simar@tds.net

     One thousand dollars is a lot of money.
     Though my biopsy at Mayo Clinic was negative, thank God, the
insurance company didn’t pay the entire amount as expected.  The original bill
was three thousand dollars but we still owed one thousand dollars after the
claim was settled.
     I tried to have a good attitude.  I tried to be thankful for the
two thousand dollars the insurance company did pay, the negative biopsy and
that my husband and I were both employed and would be able to pay the bill
off in time.
     I tried, but underneath rebelled.  It was Christmas and our budget
was stretched to the limit with three teenagers (one in her first year of
Christian college).  In addition, my brother-in-law was trying to raise
financial support to leave for a mission field in Europe.
There were many places to spend those thousand dollars.
     After hearing my story, a friend at work urged me to appeal the
insurance decision.  “What have you got to lose?” she said.  “Maybe
they made a mistake.”
     That night I wrote a letter to our insurance company asking them
to reconsider our claim.
      “They’ve already decided,” my husband said.  “Just start making
payments.”   But I sent the letter anyway.  After all, what did I have to
lose?     A week later, we received a telephone call from someone at the
insurance company.  They had made a mistake.  The company should have
paid the entire bill.  Only a call from my local physician was needed to
verify the claim.
     We decided to give one thousand dollars to our brother-in-law for
his missionary support.  We would have to make payments, but it didn’t seem
to matter.  After all, the biopsy was negative, my husband and I were both
employed, our teenagers were healthy and one attended a Christian
college.

     And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NIV

Copyright 2005 by Candace Simar