You don’t have, because you don’t ask. James 4:3
He frowned and muttered under his breath. At 6:30 a.m. and a junior in high school, who wouldn’t be a bit unhappy? But being mom, I felt there was something more than the usual morning grumpiness of a teenage boy.
“When are we going to do something about my wrist? I am tired of the pain.” My heart broke because I wasn’t sure if we could do anything. Our business was struggling. We had lost our health insurance. Collin had a pre-existing condition. He needed a bone-graft surgery on his wrist. The pre-existing condition would not be covered. What would we do? How was I to answer?
I don’t remember how I answered Collin that day, but I do remember that for the first time, I decided to fervently ask God to meet our need. The uttered prayer was more like, “what should we do”?
The drive to work was filled with the simple prayer. Thirty minutes of asking “what are we going to do”?
As I exited the interstate, a truck passed. A Shriner’s truck. Was this an answer? When time allowed, I searched Shriner’s Hospital for Children‘s website and found an application. We met all the criteria: no insurance, under age of 18, and a need for orthopedic surgery. An application was submitted, and within three days, a Shriner’s representative called. Collin’s application had been accepted. Coincidentally, I have never seen a Shriner’s truck on the interstate since that day.
The rest of the story is now history. Collin had corrective wrist surgery, which included a bone graft, free of any charges or traveling expenses. The greatest gift of all was having the privilege and blessing of meeting several children with severe orthopedic needs. We were struck by their perseverance, endurance, selflessness and positive attitudes. We gained much more than we were given.
Jesus says to us, “keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for”. (Matthew 7:7 NLT) To help us understand, Jesus reminds us how we relate to our children – if they are in need and ask, we provide for them. God wants to do the same for us, as we are His children.
God didn’t just provide for a medical need. He taught us. He taught us to put our pain in perspective. To be grateful. To care for others. And Collin’s natural gift of caring for and loving children was enhanced. Here is a portion of his reflection taken from his senior essay, Life Changing Tragedies and published in Salt Lake City Shriners Hospitals for Children® Changing the World through Caring for Kids publication.
“In my recent experience, I have been able to see the good that comes about from such terrifying tragedies and the experience itself has changed my life completely.
During my stay, I was able to see pure joy and be changed by it. When I saw and heard what the other patients suffered from and have had to live through, by broken wrist seemed like a mere paper cut. I saw a nine year old girl who had scoliosis and a rare spine disease that made her spine curve at a near 45 degree angle. Day and night she was attached to weights that helped her straighten out her spine. And day and night this girl played basketball! She could hardly walk in a straight line, but she would play basketball as much as she could.
Through my injury, I was able to see how kids affected by more dreadful things than I, do more amazing things than most people could ever dream of. In seeing these kids live their lives the way they did; I had to question how I was living mine. As a result of my questioning, I have created some principles that I will use to help live my life to the full. Every day I will wake up and be grateful for what I have taken for granted in the past. I will use every skill, talent, and gift I have been given to greatest potential. I also will accept every opportunity I have to help those in dire need.
The tragic experience of breaking my wrist has helped me not only change my view of life and how I live it, but also to put my life into the service of others.
To read the full essay, click here.
We all changed through this experience, and isn’t God a great God; He provided for our medical needs, but also prepared us for something greater. So, for the love of your family, just ask. God will provide what you need and more.
What do you need to ask for? Is there something that seems nearly impossible? Share God’s story of provision; making the impossible possible.
