A Nap on the Parking Lot?

One week ago we decided to count the number of steel parts (pillars, perlins, trusses, etc...) we have here in Burundi.   The idea was to determine how many tabernacles  we could erect this year.  All went well for the first  hour or so.  As we were nearing the end of the counting process a 50 lb. pillar slipped and smashed the middle finger on my right hand inside the container where they are stored.   OUCH!!!! 

I screamed and promptly made for the exit to find something cold for the throbbing finger.  Cold is not an  easy concept in Burundi .  The sun was scorching over head.  The humidity was nearly smothering.    As I tried to soak my finger in the lukewarm water flowing from the tap the pain and the heat won the day.  I collapsed right on there on the church parking lot. 

As I was lying on the stony parking lot, two ladies from the church who were inside for a woman's prayer meeting happened to walk outside. The first turned to the second and said in Kirundi: "Oh Look Steve has decided to sleep on the parking lot."  The second realizing the absurdity of this statement in the 100 degree plus heat and intense sun overhead remarked: "He's not sleeping on the parking lot silly- he's become infected by sun malaria and is gravely ill"  In a semi-conscience state I started chuckling as I thought: "what in the world is sun malaria?"  

Both ladies continued sharing their uncanny insight as they approached me in my fallen state and said: "Steve it's not good to lie on the parking lot when it's so hot! You should move."  With that they turned around and went back inside.  I am convinced that they were genuinely trying to be helpful.  

While I sincerely appreciated their concern for my position on the baking parking lot- it seems to me that there was a  certain something missing to say the least.  What they said was true- Burundian parking lots are terrible places to take a siesta!   But it would seem that a helping hand would have been much appreciated.  As I thought about the incident later- I had to ask the question: How many times have I been guilty of telling others the truth without being willing to help them get up! What about you? God help us to be speakers of truth AND demonstrators of His  love!