Heading to the Memorial Hospital West’s cafeteria this week after visiting several patients, I could hear my stomach rumbling with hunger. And Paul and I were in luck! Right on the menu board was posted Paul’s favorite sandwich. Yes, today’s menu special was an amazing, hot Cuban sandwich. Now this is no ordinary Cuban sandwich. It is an ooey gooey gastronomic blending of melted swiss cheese, spicy mustard, sweet ham, and savory, slow roasted pork pressed into perfection served with a crisp deli pickle. For a split second, I almost give in to this temptation. I would love to order one of these amazing delicacies, but I’m watching my waistline. I usually sneak a few heavenly bites with Paul’s permission, kidding myself that these calories never count.

While waiting in the sandwich line about ten people deep, I wisely decided on a nutritious, low calorie tuna wrap loaded with veggies. I remembered how I must fit into that dress for our daughter’s wedding soon, so I decided to count calories. When suddenly I noticed the Cuban sandwich posting removed. I looked at Paul and smiled. Had God heard my silent prayer for Paul to eat less calories? “Well dear, it looks to me like God wants you to order healthier today”, I joke. “I think they’re out of your favorite Cuban sandwiches. How about a salad with all the fixings today?” But, at this point, with visions of melted gooiness dancing in his head, Paul would not give up. With gusto, he pleaded with the cafeteria staff to look and see if there were any Cuban sandwiches to be found. I smugly smiled to myself. I had to give him credit for having faith!

Low and behold, I hear the cafeteria staff telling Paul there IS one Cuban sandwich left! And he can have it. What! Where did this one come from? Everyone before Paul was told emphatically, they were sold out. I also seem to remember, on his birthday in early July, he had prayed all the way to the cafeteria that they would be serving his favorite Cuban sandwiches for lunch. And they were!!!

Paul confessed to me later, that he had struggled in the flesh with the choice of satisfying his growing hunger pains or spending the extra time with our last patient. We both chose to visit one more patient. This young man was not on our assigned patient list, but was recommended by another patient across the hall. “Please visit this guy,” he pleaded. “He just got admitted and needs to hear how your son, Paul Henry is now healed by Jesus from Lymphoma and Leukemia cancers, and back at work. Please stop by!” So we felt compelled by God’s love to visit a young man recently diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer and in desperate need of God’s Healing and Hope. His mother, faithfully by her son’s side, so grateful to meet us, expressed gratitude for our timely visit. We listened, we prayed together calling down heavenly healing to earth for this tearful young man in Jesus’ name.

Well, how God loves this young man healing from Lymphoma. And how God loves my husband. Of course, He does. He loves us deeply, even more than the deepest ocean. God’s favor truly flows to my husband, to me, to the young man we just visited. God apparently loves blessing my sweet husband even in the small pleasures of life. He knows Paul will eat several salads throughout the week to balance his diet.

So then, how much does God want to answer all our prayers? He loves making Himself known in the “small prayers” like asking for our favorite sandwich. How about “the big” prayers like, “God, will you heal me from cancer?” He hears all our cries, absolutely. 1 John 5:14 & 15 says in the bible, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”