Painted Vessels

by Gina Renee Freitag

“Mr. Gardner, let’s get right to it,” he said. “I’m willing to bet you know a child with a facial disfigurement.”

  “Please call me Eli—and yes, I do. Our friends had a little boy four months ago. Do you think something can be done for him, or is he too young?”

  “It’s actually easier on the child if the initial surgery is performed within the first year,” the doctor explained. “It becomes increasingly more difficult as the child gets older. However, I’ve worked with children as old as ten, and most need second and third surgeries to help support their adult teeth as they come in. As far as what can be done in your friends’ case, I would need to assess their child myself to know what to tell you. A lot of advances have been made recently in regard to this type of surgery, but the procedure is still fairly new. Has the child been seen by a doctor yet?”

  “No,” Eli said. “Dr. Keeler, you work with families who can’t afford this surgery, correct?”

  Nathan nodded. “I started my ministry about five years ago. I mentioned in my presentation that I used to work for the hospital in Lambury, but I began to notice a shift in the attitude of the medical profession. The hospital was being run more like a business, where profit mattered more than the patient.” He shook his head. “I watched more and more families walk away from cost prohibitive surgeries that would greatly improve their children’s lives. I became a doctor to help people, not to fill my pockets. I felt as though God were calling me to these families, so I decided to work with them directly. I looked for ways to lower the cost of the surgery without jeopardizing its quality.”

  As Eli ate his soup, Nathan continued. “Even so, the cost can be as high as a year’s worth of income for many families. It takes quite a long time to save that much. Therefore, I began a fundraising program that appeals to the communities for whom the children belong, and I seek out other contributors to cover the funds that can’t be raised by the communities alone. As I said before, oftentimes the children need more than one surgery, so fundraising is an important part of my ministry.”

  “And how many surgeries do you perform in a year?” Eli asked.

  “Not as many as I would like. I help about twenty children per year.” Nathan smiled and shook his head. “I know it doesn’t sound like much, but twenty children equates to more than twenty surgeries. And if you add in all the travel time for the fundraising…well, my year fills up quickly. My wife assists me during the surgeries, but we are the only two involved in the medical side of our ministry. There are a few women who volunteer to clean our facility and cook for the families who stay there while their children recover. I would love to have another surgeon on board, but that dream will have to wait. We have a bigger priority to purchase some new equipment, and the money we raise barely covers the cost of the surgeries.” Nathan paused to take a bite.

  “Wow! Do you have any regular donors?” Eli asked.

  Nathan nodded. “Oh, sure. We have several that give yearly donations. I couldn’t do this without their contributions, and I’m grateful for them. Even with their help, though, I have a fair amount of legwork to do myself, but it’s all extremely rewarding. I’ve witnessed how tight a community bonds together when it has a common goal to work toward. I enjoy having a part in that.”

  Eli asked many more questions regarding the cost of the surgeries, the type of equipment needed, what their facility was like, and about the procedure itself. He then asked about Nathan’s goals, what he was looking for in another surgeon, and how many more children they could help. He also wanted to know how many additional surgeries could be done if less time was spent on fundraising. His questions seemed to cover a wide range of interests. Some were related to helping his friends’ child, but most were not the typical questions asked for that reason. Nathan began to suspect that Eli had a hunger for knowledge; the young man might have made a good doctor. He finally had to stop the questioning.

  “Eli,” he said. “I assume you would like me to examine this couple’s baby and help them raise the funds.”

  “That may be a problem,” Eli responded. “Jacob, the father, won’t ask for help. I’m not sure he would want you to talk to our church.”

  “Then I suggest we take this one step at a time,” Nathan suggested. He pulled a pamphlet out of his coat pocket. “Give this to your friend. It explains the benefits of the surgery as well as the lifelong complications his son will have to deal with if he doesn’t have it. Find out if he would be willing to let me examine…”

  “Angel,” Eli offered.

  “Thank you. Find out if he’ll let me examine Angel. I’m good at what I do. Even if he chooses to pay for it himself, he won’t find a less expensive way to go. Here’s my card. Where are you from?” he asked.

  “East Haven. Do you know the town?”

  “That’s close to here, isn’t it? Less than a day away, I believe.” Eli confirmed Nathan’s assumption with a nod. “Well then, after you’ve talked to your friend, write to me and let me know what he says. If he agrees, I’ll come to East Haven the first weekend I have available.”

  The men shook hands, and as Eli pocketed the pamphlet and card, Nathan said a quick prayer that Angel’s parents would allow him to help their son. He hoped to hear back soon, but from what he could gather about this spirited man, Nathan knew there was a good chance he would be traveling to East Haven before the end of October.

  JACOB

  The sun sat low in the sky as Jacob held the pamphlet in his hand and listened to Eli talk about the doctor he had met while he was away. He hadn’t seen his friend this animated for months. Eli only wanted to help, but Jacob didn’t need to read the pamphlet to know his answer. It was, and always would be, no! He was not going to accept a handout.

  “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m not going to look at this,” Jacob said. “I told you before, I can take care of it myself.” He tried to hand the pamphlet back, but Eli refused.

  “You have to at least read it,” he insisted. “Angel needs the surgery sooner rather than later. It’s going to affect his whole life, and there are complications that could show up later. I know you want to do it yourself, but look at how much you’ll have to save to do that. Jacob, your son can’t afford to wait until you have enough.”

  “You think I’m a bad father,” Jacob said.

  “No, I think you’re a great father,” Eli replied. “But we all need help sometimes. When I was sixteen, my parents died, and I lost everything. I had no home, no family, no money; I could barely feed myself. I don’t know what would have become of me if Jed and Rosa hadn’t taken me in when they did. There’s no way to put a price on that, and it’s not about the money anyway. Some help can only be accepted and then given to someone else, not paid back. I actually tried for a while. Whenever I had extra money, I tried to give it to Jed.”

  Eli shook his head and rubbed the back of his hair. “He just put it into another account for me. You see, here’s what I didn’t understand at the time: he wasn’t helping because he was expecting me to pay him back. He did it because Ada and I needed help and he could give it. He cared about us.” Eli put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Let the town care for you; let them help. And then someday when someone else is in need, you can pay the town’s kindness back by helping that person. It doesn’t matter if you do so with money, time, or service. That’s how God’s economy works. It’s only in man’s economy that things get paid back dollar for dollar. Jacob, you are too stuck in man’s ways.”

  Jacob glanced at the pamphlet. Maybe Eli was right. He didn’t want his own stubbornness to hurt his son. He should read what this Dr. Keeler had to say before making his decision, and he should discuss it with Laura. He hadn’t even considered how hard this might be for her.

  “Okay, I’ll look at the information,” he said. “I’ll give it some thought.”

  “And pray about it,” Eli encouraged. “This town isn’t perfect, but I’ve seen it work together to help others before. It’s good for us; it makes
us stronger.”

  Jacob nodded as Eli patted him on the back, and together they walked into the house for supper.

  HAROLD & ELI

  Harold now realized how accurate Jed had been; Eli was stubborn. He placed a folder of information in front of the boy, who barely looked at it. Eli quickly flipped through the papers and pushed it back across the desk.

  Harold had spent every Thursday since October teaching Eli about finances and investing. He even showed him how it worked by getting the boy’s permission to invest a small amount of his money into a low-risk venture. Harold was able to demonstrate that it could grow over time. Sure, there were ups and downs, but the trend over the last nine months was an unquestionable increase. Eli wasn’t fazed; he still held onto a feeling of disdain toward his money. How could Harold get through to him?

  “Look more closely at that information, Eli,” he urged. “I spent a lot of time putting it together. Think about everything you’ve learned and tell me which of these investments you’d like to try. I want to see if you can put into practice the things you’ve learned so far.”

  Harold tried to ignore Jed’s look that said I told you so. The boy remained silent and shrugged. Harold decided to try a different approach. “All right, look at me for a second.” The boy raised his eyes. “What is it about this money that makes you feel uncomfortable? Let’s talk about it.”

  Eli glanced at Jed and chose his words carefully. “It’s bad money, Mr. Ross. You said it was going to be used for a crime. What if it already has been, like…?” He stopped and licked his lips, unable to continue.

  “And that makes you feel guilty,” Mr. Ross said, “as though you’re somehow associated with those bad things because the money is now yours.” Eli dropped his eyes again; the man’s words hit their mark square in his heart. Mr. Ross sighed. “Whatever this money was intended for, it has either already happened, or it hasn’t. You didn’t do it, Eli; someone else did. No matter what the crime was, you can’t undo it by locking the money up and ignoring it. You can’t let yourself feel responsible for the actions of others.”

  Eli frowned. He understood what Mr. Ross was saying, but it didn’t make him feel better.

  Harold could see that Eli was struggling. He reached across the desk and patted the boy on the arm. “As far as the money is concerned, you need to remember that God doesn’t want us to fear the things of this world. When we do, we’re placing what we fear above Him.” The boy swallowed hard; his face seemed to beg Harold to take away some misery locked inside him. “Your money is just a thing, Eli. It isn’t good, and it isn’t bad. It’s nothing more than a tool, like a hammer. In the wrong hands, a hammer can be used to destroy something. In the right hands, it can help build something beautiful. I don’t pretend to know what God is thinking, but I do know I would rather you have the money than the criminals. Maybe finding it was God’s plan all along. You can be the ‘right hands’ building something good—and more importantly, you can glorify God through whatever you build.” Eli blinked; something Harold said had finally struck a chord with the boy.

  “I could use the money to do something for God?” Eli asked. He turned toward Jed, who had remained quiet throughout their lesson. Jed, and everyone else in the caravan, had taken him and Ada in when they had nothing; maybe Eli should help others who had also lost everything. At least he’d finally be rid of it! “I could just give it to orphans right now,” he said.

  “You could,” Mr. Ross agreed. “You could find an orphanage, give it all to them, and that would be a good thing. Then the money would be gone. However, if you spend a few years learning how to make it grow and keep it growing, you can fund ten orphanages for several generations. There are a lot of good things you can do with this money. We live in a big world full of many worthy causes. Stewardship is more than just using the money for good. It’s also being wise with what God has given you and making responsible choices. Think of an investment as fertile soil.” Eli’s mouth dropped opened at Mr. Ross’ words. “An investment is like warm, life-giving dirt that can feed your money and make it grow.”

  “What did you say?” Eli asked, thinking of his dream.

  “Okay, maybe that’s a bad analogy,” Mr. Ross said, chuckling, “but do you understand what I’m trying to say? If you can increase your money responsibly and with the right attitude, you can also increase the impact you make with it. So, how do you feel about looking at these investment choices again?” He spread the papers across the top of the desk.

  Eli picked them up and looked at them with renewed interest. He began to think of the money differently. Mr. Ross called the investments life-giving dirt, but what if the money was the soil? In his dream, the dirt was in a canvas bag, and that was where he found the banknotes. And maybe the bag represented the investments! The dirt in the bag didn’t decrease as fast as he used it, and that’s what Mr. Ross was suggesting he could do with the money if he invested it wisely.

  Whichever the case, Eli still needed to figure out what the crop was supposed to be. Mr. Ross said there were all kinds of things he could do and many places he could go. What if it took him away from the caravan some day? Would Ada be willing to go with him? As he sifted through the information in front of him, he decided he would ask her before the day was over.

  DR. KEELER

  “Liz, could you pass the bread, please?” Nathan Keeler sat with his wife Elizabeth at their dining room table. It was a rare evening in which they could sit quietly and eat their supper without rushing. There had been no surgeries, traveling, or fundraising that day. Elizabeth handed him the basket of warm bread. The glow from the gas lamps filled their small apartment with a faint light while the noise of the city buzzed outside their window.

  “I went to the post office today,” Elizabeth said as Nathan took a hardy bite. She walked over to a desk tucked into the corner of the room and picked up a stack of letters. She read the sender’s name on the top letter aloud before handing it to him. As Nathan opened the letter and glanced over it, she read the next name. She continued to read names until she reached the middle of the pile. “Here’s one from an Eli Gardner in East Haven,” she said.

  “Oh, that’s the young man I was telling you about—the one I met in Clearwater a couple of weeks ago,” Nathan said.

  “The inquisitive one?” she asked. He answered with a nod.

  “Could you read his letter to me while I look over this invoice?” Nathan indicated the paperwork he had just received in the previous correspondence. Elizabeth flashed her warm smile as she broke the seal and unfolded the paper. Inside was another sealed note, which she set aside.

  “Dear Dr. Keeler,” she read. “I enjoyed meeting you on the last Sunday of September. I appreciated the time you spent with me. Thank you for answering my questions. I gave your pamphlet to my friends, Jacob and Laura Martin, and they have asked me to inquire if you would still be willing to examine their son. You mentioned that you could come to East Haven as soon as you have a free weekend. I would like to extend an invitation to you and your wife to stay at my home while you are in town; Ada would love to meet Mrs. Keeler…” Elizabeth looked up from the letter in her hands. “Oh, that sounds wonderful! I would love to go,” she interjected before continuing.

  “…I have included two train tickets to White Falls. Once there, someone will pick you up and bring you the rest of the way. I have also sent a letter from my accountant detailing my contributions to your ministry…” Again, Elizabeth glanced up and commented on the young man’s thoughtfulness.

  “…Please put the larger amount toward the new equipment you require. The smaller amount is the first installment of an on-going quarterly donation. I hope this will help you reach some of your goals sooner. Sincerely, Eli Gardner.” Elizabeth set the first letter aside and opened the second. “Well,” she observed, “he is very considerate!”

  Nathan carried the invoice to the desk and quickly filed it away. “That was my impression as well when I met him,” he commente
d as he closed the file drawer. “He was also better-spoken than his rugged appearance had suggested. Of course, he was traveling…” Nathan’s voice trailed off when he turned toward the table and saw Elizabeth’s expression as she skimmed the contents of the second letter. She brought her hand to her mouth, and the paper fell from her grasp. “Liz?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, Nathan,” she whispered, “we can buy our equipment now!”

  He picked up the letter and read the information as he sat down. Making a quick calculation of the installments, Nathan glanced at Liz. “You say considerate,” he said, “but a more accurate word might be generous. Either way, that young man has just doubled our funding! I think I had better find another surgeon to join our team.”

  MARCUS

  Far in the distance, the smoke from the train billowed into the air. Marcus was waiting at the White Falls Depot for Dr. Keeler and his wife Elizabeth. Eli would have come with him, but an hour before the pastor had left East Haven, Ada tapped on his office door and informed him that her husband would be unable to make it. Eli and Isaac were currently fixing Evelyn’s roof. Last night had brought with it a heavy October rain, revealing a leak directly over her woodstove. The repair could not wait, especially when considering the ominous color of the overcast sky. Marcus thanked her for letting him know and traveled to the station alone.

  As the train pulled up to the depot, the small crowd on the platform took a synchronized step forward in anticipation of seeing their loved ones. The train whistled, and the cheerful “halloos” of the people had to be shouted above the noise. Railway workers in tidy uniforms were busy unloading the luggage car. Marcus studied the passengers as they stepped off the train. Not knowing what the doctor and his wife looked like, he searched for a couple that was not greeted by others, hoping they would be his charge. But he soon realized his concern was unwarranted; the doctor seemed to instinctively know who had come to meet them. He waved at Marcus as he helped his wife step onto the platform.