by Donna Marie Berger

One day last month my son called to say he was sick and had run out of his vitamin supplements. Having been a nurse practitioner, I have a company I order supplements from, and I told him I would place an order for him. I ordered him Vitamin C, Vitamin D and some probiotics. When his order arrived, he immediately took one of each, but called me to say that he was unfamiliar with the probiotics I had ordered. That’s because it was not a probiotic. The company had made an error and sent my son the wrong thing.

My immediate reaction was outrage. How dangerous is that to send someone the wrong “medication?” After working in the health care profession for thirty years, I was fully aware of disasters that can occur from someone receiving the wrong medication or dosage. I called the company rep who was very upset to hear the story and apologized profusely. She sent out the corrected order that day.

Here’s where things get interesting. I looked up the dietary supplement that had been sent to my son in error. It was an essential amino acid, one that we get from many foods, but also one that we don’t absorb as well as we grow older. One of the benefits of this amino acid is that it works to keep the lining of the esophagus and stomach healthy. This was of great interest to me because I am always trying to manage my acid reflux symptoms and after the holidays, I had been going through a particularly rough patch with it all. Throughout my days I would continually say, “Jesus, please heal me.” Could this be an answer to my prayer I wondered? This supplement might help my symptoms, so, I asked my son to bring me the bottle when he came home for spring break.

Times like this, I am always reminded of Romans 8:28,

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,                          who have been called according to his purpose.

Yet, God’s ways are not our ways, and His answer to our prayers may come in the most surprising of ways. God can use people, places, circumstances, and yes, even an order “mix-up” to answer our prayers. We just have to really open our hearts and minds to receive His answer. God is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine. (Eph 3:20) So, don’t limit Him to our human perspective. We need to loosen our grip on the physical and embrace the spiritual. There is so much more joy in it for us when we do!

I have been taking the “mix-up” for several weeks now, and I am thrilled to say that things are going really well. I still watch my diet carefully, but thankfully my discomfort is gone. I am doubly thankful that by grace through faith we can turn to the Lord in prayer and that He hears and answers us. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone…how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11

“O child of God, be more careful to keep the way of the Lord, more concentrated in heart in seeking His glory, and you will see the loving-kindness and the tender mercy of the Lord in your life.” ― Charles H. Spurgeon

Amen!