Something great happened today.
Here at Basra the climate is very hard. It goes from 45 to 55 deg. Cen. It is like you are near a furnace. I had worked in such environment before, but now I guess I am becoming old. Two days before I was about to faint but luckily I managed to reach back to the car and traveled back to the office.
Today morning I had to go to site to check some areas for designing purpose. I was planning to visit 23 locations in an area. So I planned to go early morning. As some of my colleagues are staying outside I can move only after they reach the office. Today when they were almost near the office, one found out that he has forgotten his ID so he traveled back to collect the ID and when he reached back it was 9 am. By the time the sun was at its pride and it was around 40C. I was confused whether to go to site or not. But if I don’t go today I had to go tomorrow. So I decided to go to site.
The car can go only up to the gate of the plant. From the gate to the control room it is almost a kilometer. While I was walking to the control room I felt I will not be able to do the checking, because it was very hot and the hot wind was too hard. Tears were dropping from my eyes due to the hot wind. Then I thought I will pray and do whatever I can. So on my way to the control room I prayed to the lord to guard me from the heat and to give me strength to do my job.
After visiting the control room I started my job. I took measurements from one location which took around 15 minutes and walked to the next location, there when I leaned to a nearby vessel to take some notes I felt the heat from the steel. It was very hot. Then I realized that I was not feeling the atmospheric temperature. Believe me; a cool wind was whirling around me. I did not felt any heat nor did I sweat. Normally people do not stay under the sun for more than 45 min. it is the company policy too. You need to take a break every half hour and drink too much water. But I stayed for 2 and a half hour and did my job in good comfort. At around 12 noon I walked back to the car which was again a kilometer far. As I reached the car I decided to stay outside for some more time just to enjoy that coolness. But the cool wind was gone and I started to feel the hot sun. So I rushed in to the car and traveled back to the office.
I believe, it is God’s unfailing love that covered me like a garment. ‘When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you’. (Isaiah 43:2). I literally experienced it and I praise GOD for being with me all the time of my hardship. Thank you Lord.
Reji Jacob 