(Sent via email and posted as a note on Facebook June 22, 2012.)

Greetings friends and family!

I want to testify today about something wonderful; the wonderful way God answers prayer. I want to share an example of the wonderful way God answers prayer for wisdom and insight (Proverbs 2:6, Proverbs 4:5)! May He be glorified by what I share with you today and may you be blessed by this testimony.

Recently two things have been weighing on my mind. The first is that in this time of healthcare crisis in our country, our Church, the Body of Christ, seems to do little to make sure everyone (even their own members) have their medical needs met. I’ve been pondering that if each and every Church “adopted” their local hospital, starting a fund using tithes in order to cover any portion of unpaid bills, that this would help with this crisis. I’ve also further been pondering that if each and every Christian doctor or therapist wrote off unpaid portions of their bills (especially for the poor) if that would help? Wouldn’t each and every Church and ever medical practitioner who did this be blessed? (Malachi 3:10, Luke 10:29-37)

The second issue is that Christians here in the West do not share their personal testimonies nearly as often as they should. I’ve pondered whether or not they should be using as much time as they may have and available communication resource they have available to do so. Was I right or wrong that Christians are not sharing the gospel via their personal testimonies at every given opportunity? Was I being too judgmental or harsh? Or was I not speaking out enough? (Revelation 12:11, Mark 16:15)

On both issues I turned it over to God to give me the answers. (Isaiah 55:8-9, James 1:5)

A couple of weeks ago I was on Facebook and I saw a post (a “glurge”) that was presumably a true story about a boy who dropped all of his books on the way home from school who was helped and by another boy and how that saved him from committing suicide that day. The “true story” part was what prompted me to do an Internet search. (Side note: not completely true, most likely it was just a nice parable.)

During this search I came across another “glurge” story. The story about a Dr. Kelly who wrote off a medical bill for a patient who had given him a free glass of milk years before. Turns out the basis of the story was true. The facts as they were presented were (surprise, surprise) inaccurate. The TRUE story of Dr. Kelly was far more compelling.

Turns out, Dr. Kelly (one of the four founders of Johns Hopkins) regularly wrote off medical bills. He did so for an average of 3 out of 4 patients! Yet he was incredibly successful (and prosperous) anyhow. It also turns out that Dr. Kelly was a devout Christian and this was the reason/motive for him doing this (his faith was omitted from the “glurge” story about him). There was something else about Dr. Howard A. Kelly as well that I found wonderful and inspiring...he had written a book called “A Scientific Man and the Bible a Personal Testimony.”

Yes, Dr. Howard A. Kelly wrote a book that was his personal testimony in Christ even though it was during a time (early 20th Century) that it was unpopular to be in the medical field (or any science field) and believe in God. (Side note, he was the inventor of the Kelly Clamp.)

To me this was God’s answer to BOTH questions. Yes, if Christians made helping people receive medical treatment (just as the Good Samaritan did in Jesus’ parable) it would help solve the healthcare crisis and Christians would be blessed! And yes, we as Christians should (and MUST) share our testimony by any means necessary not matter what the cost may be. Dr. Howard A. Kelly did BOTH.

I hope this blesses you on many levels. That your hope in God is strengthened that He does answer prayer and that you are inspired by what you have read today!

Love,

Heather