AND SO GOD SENT THE PLUMBER

                             AND SO GOD SENT THE PLUMBER

     As the day began, it wasn’t the best of days. In fact, it was one of the not-so-good days during my husband Steve’s chemotherapy regimen. He had gotten a fall cold with the possibility of it going into pneumonia, the oncologist said, so he was sent to the hospital for chest x-rays.
     Colds just seem so easy for chemo patients to experience when their immune systems are compromised, but allergies that develop into colds are pretty common in the spring and fall for Steve, anyway. The cold germ had made its way into my body, also, but I was trying to slough it off as best I could. We were both successful at trudging along, staying on top physically as well as emotionally.
     My most prized kitchen appliance, a hot water Insinkerator, had started leaking under the cabinet. That appliance had come in particularly handy during the chemotherapy because of the necessity of sterilizing all eating and drinking utensils. It was perfect for those tasks. It was still under warranty so it would be replaced free of charge.
     Steve called the plumber who had installed it. His name is Robert, and he’s a dear man we have trusted for several years to handle plumbing problems.
     Robert is dependable, prompt and efficient. In relation to the current problem, Robert told Steve to call the manufacturer and give them the information on the warranty and the prior purchase ticket, etc., and they would send a replacement. He mentioned that he would be at our house late in the evening to check on it. Easily taken care of, we thought.
     The call to the manufacturer was more involved than we anticipated because of the red tape which was required to get a replacement under the warranty, but Steve was able to do that chore on the telephone and fax machine.
     The day’s events had quickly grown into more trying activities than we had anticipated, but Steve was feeling up to the challenge, feeling good enough to handle the problem with the Insinkerator. He knew I was eager for it to be back into working order to make the tasks of sterilizing utensils easier for me. He took care of the task of dealing with the manufacturer easily; not speedily but easily. Task accomplished.
     At 4:30 our doorbell rang. When I went to the door it was Robert, the plumber. We had forgotten to call him and tell him that the manufacturer had not sent the Insinkerator yet. We both apologized to him for forgetting to call and let him know that the appliance would be shipped later, therefore saving him a trip to our house. He was gracious about it, letting us know that it wasn‘t a big deal. We discussed the fact that the appliance should last longer than the leaking one did, less than a year and a half.
     Robert left our house and started down the front walk, having gone down several steps. Suddenly Steve opened the door and said, “Just a minute, Robert. I have cancer. Will you remember to pray for me?”
     Suddenly Steve started crying, hearing himself say that he has cancer. Usually he only says that he is in chemotherapy, never claiming to have cancer. Starting to cry was certainly not Steve’s intention. He had not cried about the situation in the seven months since discovering the cancer, the two operations that ensured, and then the two cycles of chemotherapy.
     Immediately Robert turned around, bounded up the few steps, rushed up the walk to the front porch, grabbed Steve’s hand and started to pray for him. He asked God to heal and comfort Steve during illness. He prayed with anointed power, confidence, authority and love. After the prayer was over, Steve told his Christian brother Robert that he knew he was not going to die of cancer and thanked him.
     When Steve came inside the house, he was still crying, anointed with the power of God, still weeping tears of joy and awe that God had sent the plumber to pray for him. It was catching, I guess, because I started weeping uncontrollably, also. We sat in our recliners weak from the anointing of God, continuing to weep with gratitude that Our Loving Father had sent the plumber with His healing touch.
     Steve related to me that when the thought came to him, “Ask Robert to pray for you,” that he had refused to act on that command. Then it came again to his mind. He didn’t obey again. The third time it came, “Ask Robert to pray for you,” is when Steve opened the door and gave the request to Robert, who was God’s servant sent here to pray.
     Thank God Steve obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit. God knew that Robert would do what was needed, pray immediately for him.
     God sent Jesus to bring healing to the world. Jesus sent fishermen and a tax collector to take healing to people. He sent the plumber to deliver healing to Steve.
     Yes, God knows just who to send.

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

                                    OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

     There are several meanings for the word "babe". We know it's a slang term to describe beautiful girls. It's also a short term for the word "baby". We know a young girl who is a "babe" because she's beautiful, but she also fits the spiritual description of the word "babe" because she fulfilled a scriptural activity that is attributed to "babes" in the Bible.
     Lydia is our great niece, a beautiful ten year old girl. She is very special, as you will see from this story.
     My husband Steve was in his third cycle of chemotherapy for a rare form of cancer. It had been a real adventure for both of us, as you can imagine. We had received the depressing news from the oncologist that Steve would have to have six cycles of strong chemotherapy even if the cancer goes onto remission.
     God had encouraged us in this adventure, sending miracles our way through many exciting situations. We didn't expect him to use a "babe" to deliver the latest one.
     My cell phone rang one day as I was fixing lunch and I asked Steve to answer my phone which was sitting on the counter. That is the first time in the ten years I've have had my personal cell phone that Steve has answered it. My sister Lou was calling on the cell phone and exclaimed that she was so glad that Steve had answered my phone because she needed to tell him a testimony that would encourage him.
     Lou related that she had received a phone call from Lydia, her ten year old granddaughter, in which Lydia told of two dreams she had had, one in which she dreamed that the family home was being broken into by intruders at 3:30 in the morning. She woke with the realization that their home was safe, no invasion there. She told her mom about the dream.
     When Lydia's mom took her little sister to preschool that morning, she heard that the shed on the property of one of the teachers had been broken into at 3:30 that morning. Lydia and her mom were amazed at the realization that someone they knew had actually experienced the same activity that she had dreamed about.
     Then Lydia told her grandmother Lou that she had another dream, one in which she dreamed that Uncle Steve was free of cancer, after which she asked Lou a question,"Does Uncle Steve have cancer?"
     Lou assured Lydia that yes, Uncle Steve has had cancer. Lydia was astounded at the dream since she didn't remember knowing about Steve's condition, yet she had dreamed that he is free of cancer.
     God again fulfilled the scripture in Psalm 8:2 that says, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength."
     Lydia's dream certainly boosted Steve's spiritual strength, making him even more certain that he is cancer free and will remain cancer free.
     God used a "babe" in this instance, a beautiful babe but still a young child at the same time, to send His message of faith to Steve, confirming to him that he is healed and will remain healed, cancer free like in Lydia's dream.
     Can you see why Lydia is so special? She relays messages that strengthen people so lovingly. Steve is even stronger in his faith now, since God confirmed through Lydia that he is free of cancer.