I'd like to share with you a story from a medic colleague of mine who is based in Chiang Mai. She writes;

"Last Wednesday I spent the whole day at Suan Dok hospital. The place is a mad house. There is no parking, but it seemed like there were thousands of people there. I went with Chet Win, who has a bad heart and needed a cath procedure to determine if he could have surgery or not. We had to wait in line for the elevator - a line of about 200 waiting people - there were even special police managing the chaos. I was hot, sweaty and late for the appointment. I turned and saw a man of about 80 years old with a trach tube coming out of his throat, so I figured i didn't have too much to complain about. When we got to the lab, we had another 3 hour wait. Finally the procedure was done and Chet Win came to tell me the news. He had the saddest look on his face, big tears in his eyes and choked up he said, "There is nothing they can do. My heart is too bad to have surgery." This means that according to doctors he may only live until the age of 30. He got married just one month ago. My heart broke and I had to choke back my own tears.

We then proceded to the recovery room where although Chet Win recieved skilful nursing care, the attitude towards him as a Karen man was sickening. I eventually took one of the medical staff aside and spoke to her. Itold her that I could not believe that they were treating him in this way and that as he only had a couple of years left to live the least they could do was to treat him with a little respect. As a result of this, our last few hours in the hospital were made even more difficult and I am sure we ended up paying a bigger bill than we should have because of it.

I walked to get my car to pick up Chet Win from the main door.  When I sat inside I just cried. I began to get angry at God as well. Then an image of Jesus came to me. The one of Him on the cross looking at the people and saying, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." I fought those words and in a toddler-like tantrum I told God it wasn't true, because these people DO KNOW what they are doing! And where was He in the midst of this? How could He let injustice and oppression and cruelty keep happening to these people? After my anger and sobs subsided, I composed myself, wiped my eyes dry and put a little smile on my face. And then there was a miracle...

...When I reached the entrance and saw Chet Win, he was beaming! He was so happy and full of life and joy - and he had peace in his eyes. He's a buddhist, but he was praising God and thanking Him for being with him. He told me that if we hadn't been there, and if God hadn't helped him then he would be dead already. Just looking at the peace in his face made me realise that the turmoil and heartache of the day was worth it - and if we had to walk through darker places than that it would be worth it just to see that look of peace and joy on someones face. God had been there all along.

And then I remembered Jesus again. His darkest hour was the days leading up to the cross. They mocked Him, beat him, tore at him with their hands and their words. They condemned an innocent man and killed Him on a cross. it was His darkest hour and most sorrowful time, but then....the stone was rolled away and Jesus is alive!

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for jesus' sake, so that His life maybe revealed in or mortal body." 2 Corinthians 4:8-11