Still Not Boring

And my God will meet all your needs, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.                                                    Philippians 13:19

I love spending time with Janice. Listening to her is always uplifting, because she sees God’s hand in just about everything, and those things most of us would call “problems” are to her just occasions to wait and see what amazing thing God is going to do.

One of Janice’s daughters had had a mysterious illness for a long time, and recently Janice needed to drive her from Louisville to Zionsville, Indiana, to see a specialist and have some tests done. This was an important matter of prayer for Janice, but she had something else on her heart that was even more pressing.

Janice’s sister in Chicago had recently lost her husband and was depressed. She was also getting up in years and had not yet placed her faith in Christ. Janice wanted very much to go and see her, spend some quality time with her, and tell her one more time about Jesus and His plan of salvation. One of the women at the church had sent this sister a Bible, and Janice was eager to find out whether she had been reading it. She was thinking a trip to Chicago would be wonderful, especially since Zionsville was already halfway there. But she was very short on funds and thought maybe extending the trip and having to stay overnight in the Chicago area would be asking too much … or would it? The answer came through a seemingly unrelated source.

Janice had been getting her dental work done by one of the students at the University of Louisville Dental School, and at the time she had some cavities that needed attention. The dental student called her a few nights before her daughter’s appointment to tell her that it “just so happened” that a fourth year dental student at Midwestern University needed to fix her particular kind of cavities to take his board exams that week. Midwestern University is in Downers Grove, IL – about 35 minutes from Janice’s sister. In order to have Janice there for his exam, the student had offered to put her and her daughter up in a hotel for three nights!

So, Janice’s daughter got to see the specialist, Janice got her tooth fixed, they both got to stay in a nice hotel for three nights, and most importantly, Janice had plenty of time to be with her sister, “planting seeds” and talking to her about the Bible, which her sister said she had been reading.

As if that weren’t enough, the dental student taking the exam gave Janice $200 when he was finished fixing her tooth. (I don’t know about you, but when my dentist fixes a tooth, I have to pay him.) I guess we know where they got the gas money to get home.

Do you have problems? Needs? Instead of doing what comes naturally for so many of us (griping), ask your heavenly Father what His solution is. You may have some great “God stories” in the making.

Prayer: Lord, You are the Creator of the universe, of all that is seen and unseen, all that is beautiful, powerful, mysterious, and fascinating. Forgive us for all the times we were too preoccupied with our “problems” to see Your hand at work. Help us to trust You more, truly believing that all things are working together for our good, because we love You and are called according to Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.