Rita's prayer and plea

Tungshang Ningreichon *

With death gripping the cities one can get desperate foraging for hope and stories which promise that 'this too shall pass.'

Rita Shimprui, a mother of a five-year-old daughter, works in a Delhi hospital as a Lab technician. Her prayer to God has been to use her to serve others while she has the strength to be a channel of blessing.

This is not unheard of, but rare, especially during a time when COVID-19 is devouring lives and bringing great human tragedies. People queue up to cremate and bury the dead.

People can only mourn the dead from within the wall of their homes and attend online condolence service. And those who die in the hospital die alone, in loneliness and isolation.

Rita and others have been praying for a family of five who was Covid positive. She was informed that the mother's oxygen level was dropping and her condition was worsening. Rita contacted some people and together they managed to get oxygen relief.

In the midst of it, she said, God nudged her to enter the house. So, she called the mother's sister and brother who were equally distressed. Armed with prayer and clad in their PPEs they entered the house.

Rita broke down on seeing the condition of the family members who were now in an 'active' phase of infection. The house was in a complete mess. Clothes were lying all over and unwashed dishes in the sink.

Fruits, vegetables, and food people sent were lying rotten on the table because they just did not have the strength or the appetite to open them. They could not even use the packed food.

Rita and the two siblings immediately got to work. They cleaned the house, bathed, and fed the family. Together they prayed before they left the house.

Recounting the experience in tears, Rita said it was not easy to work and serve with the PPEs. But we did it with 'joy' she expressed and believed that 'God gave them extraordinary strength.'

'The experience' she said 'tells us that prayer is vital and community support is important but we need to know the reality too.'

"People are dying," she said and implores upon the young and energetic people to step out of their comfort zone in faith and help those in need.

"Believers are asked to be courageous and not to fear" Rita urged.

Her pastor, Khaning, who was also tested Covid positive along with his wife said 'today if you are sitting at home then it is truly by the grace of God, and if you are able to work from home then it is a special favour at this point of time' and impressed 'We fight on our knees against the fears and the virus.'