God hears and listens

-
I was shocked.  Probably shouldn't have been but I was. God must laugh when we react that way.

A young college friend of mine had suffered what appeared to be a stroke several weeks ago.  After a frantic but unproductive trip to the emergency room, she left without a diagnosis, the remnants of her symptoms following her back to the dorm.  A promised consult to the office of a neurologist failed to materialize, further frustrating the student and her worried family, living in far away Ethiopia.  A distant late December appointment was offered instead. Little good that would do as she would be in Africa at that time. So when her symptoms reappeared yesterday, I suggested we try to open a few doors together.

We first collected her medical records from the hospital and drove to the neurology office.  As we stood at the check-in window, we saw the receptionist pick up the phone and dial. "I am calling for Rachel Chestnut. If you get this, we have an opening today at 2:30. . ."  We couldn't believe our ears. This office that rarely accepts new patients was calling my friend from the other side of the glass.  We giggled and signaled the women.  As she returned the phone to its cradle and opened the glass window, I recalled my prayer earlier that morning.

"Lord, I ask you to please open a door and allow Rachel to get the care she needs. I know the odds are slim of seeing a doctor today but you can do anything.  Please Lord. We need some help!"  Sure enough, God not only answered that prayer but provided a diagnosis that alleviated the fears of a stroke, brain tumor, or aneurysm. In the nick of time, Rachel got the go-ahead to run a weekend marathon without having to wonder if she was going to hurt herself.

God is so good. Never doubt that He is involved in our daily affairs, orchestrating events to bring glory to Himself and encouragement to our souls.

Comments

Joy said…
As I sat in the dentist chair this afternoon for over an hour, the dentist told me she couldn't get it all and wanted to send me to an oral surgeon. I asked her if she could continue to try and started praying. Ten minutes later I was on my way home with my tooth fully gone. Praise the Lord!
November 12, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When good results disappoint

-
Image
"If you don't find something you can fix, I will be greatly disappointed," I stated matter-of-factly to my cardiologist. And I was serious. Dead serious. I was laying in my hospital bed waiting to be wheeled into the cath lab to get a clear picture of what was happening--or not happening--inside those skinny little coronary arteries. If he did not find something to stent, like he did five years ago, my symptoms would have no chance of being validated. I will spare you all the details, but my running has really taken a dive over the last few months. The group of women I run with can be chatting it up having a great time, only to unintentionally pull away and leave me eating their dust. I try to keep up but it's like my engine is throttled back by a governor, heart rate zooming upwards to no avail. I simply can't go. I feel my chest tighten and throat close. I have to walk. I hate being the anchor. Lately, I make excuses to why I can not join them on those long Satu...
Read more

666 miles of Hell(gate)

-
Image
"Last verse, same as the first." In same ways, yes. My last race was the same as my first: I started. I finished. But in many ways, there's no comparison. It took ten finishes and 666 miles  of the devilish Hellgate 100K race to figure it out. The brainchild of Dr. David Horton, the Hellgate 100k+ (actually 66.6 miles) always begins at one minute after midnight on the second Saturday of December. The race has garnered a near cult-following, many hopeful entrants turned away. Those rewarded a cherished spot must earn Horton's approval as a worthy candidate. It is he who judges an applicant's toughness and ability to cover the rocky, mountainous real estate between the start and finish lines. But even so, the chosen few are never guaranteed a finish. What they are promised is a night and a day of unpredictable weather, trail conditions, and a barrage of self-doubt somewhere along the forest path. I was forty-five when I sold my soul to the trail devils. N...
Read more

Win a free scarf!

-
Image
Over the years, I have enjoyed home parties. You know the kind: a bunch of women gather, a representative lays out her wares (everything from kitchen tools to jewelery, to makeup and skin care products that promise a glowing, beautiful face), and the attendees pick, choose, and fill out order forms. I've been both a rep and a hostess. Back in the late 70's I made sewed crafty items and held my own little in-home selling parties. Years later, I sold for The Pampered Chef (TM) since I loved the products. But alas, I gave up because I didn't feel right about asking already financially-strapped folks to buy what they could probably live without. Yeah. I'm not much of a saleswoman. Borrowed from www.mytradesofhope.com/tamarawalston But every one in a while, a business idea comes along that grabs my attention. I found that in 'Trades of Hope.' Until about a month or two ago, I had never heard of this group. But then I came across a friend's post, Tamara Wal...
Read more