Over the past year, I have accumulated a few thousand dollars of medical bill debt. Near the beginning of the year, I applied for financial assistance for two major medical bills from a local hospital. One of them was approved for 60% payment so I only owed 40% of the bill. The other has been continuing to be assessed for aid. I called last week because my bill still said, "pending hospital charity" but it has been almost a year. The woman I talked to promised to look into it and call me back this week because she showed I had given all the information needed, but no one had taken care of the account. She called me back personally this morning. She said that my aid had been approved for the second AND the first medical bill for 100%. I owe nothing. Nothing. I was speechless. It has been a struggle for me to even make payments on these every month. Now that was one less burden I would have to carry. She said, "Merry Christmas." I told her the same and hung up the phone and just cried. God was giving me a Christmas gift only He could give. There is no reason, after assessment that I owed 40% of one bill, that I would get the entire debt forgiven for both. No reason at all. Except that He doesn't need a reason to surprise His kids. He loves to do that, just like we love to surprise ours.
A really good friend of mine sends me an email from time to time of a devotion from Proverbs 31 Ministries, a ministry to women by women. Today she sent me one about Christmas. It was about Joseph and Mary and Jesus, and how Joseph almost missed Christmas. He thought Mary was pregnant by another man and planned to end the engagement quietly...until an angel visited him in a dream and told him that what Mary said was true....she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and hadn't been unfaithful to him. She would bear a son who Joseph would name Jesus because He would save the people from their sins. He almost missed it by sending her away. But he got to experience a true miracle and wonderful gift. I responded to my friend and thanked her for the email. Apparently she had not gotten a chance to read it before sending it to me, so when I thanked her for it she read it to see why I thought it was so good. She told me thank you and then she told me a story....
She had been so down because she wasn't going to be able to buy gifts for her kids until 5 days after Christmas when she got paid again, IF she had enough money left over after bills. Her 10 year old son had written out a Christmas list and given it to her and she hadn't even looked at it yet. She knew she wanted to get him a touch screen phone, and she was due for an upgrade so she could get it for him for free. She went to the phone store and her brother met her there. For some technical reason, she was unable to get the phone for free and she couldn't afford it, so she was going to have to just leave without it. Her brother had changed her account so that she was able to get an upgrade for free. She had a touch screen phone for her son. This week at her business Christmas party, they had a white elephant gift exchange as they have for years. She drew #2 and asked her supervisor to just choose a bag for her and pass it over. Inside was a brand new, never opened DVR camcorder. She was amazed. She took out the Christmas list that her son had written and there were two things on it:
touch screen phone
DVR camcorder
How overwhelming to read that. She emailed me the list so I could see for myself. Unbelievable. God always makes sure we have what we need. Sometimes He makes sure we get what we want too. He is in the details...and loves to make His kids happy.
Thank You, God....for a day full of wonderful blessings that have shown me...and others...how loving and thoughtful You are....and that You see us. You saw a single mom struggling and sad because she couldn't get her children what they wanted for Christmas...and You provided. Thank You. Tomorrow's a new day.....surprise us!
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