DOES GOD REALLY ALLOW BAD THINGS TO HAPPEN?

Every time I hear about health care, Obama Care, Pelosi care or whatever they call it up there in D.C., I just want to preach!! It will completely ruin my day if I continue to listen or read on the latest. I did just that a few weeks back when I traveled 2 1/2 hours from my house to my doctor to complete the last steps before my Lap Band surgery be scheduled. Friends, those of you who have stood by me since 2008 will know the depths of hell I have had to fight in order to get the respect, compassion and dignity I deserve and to receive the BEST care for illnesses that drs. for too long have misdiagnosed.

The last steps in preparation for my surgery that I was looking forward to was a 'teaching' class on how I will eat and what I will be allowed/not allowed to eat after my Lap Band is in place. Then Dr. Britt would meet with me privately to answer any questions I might have and to go over the procedure. Then third, I would be scheduled! When I got there to sign in, I handed the receptionist some last minute records from my doctor in Nashville and showed her a new insurance card I had received the month prior. When I showed her my card, she had the weirdest look on her face. It was a Blue Cross Blue Shield card. She took it to the insurance manager. Her manager came up to me and said that she thought I had Medicare. I told her that I do have it and this is a supplemental they sent me.

What happened was the most devastating, sickening and disheartened thing that could ever happen to a person. I was finally at the finish line and on this day I was the happiest I had been in so long. I have been disabled for 2 years and I could see me getting my life back. Medicare allowed BS/BC to screw me like they did other people. It didn't take much for me to cry their at the receptionist window feeling like an 18-wheeler had just ran over me!!!

Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the biggest insurance companies in the world They can do anything they please; illegal or legal, and nobody can touch them! They had sent out a nice brochure at the end of April to many people on Medicare advertising that to join is free and is medicare approved. Like me and no telling how many thousands that received the same brochure, thought it was supplemental; extra help. It said nothing about Medicare will discontinue my insurance with them so BS/BC would be my primary. How this was advertised and many medical professionals who have seen this very brochure will all agree "what BS/BC is doing is illegal how they 'pitched' this to people and because they are BS/BC, they are untouchable, nobody can hold them accountable."

One of the nurses who saw how upset I was told me to go on outside, take a walk around the hospital, get me some water then come back so her and I could sit down and talk. She had already read my health history from doctor reports, met me months earlier and knew that I was very serious about the surgery; some one who wouldn't 'fall off the wagon' after wards. The whole time my mind is racing. I ran to the bathroom, fell to the floor and cried my eyes out. I wasn't sure what to make of this. I said to myself, "Lord, don't you like me anymore? Why did this happen? I was just an inch away from the finish line. I am exhausted and I can't take another huge blow right now. Why did You allow this to happen?"

I picked myself up, shaken and splashed cold water on my face. Then I walked a little while around the hospital to try to overcome the shock and to figure things out. As I walked (and not like I was sight seeing either) I began cursing, in my mind this shat health care system and that sorry son of a biscuit eater President along with his clowns not doing a thing to help people who are trying so hard to help themselves get healthy again. I thought, "Those sorry bastards will be sorry if I ever get elected a Congresswoman because I wont back down until things are fixed or I breathe my last breath." I felt like Scarlett O'Hara when she said as she waved her fist in the air, "As God is my witness I will never be hungry again!"

In the car I called Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medicare. I was slightly calmer, but I was very stern, holding back the tears and very determined to get this straightened out. Without any problems, my BS/BC was canceled and as of this Thursday (July 1) I will be back on Medicare. So on Thursday, my paperwork will be refilled, then within a week I am expecting to hear something from my doctor about when I come in to complete those last steps. Dr. Britt's office has me top priority to call and schedule immediately as soon as Medicare contacts them. My surgery will more and likely happen between mid to late July.

I could've easily given up. I could've easily just thrown my hands up in the air and said "The crap with it!" But I didn't!! That is not who I am. It's not easy to stand up to people (companies) who are bigger than us. It is also not easy to stand up face difficult circumstances that that come unexpectedly. I felt for just a short time that God had neglected me. When things go terribly wrong, we blame God. But when things go great, we praise God. But why is this such an issue? For one, we make an issue because as humans we sometimes loose sight of the whole picture when things don't go our way or things 'just' happen, like with me. Over the weekend after I had gotten some much needed rest from all the chaos that happened for just one day, The Lord and I had a chat. He told me to go through my Bible and look at passages I had already marked as important to me. Then as I read these scriptures, see how many promises I come across. When I come across a 'promise' that God made, circle it and write the letter 'P' besides that verse. As I did this, I didn't feel like I was in a dilemma anymore. Things fell into place and made more sense.

God is eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Why should human beings expect to be able to fully understand God’s ways? Nobody will ever know why we will never understand some of God's ways, but I know for certain God was reminding me that no matter what life throws at me, He will never leave me and He will always do what He promises He will do. When I hurt, He hurts too. When my heart is broken into tiny pieces, He feels that pain too. What I have to do is lean closer to Him, put it in His Hands and not become discouraged.

The book of Job deals with this issue of why bad things happen to good people. God had allowed Satan to do everything he wanted to Job except kill him. What was Job’s reaction? “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). Job did not understand why God had allowed the things He did, but he knew God was good and therefore continued to trust in Him. Ultimately, that should be our reaction as well. ”Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Above all, however, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful. He draws me closer to Him and to Him I will rest in His Arms until the storm passes. He wants the very best for His children and when we continue to look up to Him, He will get us through the toughest times and rejoice with us in the sweetest of times.