Posts with the label miracles
Five loaves of bread and two fishes is a well-known miracle of the Bible. Jesus fed a multitude with five loaves and two fishes. This miracle is relatable. If you've ever fed a crowd, you know how much food is required. Honestly, couldn't two people eat five small loaves of bread and two fishes? So, we get the picture of just how huge a miracle it was to feed more than 5000 people with a meager amount. You know I'm all about faith. I want to look at faith like Andrew in this story.
Most of Jesus' disciples spoke out negatively about the plan to feed 5000. They were sure they didn't have the money to do it. They didn't see any available food. But there was Andrew, the believing disciple. The faithful disciple. Andrew told Jesus he saw a young boy in the crowd carrying five loaves and two fishes. Jesus said "Bring him to me."
I want faith like Andrew. The other disciples were overtaken by unbelief. Andrew was hopeful. He stepped up to exercise his faith in Jesus. The other disciples thought the task was too monumental for Jesus to perform. It is no mistake Andrew was the disciple who saw the young boy with the food in the crowd. God knew Andrew was the one who would assist Jesus with this miracle. God needed someone who would use the resources at hand to get the job done. If it weren't for faith like Andrew's, everyone would be hungry and noone would have witnessed a miracle!
I also want to be like the young boy who freely gave Jesus his five loaves and two fishes. He gave all he had to Jesus. Imagine how the scene might have played out differently if Andrew had spotted an adult with five loaves and two fishes. I'm suspecting talking an adult out of dinner may have proved very difficult. The Bible tells us we must come as a child to Jesus. This story is the perfect example of how children (the boy) respond to Jesus versus how adults (his disciples) respond to Jesus. The lesson we also see is the boy gave a little and received a lot.
How can we apply this to every day life?
- Believe God can do what his Word says
- Exercise our Faith by stepping up and out
- Give when prompted by Jesus
Have you ever hosted a dinner where more guests came than expected? I have gotten very nervous I wouldn't have enough food for everyone. My faith reminded me of this miracle. I used the framework of this miracle to ask God to help me feed my guests. He increased food and decreased appetites. Jesus wants to be in the details of our every day lives. He does the work. Our job is to have faith like Andrew to believe he can.
Lovingly,
Do you want a miracle or a mess is the title of a blog post I published just 35 days ago where I asked you to help us pray for our dilemma; Steve's medicine costing $852 for a four week month and $1065 for a five-weeker! Thank you for your prayers. We received a modern-day miracle.
Everyone involved has been very sympathetic to Steve's need. Dr. Staton at Emory Clinic has been working hard with Encompass Pharmacy to get the brand Imuran approved. The generic Azathioprine doesn't work for Steve. The cheapest I found Imuran (with an internet coupon) was $213 per week for 30 pills. I bought one week at a time hoping for help soon. Roberta, the nurse at Emory called me every couple of days to give me status updates. Dr. Staton wrote an addendum to the patient file to finally satisfy the insurance company.
Yesterday morning at 8 a.m., I received a call from Envision Drugs that Imuran was approved! Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus playing in my head? I immediately called the pharmacy. They agreed it was approved with a copay of $450 per month. Good news interrupted with bad. The pharmacy tech quickly informed me they were filing an exception appeal to reduce the cost. I said "Well, I got Steve a grant and it may not be necessary." I gave them the information and guess what?
A Modern-Day MIRACLE!
The pharmacy tech said "I'll fedex the Imuran to your address by this Thursday with a copay of zero dollars!" Yes, that's right, FREE! The grant covered the copay. The grant should cover the copay for the rest of the year. The grant is $9000. Psalm 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord!
How did I do it? Perseverance, tenacity and our Heavenly Father!
- I called the manufacturer of the drug. The original maker is Glaxo Smith-Kline in Dublin, Ireland. I contacted them on their facebook page. They responded very quickly referring me to their North Carolina office to find out there was no financial assistance or coupons available for Imuran.
- I called Walgreen's to obtain the manufacturer of the exact pills in Steve's bottle. They were right here in Roswell, GA. Seleba Pharmacy was so rude, so unconcerned, the customer service agent so made me not want to buy their drugs at all .... but my husband needs them.
- I tried every Google search term I could think of, forward and backward; financial assistance for Imuran, Imuran coupons, discounts for Imuran, pulmonary fibrosis, etc. without any good results. If I did find a lead for his condition, pulmonary fibrosis, it was the wrong kind of fibrosis. Most assistance was for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and his is not idiopathic. Then, there were the financial hurdles to overcome personally or the programs were maxed out.
- After MANY hours and days of searching, I prayed and asked Jesus for some help.
- I don't remember what search phrase lead me to a site that I read and re-read, clicked, clicked and clicked some more until I divinely landed (not stumbled) upon a site that had funds available for pulmonary fibrosis. The application process was painless and you know if you are approved when you hit the submit button.
- HealthWell Foundation helps individuals afford the medicine they need! There are qualifications and stipulations but thank God, Steve fell into one of their paying categories! Steve received the grant five days before the medicine was approved. Perfect timing!
- I was so excited to go to Walgreens for his meds last week only to be disappointed. There is one caveat to using the grant money. The grant covers the copay only meaning insurance has to approve and pay first. The money was appropriated and sitting there but couldn't be used because insurance had not approved the medicine.
- If I can assist anyone with this process, please contact me.
HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HAL-LE-LU-JAH!
One of my favorite verses, Psalm 37:25 is so true. Trust Him and expect your miracle!
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Thanking God for a modern-day miracle,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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