometres away, to collect the mattresses several days before the surgeries began. We managed to fit 23 mattresses in and on top of the Land Rover.

Upon arrival at the hospital, however, we discovered that we'd lost seven of the mattresses. We'd secured them on top but they must have worked loose on the curvy roads of the rural Eastern Cape. Mohau and I clambered back into the Land Rover and retraced our steps. But there was no sign of our mattresses. We were utterly gutted. What would our patients and caregivers do?

However, let's shift the perspective. Imagine that for the past few years you've been having to sleep on a hard concrete floor. You've never owned your own mattress. You've been praying for a miracle - perhaps even a new mattress. Suddenly, you see a brand-new mattress lying by the side of the road in front of your hut. You're overjoyed! God has come through for you!

We had more than enough mattresses for our patients and caregivers, so it all worked out in the end. And perhaps someone is being blessed by a new mattress today. My point is that it certainly helps to view an issue from a fresh perspective!