This must be Toronto

The digital clock says 3:30, AM that is. I’m stretched out full length. This must be Toronto and it’s Thursday.

The last time I got out of bed was Tuesday at 6:00 AM in Phnom Penh. Travel had begun. We flew from Cambodia to Hong Kong and waited about twelve hours. Surely the designer of the seats of our Boeing 777-300 which took us home to Canada was a student of Little Ease – that place in the Tower of London. “The walls of the cell … were so low, and so contrived, that the wretched inmate could neither stand, walk, sit, nor lie at full length within them.” In spite of all that, we did arrive safe and sound at 5:45 AM on Wednesday.

As for the mathematics of the time, I don't want to take you there. Eleven hours difference by way of Greenwich, thirteen by way of the International Date Line, or is it the other way around. The best heuristic, or rule-of-thumb -- for those who don’t want Greek, is, when you are awake they are asleep; when you are asleep they are awake. Go figure.

But parts of me are elsewhere. Some of my heart is in Phnom Penh - some pieces at Daughters Cambodia, some in Svay Pak. Will they ever find their way home? Would I be better off if they did?

Right now I want to pray.

I want to pray for Pastor Chantha and Ratanak, two care-givers and watchmen for folk in Svay Pak. I ask my Heavenly Father to watch over them, to send angels to help them -- “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14), to help them in their struggle on behalf of the children of Svay Pak, to send His army to their aid – “’Don't be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘ Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, ‘Strike these people with blindness.’ So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.” (2 Kings 6:16-18) I want to pray blindness for their enemies. (What would you pray for?)

I want to pray for the children. I pray that God would quarry out some mill-stones, big ones, and find a sea somewhere. I believe that this is what Jesus has in mind for those who cart little children off to the brothels to be raped and brutalized. (Mark 9, Luke 17:1-2)

So that’s what I prayed. I trust my Heavenly Father to do the right thing. Who else can I trust?

Do I feel better for having said this? Not really. It only makes me want to weep.

But the sun will be coming up soon and I need more sleep if I’m to get anything more done today.