God Will Make A Way

God Will Make A Way

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26

Today’s verse reminds me of a time in my life when I truly wanted to serve the poor, but the odds were against me. I had been accepted into medical school, but coming from a poor family, I didn’t have any money to pay for my tuition or living expenses. The two most obvious options were to take out a very large loan or join the military. A third option was to join a relatively new program called the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). The program would pay for my tuition and books and give me $500 per month for living expenses. In exchange, I would be required to practice primary care medicine in a poor, rural county for a specified time. It took me less than a Mississippi minute to sign on the dotted line.

When I finished my residency, a clinic in Ashland City, Tennessee, invited me to work there. It was a perfect fit. But when the official NHSC notice arrived in the mail, Ashland City wasn’t on the list. It didn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t the federal government want a doctor in a community that had only two doctors serving twenty-five thousand people?

Karen and I felt that God was calling us to Ashland City, but if it wasn’t a certified NHSC site, I could incur fines of more than $300,000. There was no way we could afford that. So we began to pray.

The local community leaders sent me to Washington, DC, to beg the NHSC to reinstate Ashland City. But the official word was still no. Karen and I had a difficult decision to make, but God’s guidance and the needs of the community made us choose Ashland City, come what may. Essentially, I defaulted on my loan. I was told to expect a certified letter in the mail in the next few weeks detailing my fines.

Two weeks later, the expected letter arrived. I began to sweat as I opened it. To my surprise, the letter said, “Congratulations! You have been assigned to Ashland City, Tennessee. Please report for duty on July 1, 1983.”

TODAY’S RX

Be ready to follow where God leads. Some things only he can make possible.

Father, thank you for unexpected blessings and for making the impossible possible. You are a miracle worker, and I’m grateful for how you’ve worked miracles in my life.