Unexpected Answers

Unexpected Answers

We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 1 John 5:14-15

What happens when things don’t go your way? Maybe you’ve asked God for something, and all you’ve heard is silence? Or, perhaps God answered your prayer but not the way you thought he would. What do you do then? Do you lose faith? Do you begin to doubt God?

Clancy came to see me because of a small ulcer on his tongue that wouldn’t heal. It had been annoying him for more than two months. While in my office, he also asked me to feel a nodule on the back of his neck.

“I think we’re going to need to send you to the head and neck surgeon for a biopsy,” I said. For years, I had been trying to talk him out of chewing tobacco. I was afraid that his symptoms were a sign that the tobacco had finally caught up with him.

I made a referral and set up an appointment, and I could tell that Clancy was worried. Before he left he said, “Dr. Anderson, will you pray with me that this isn’t cancer?”

Unfortunately, my suspicions were right. The next time I saw Clancy, he had a tracheotomy and most of the right side of his neck had been removed in a radical neck dissection. This wasn’t the answer we’d prayed for; but it had saved his life. Though he had cancer and a pretty nasty surgery, Clancy said that he felt God’s presence throughout his journey. God had saved his life and comforted him when he needed it most.

It would be easy to say that God didn’t answer Clancy’s prayer. But what if God had a higher purpose for Clancy’s life?

Five years after his surgery, Clancy was not only alive and thriving, he was also a crusader, teaching young people about the dangers of tobacco. He had the real-life scars to illustrate the pain and suffering that can occur when you use chewing tobacco.

In God’s infinite wisdom, he was able to take Clancy’s past and turn it into a lifesaving ministry to those who would learn from his mistakes.

TODAY’S RX

When we pray, the road to God’s answer might be rocky, but the destination is worth it.

God, you have always been faithful to intervene at just the right moment, removing me from harm and showing me the path to take. Thank you for helping me through many trials and showing me your ever-deepening love.