It Just So Happens . . . episode 2

A few weeks ago we had to go to the emergency room even though we don't have insurance. We knew the bill would be astronomical, but we felt we couldn't ignore the symptoms and had to go despite the price. To make a long story short, we ended up leaving before Michael was able to see a doctor because we were there for hours and hours in the middle of the night with a baby and clearly they didn't think it was an emergency. We prayed for God to direct us and felt he was giving us peace about leaving.

Of course in the back of our minds for the last few weeks we've known we had a bill coming, but we didn't know how bad it would be. The first bill came from a doctor. I tried to call the billing office multiple times, but it "just so happens" their phone system was messed up and kept putting me on hold forever then hanging up on me. I was so frustrated I put the bill away until early this week since I couldn't actually talk to anyone and I wasn't going to pay it until I got an explanation.

Then, we got a bill from the hospital. It wasn't as bad as we thought it might be, but considering we're living on a super tight budget right now, it was going to deplete some of our savings. Because I had so much trouble with getting ahold of the doctor's office, I called the hospital first. After waiting on hold forever someone finally came to the line. I told her my situation and asked if there were any payment options or any reduction in the bill if we paid it all at once. She brought up our account and said she could see where there was a $772 bill sent, but that all charges had been dropped because we left the hospital before Michael was seen. A bill of $0??? I was so excited! I praised God, thanked the lady and told her she had made my day. I double checked to make sure we wouldn't get another bill and she said, "When they go in and manually change your bill, it's erased and you won't receive any more bills."

After I hung up with her I called the doctors office again about the other bill. "It just so happens" their phone system was working this time and I was able to speak to someone. I told her the hospital had erased the bill because we weren't seen. She pulled up our bill and said since the hospital didn't charge us she would take care of it. If I had called the doctor's office first I wouldn't have known to tell them the hospital forgave the bill. God orchestrated the whole course of the phone calls and somehow miraculously worked with the hospital billing person to forgive our bill.

Of course it doesn't mean he will always forgive our hospital bills, we've paid quite a few in the past and will pay more in the future. But this time he saw fit to show us his provision by forgiving the bill. He provides in mysterious ways! I praise him for his provision in our lives!