God and Medicaid

Lora Rusel currently serves as Guardian of Operational Integrity. Several years ago, however, she worked as a licensed clinical social worker. She provided counseling and social services for families at Maple City Health Care Center.

One Sunday morning during Sunday School, Lora found herself thinking about some of these families. Her class was discussing the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8). In the parable, a widow repeatedly asks for justice from a recalcitrant judge who finally grants the woman what she desires.

Lora thought about how her families need just treatment. Families apply for desperately needed help from various agencies, but get lost in an immense bureaucracy.

Lora realized that she placed institutions like Medicaid in one universe and a loving, compassionate God in a totally separate universe. She decided she needed the widow’s patience to ask God for help.

On Monday, the following day, Lora learned that three of the families she works with had received the attention they needed from agency representatives.

Luke 18: 1-8

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"