My son called me today. He is at a crossroads in his life. He is about to finish his premed studies at the University of Central Florida and is a bit hesitant to jump right into medical school. I can relate, I remember absolutely hating textbooks when I finished my degrees.

He is thinking about some cancer research ideas and is tempted to explore those further. He wouldn’t have time for this if he went to medical school. He asked my advice.

I asked him if he had prayed about it and if he thought God was in this. He said, “Yes, he felt as if God was in this and he had gotten a text from my friend, David Roberts, today which came right when he found out he had not done as well on the MCAT as he thought he would. (He is still in the top 20% so it is no big worry but he is a perfectionist about grades).

I was surprised that he was asking my advice because he is a very capable and intelligent young man but I was honored. I thought for just a moment and said, “You need to lay out a fleece.”

“What?” He asked.

I told him in the Bible a man named Gideon had some indecision about the path that he was supposed to take and he laid out a wool fleece. He told God that if he was the person to lead Israel into war that God should make the fleece wet and the ground dry. God did this. Then Gideon asked very humbly for God to confirm this and make the fleece dry and the ground wet. Which God did also.

I told my son to lay out a fleece and to apply to the medical schools which he wanted to go to even if he thought his MCAT score was not high enough. If God wanted him to go to a certain medical school he could open that door for my son. If He didn’t want my son to attend medical school at this time he could close that door but he at least needed to apply and then let God work through his application.

He said that was a great idea. “How many should I apply to?” He asked.

I was thinking five when he said,”I think I will apply to five.”I followed the conversation up with sending him a devotional on Gideon.

Tonight as I was meditating in my Bible study class I remembered verses in the Bible which say that God will be a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows.

I am not a widow but I have not had a husband for many years.

My children are not orphans they love their father very much and he is very present in their lives but to have a God who has written a book which I can refer to when giving Godly counsel to my son is beyond comforting to me and deepens my love for my heavenly Father.

My God has been my protector, my best friend, my counselor and He is truly the love of my life. What a comfort it is to my heart and soul to have my God to turn to when one I love so deeply needs Godly advice.