Mary and I share the same taste in movies. High on our list is a set of clean-cut family films, Father of the Bride I and II. Tonight as Mary and I talked on the phone, a line from the second movie was rolling around in my head.
Nina and George, a middle-aged couple trying to cope with life’s changes, decide to sell their spectacular big home. Both are deeply attached to it but think a new place might bring a fresh start.
Immediately after selling, they learn their buyer is about to raze the house and build two in its place. George plants himself between the house and the wrecking ball, determined to save “his” home.
With great alarm he says, “You didn’t tell me you were going to destroy it!”
Mr. Habeeb (the buyer) says, “You didn’t ask.”
* * * * *
There’s no way we can think to ask all the important questions in life. Had George thought to ask, he wouldn’t have sold.
In the last 40 days, Mary and Bervin have been bombarded with medical information, and at the end of each instruction they’ve been asked, “Do you have any questions?”
Most of us are overloaded at moments like that and usually say, “I don’t think so.”
Isn’t it nice to know there is a place without any pressure to ask the right questions? It’s in our relationship with God.
He says a time will come when he’ll send answers to our questions before we even ask them, and Mary and Bervin have experienced that already.
For example, yesterday Mary’s feeding tube clogged. Despite Bervin’s mechanical know-how, he couldn’t get it functioning, and Mary was without nutrition for 24 hours. So today they headed back to the hospital for a repair or, if necessary, a painful surgical procedure to correct the problem.
Despite a valiant effort on the part of two “tube experts,” the flow remained blocked, and over hours of time, Mary was admitted and prepped for the procedure. At the last minute, however, a new tech appeared. “Let me try,” he said, and all of a sudden the tube cleared.
How often is a patient told, “You can climb off the table, ditch the hospital gown, and get dressed.” Mary and Bervin hadn’t asked God to spare her from the procedure, but he gave that anyway.
In another example, just before Mary transferred from the hospital to the hotel last week, a 30-something man with a serious infection was rolled into the room across the hall. A sad young wife and the man’s troubled parents told Mary this was his 4th surgery in a short time, and stress was running high.
As she sat in her empty room awaiting discharge papers, she wished she had something to give them. Just then a gift was delivered to Mary’s room, which she immediately shared with the folks across the hall. She hadn’t asked, but God had answered.
In Father of the Bride II, Mr. Habeeb gave George’s house back to him, but not before George had emptied his bank account. But our generous God delivers his positive answers…. without charge.
“I will answer them before they even call to me.” (Isaiah 65:24)
Mary’s prayer requests:
- Praise for the friendly competent staff at Mayo’s
- Praise for the cleared tube and aborted surgery
- Pray the change in formula will bring relief from abdominal gas pain
- Pray for serious weight gain, now that Mary is down to 109 lbs, at 5’7”.
