“Can you help me get a $5,000 loan?”
That was the question Shirley asked me. Shirley is the sister of my neighbor, Maggie. The two sisters had recently visited a hearing aid vendor because Maggie’s hearing aids, which she had purchased three years earlier, were no longer working.
The store manager told them it would cost $600 to repair the hearing aids, but he also said that even after the repair they still would not work properly. Instead, he recommended that Maggie purchase a new pair for $5,500. To do that, she would need yet another loan.
As I looked into the situation, I discovered that Maggie had already paid $5,500 for her original hearing aids three years ago. At that time, the vendor had connected her with a finance company that loaned her $5,000. Maggie had faithfully been making monthly payments of $157, yet she still owed approximately $2,200 on that loan.
The manager had already measured her for new hearing aids and encouraged her to apply for another loan through the same lender. However, when Maggie returned to pick up the new hearing aids, she was informed that her loan application had been denied. Shirley and Maggie then asked if I could help them contact the lender again or perhaps work with their local bank. Unfortunately, both the finance company and the bank declined her request for additional funding.
Several questions came to mind. Why were the original hearing aids no longer covered by a warranty? Why would a customer be told that a repair would cost $600, yet still not solve the problem? Something did not seem right.
I decided to contact Maggie’s medical insurance company. During that conversation, I learned that she had a Medicaid plan that would provide up to $2,200 toward a pair of hearing aids. That was encouraging news. The next challenge was finding an audiology provider who accepted her insurance.
Customer service emailed me a list of 25 audiologists in Western New York who worked with her insurance plan. I called the office closest to her in Batavia. The first question the audiologist asked was, “What kind of insurance coverage does she have?” When I explained that I had already confirmed a $2,200 hearing aid benefit, she cautiously agreed to schedule an appointment.
At the appointment, the very first thing the audiologist did was contact Maggie’s insurance company to verify the coverage. They confirmed that her plan would indeed pay up to $2,200 toward hearing aids. Why the first vendor had never bothered to check her insurance benefits remains a mystery.
After testing Maggie’s hearing, the audiologist recommended that she first see a medical specialist. She was concerned that Maggie’s cleft palate might be contributing to her hearing difficulties. Once those medical evaluations are completed, the audiologist will move forward with ordering hearing aids that truly meet Maggie’s needs.
This experience reminded me that success often comes through persistence, asking good questions, and refusing to give up until a solution is found.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches:
“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:42)
If someone asked me what ministry is all about, I would simply say that bringing a cup of cold water comes in many forms.
Sometimes it means helping someone navigate a complicated situation so they can obtain the hearing aids they need. Sometimes it means bringing food to a family struggling with unemployment. It may mean visiting a patient in the psychiatric unit, praying for a friend undergoing cancer treatment, encouraging someone who is afraid to drive again after a serious accident, or saying yes when a son asks you to come to the cemetery later this summer to bury his father.
Every day presents opportunities to bring a cup of cold water to someone in need.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who quietly go beyond the call of duty to care for family members, neighbors, and strangers alike. Bless their kindness, generosity, and compassion.
And today, I leave you with this question: What are you doing to bring a cup of cold water to someone else?
For the Lord assures us that such acts of love never go unnoticed, and we will not lose our reward.
