focused on Glory...He Directs the Hearts of Kings (and Insurance Companies!)

Note: This is not the focused on Glory post I had planned for today, but this one practically wrote itself and demanded to be posted! :) 

No matter how many prayers I see God answer, no matter how much I think I can't be any more amazed at His power and goodness than I already am...there are times when His glory bursts forth in a way that just leaves me crying tears of joy and shaking in awe.  

Today is one of those days.  

I went outside for a few minutes with Billy this morning before breakfast.  I was playing with a new photo app and decided to take some {more, as I've been taking a few here and there all week} pictures of my grandmother's honeysuckle.  This honeysuckle has been growing in this yard for well over 40 years...probably at least 50.  My grandmother LOVED it.   My dad, who was severely allergic to honeysuckle, hated it. :)   When I was very young, I used to torment my dad by putting vases of honeysuckle on the table before he got home from work.  For some reason, I thought his reaction when he walked through the door and saw it was funny.  (I really was NOT an evil child, and I loved my daddy.  I'm not sure why I thought his "Are you trying to KILL me? reaction was funny, but I did. *blush*)  I learned my lesson the hard way, though, when my allergies suddenly erupted in adolescence.  I am now the one severely allergic to honeysuckle, and my house is surrounded by it.  When I'm not sneezing my head off, I realize the humor in that. :)  

I can't bear to get rid of the honeysuckle, because of its beauty, its lovely scent, and the nostalgia involved.  Not to mention the fact that we'd have to practically burn down everything on our entire lot to get rid of it...it's everywhere! :)  

So this morning, I took honeysuckle pictures.   They aren't amazing pictures...just the first photos I took with the new "Instagram for Android Tablet" app that I've been waiting on {not so} patiently. :)   They weren't intended to be foG photos.  I actually decided to play around and come up with a new cover photo for my Facebook profile.  In the process, I came across these verses: 

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, 

for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. 

Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 

Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. 

In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 

And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name."

~ 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

And I just sat and soaked in them for a while...amazing verses about our amazing God.  

I made a quick little cover photo, using the honeysuckle photos and those verses...

...and then I went on about the business of the morning.  

And then Billy called from work.

And said, "The insurance company approved the medicine." 

To make a long story short, last week the neurologist prescribed a {very expensive} brand name epilepsy drug for our child who was just diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.   While we typically take generic drugs and have experienced no problems, the doctor explained that in this case, the brand name was important.  Another long story, but the little bit of leeway given drug manufacturers in manufacturing generics can be a huge problem for people with epilepsy.  The small differences in dosage possible from one month to the next can actually exacerbate the seizure activity, which is obviously NOT a good thing.

The doctor and the pharmacist both warned us to expect a months-long battle for approval.  They told us that we would probably have to do a trial of the generic and fail (meaning increased seizure activity) in order to get the brand name approved.   For obvious reasons, we didn't want to go that route, but neither could we afford to pay for the very expensive brand name meds out of pocket.   We asked friends to pray that the insurance company would approve the brand name without a trial of the generic first.  

We were given "starter kits" of the brand name drugs to use for the next 9 weeks as we get up to dosage, but the nurse asked us to go ahead and submit the prescription so that they would have plenty of time for all the red tape.   Billy submitted it yesterday...and within 24 hours, the insurance company had approved it.  

Almost immediately, my mind went back to those verses I'd just read in 1 Chronicles 29...

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, 

for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. 

Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 

Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. 

In your hand are power and might, 

and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 

And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name."

I couldn't help but think of this verse as well...

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.

~ Proverbs 21:1

The king's heart...and the insurance company's red tape.  Both in the hand of the Lord, and He directs them wherever He pleases.  

And we are thankful for another explosion of His glory....

Be sure to see Tauna's focused on Glory post today...the Glory of the Creator through the incredible beauty of spring flowers!