Little Ben learning who to trustA year ago at this time, we were cheering Little Ben on when, at ten months old, he took his first steps. Although we weren’t visiting our daughter and her family at that time, we applauded our grandson’s baby steps through Skype. It was as though we were together in the very same room, encouraging him to find his wobbly way into our eager arms.
More than twenty-five years earlier, Big Ben (then the only Ben) had flung himself off a rock wall and into the outstretched arms of his father who had called up to him, “Jump!” Never mind that our son had a broken shoulder and was encased in a waist-up plaster cast that kept his left arm immobile and thrust out before him. Never mind that I was shaking with fear, imagining Ben falling and breaking the bone all over again. Our four-year-old son trusted his father completely, and when he jumped fearlessly, Bernie caught him—just as Ben knew he would.
Who you trust makes all the difference in the world. Scary baby steps can be conquered and jumping—even from high places—made easier when you trust the one who confidently holds his arms out wide before you.
Back in January, we prayed for a good hospital and doctor before we even imagined that I had cancer. Something was wrong; we had no doubt about that. But we didn’t know what. Not knowing can be a scary thing sometimes, but we were at peace as we prayed, and God answered—just as we knew he would.
More recently, I made a reservation to fly to the United States in October to consult with an oncologist. I wanted him to prescribe a round of the anti-cancer medication I’d started taking in Japan, knowing that the price in America is considerably cheaper. I bought the ticket before I was certain of the doctor’s appointment. A very busy man, he might refuse to see me because I cannot meet with him every six weeks—the expectation he has of all his cancer patients.
Whether or not I’d actually get the prescription was also in question. Yet I contacted a pharmacist to arrange for the medicine to be ready the night before I was scheduled to return to Japan, assuming the doctor would grant my request. (Most pharmacies do not normally stock Sutent.) After all, by then I had indeed received an appointment with him. While nothing else was for sure, I knew I must take those steps obediently. When I left the doctor’s office, prescription in hand, my smile was bigger than my face, although I wasn’t greatly surprised by the outcome. I’d stepped out in faith and God had responded faithfully—just as I knew he would.
I’d also made an appointment with the same oncologist for March and had his agreement to accept me as a regular patient when we are on home assignment next summer. Amazingly, I’d heard two nurses talking before the oncologist came in. Their conversation centered on his pending decision to stop accepting new patients as he approaches semi-retirement. And yet he took me. The Lord continues opening the doors for me to walk through—just as I know he will.
Who you trust makes all the difference in the world. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).
