“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”
Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)
One day in 1998, I received an e-mail from my mom that my dad was in a coma and was not expected to live very long. We had just moved from Canada for a teaching assignment at Highland View Academy (HVA) the year before. I knew we had to withdraw all our paperwork for our Green Cards before I could leave the United States or I could not come back again. This started a series of phone calls to our lawyers to see what could be worked out so that I could go back to the Philippines to see my dad before he died. A series of miracles happened, which are too long to explain here. Thankfully, I could take the earliest possible flight to Manila and another flight to where my parents lived.
In the meantime, I made several long-distance calls to my mother to check Dad’s progress. After arriving in the Philippines, my husband also made several phone calls while I was there for almost two weeks. These were the days before FaceTime or WhatsApp. We had subscribed to a long-distance discount plan with our phone company, which gave us great rates since we had called my mother regularly. My dad woke up when I arrived but could not talk to me. He would squeeze my hand when I spoke to him. When I played videos of my young daughter playing the violin, I would notice tears from his eyes running down his cheeks. Dad used to play the violin, and I would accompany him on the piano when I was a teenager. After more than a week in the Philippines, my dad lapsed back into a coma. My mother told me to go back to Maryland. I was teaching science at HVA and could not be away for an unlimited time. I said my sad goodbyes, knowing that would be the last time I would see him alive. I could not afford to make another trip, as it would complicate the processing of our Green Cards further, and my mom insisted that if the inevitable happened, I should not go back. She would manage okay, and my brother and other relatives would help her.
Surprise Phone Bill & Seeking God for Help
A few weeks after I returned to Maryland, we received a phone bill of about $1,500. We expected to pay not more than $500, but not three times this. I also noticed that another provider attached the long-distance bill to our regular phone bill. I called to question the bill several times, only to be met by a recorded message and a long wait on the phone. If I got a person on the line, I would be put on hold for up to an hour each time. The voice on the other line from our phone provider told me they could not help me since the bill was from another company. When I called the other company, they said I was not their customer, so they could not talk to me. After getting this run-around for several days, I gave up. I told myself that I would not call anymore since it was a waste of my time. I decided that we were not going to pay this bill. It would affect our credit record and probably have other consequences, but I was firm that we would not pay it. After spending nearly $2,000 on airfare and helping with some of my dad’s expenses, we could not afford it anyway. In the next billing cycle, we got another bill of $500. I told God He would need to take care of it since I couldn’t.
Several weeks later, while in the lab at school, I was impressed to call our phone company again. “No, God,” I said, “not again.” The impression was so strong that I gave in, went to my office, and made the phone call. This time, I got to talk to a real person right away. I explained my problem, and he listened. I could hear computer keys clacking as he typed all the time I was talking. I didn’t know what he was typing, and I interrupted him several times to ask if he was still there. He assured me he was and that I would be happy when he was done. And so, I waited patiently, praying that this was the time God would intervene. After what seemed like an eternity, he said, “Good news! You owe nothing! Another phone provider electronically switched you without your knowledge. You are not responsible for these charges!” I praised God for this good news! I could not resist asking him when I was switched, and he said, “January 31.” I got goose flesh! God had taken care of my predicament even before I asked since January 31 was the date that my mom e-mailed me that my dad was seriously ill. I should have asked God to help me solve my problem before I tried for several weeks to do it myself. He was my last resort after all my efforts failed—but God was faithful to me and solved my problem, even if I tried to do it my way first.
Call to Action
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:33 (NIV) (EMPHASIS ADDED)
Scripture noted as NIV above is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
