THOUGHT FOR TODAY
I can’t assume that my illness will behave and respond exactly like someone else’s illness.
March 14
“Honor a physician with the honor due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him: for the Lord hath created him.”
APOCRYPHA, ECCLESIASTICUS 38:1–3
My friend phoned me to vent her anger; when she was finished she said she felt better. Then she apologized, thanked me, and hung up. The focus of her fury was her oncologist, who had been insensitive and detached as he rushed her through a weekly checkup that morning. “I felt like one of fifty faceless patients passing through on a conveyor belt,” she fumed.
We’ve all had similar experiences and feelings during visits to doctors. At one time or another, every one of us has been rushed, patronized, or treated disrespectfully. Following such episodes, it is tempting to conclude that physicians care less about medicine than they do about money and that the most important charts in their lives can be found in the financial sections of newspapers.
The truth is that few doctors choose their specialty purely for financial gain. Once we are over our annoyance at the slight we have experienced, can we really believe that any doctor can counsel hundreds upon hundreds of patients, many critically ill and some terminal, and remain unaffected by other people’s pain?
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Do I unfairly disparage all doctors as “callous and greedy”?
March 15
“When the frustration of my helplessness seemed greatest, I discovered God’s grace was more than sufficient.”
CHARLES CALEB COLTON
Illness usually takes us by surprise, slipping into our lives like a thief in the night. Before we have a chance to regain our senses it can strip us of our carefree spirit, our dignity, our self-confidence, and as much as anything else, our once-strong sense of belonging.
Thieves always take and never give, so it’s hard to imagine gaining anything from illness. Yet, over time, we have indeed gained at least one highly valuable asset, humility, which had always seemed well out of our reach.
In the past, many of us arrogantly believed that we would be healthy forever; self-centeredness convinced us that we were somehow immune to the realities of life. When illness brought us to our knees and showed us just how vulnerable we were, that’s when we gained our first measure of humility. Only then was it possible for us to graciously ask for and gratefully accept help.
Illness also taught us to recognize and accept our powerlessness over people, places, and things. We became better able to see ourselves in perspective with others and the world as a whole. We gained a true sense of what is important and what is not.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Am I open to the lessons and rewards of illness?
March 16
“Words are the dress of thoughts; which should no more be presented in rags, tatters, and dirt, than your person should.”
PHILIP STANHOPE, LORD CHESTERFIELD
The words we use in conversations are often good indicators of certain prejudices or attitudes we may have, even though we may not be fully aware of them. If we blurt out to someone, for example, that we’re “hobbling along like a cripple,” then that statement reveals quite a lot about our self-image, not to mention our feelings about people (including ourselves) who may be physically challenged.
Similarly, if after two days and nights of unrelenting pain we tell our partner that we’re going to “break down and call the doctor,” that says much about our attitude toward healthcare professionals and also, very likely, about our level of self-worth.
What exactly do we mean when we say we’re “going to break down and call the doctor?” Do we feel that it’s somehow improper to interrupt the doctor with anything less than a dire emergency? Does our choice of words indicate we’re afraid the doctor might be annoyed by one too many calls from us and that we don’t want to risk disapproval? Do we feel that the doctor is too important to be bothered by the likes of us?
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
My words reflect my feelings. If I change the feelings, the words will follow.
March 17
“Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self.”
CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON
I don’t know how long it took me to regain consciousness following open-heart surgery, but I clearly remember how surprised and grateful I felt to be alive. For quite some time after that, perhaps a year or more, I had little trouble putting my spiritual beliefs into practice. I was quite willing to work for a full recovery and completely willing to leave the results to God.
Looking back, it seems that I gained a degree of humility from that near-death experience. I realized (not for the first time) that I wasn’t in control of my world or anyone else’s.
As time went on and I became stronger, my ego expanded along with my confidence. I frequently tried to take control in areas where I was completely powerless. The best I could do was rarely good enough; gradually self-will again became a damaging force in my life.
The more I tried to take control, the more fearful I became. I was humbled once more and realized I had forgotten this vital spiritual principle: By doing the best I can, and then surrendering the results to God, I allow His power to enter my life and bring about positive change.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
God is in charge. If it is supposed to happen, it will.
March 18
“Recall your courage, and lay aside sad fear.”
VIRGIL
It goes without saying, doesn’t it, that risk-taking no longer belongs in our lives? Risks are for healthy people who can still afford to put themselves on the line. These days we want to feel protected, not vulnerable; solid, not fragile; secure, not fearful. Now that we’re sick and frequently in pain, risk-taking is the last thing in the world we should expect of ourselves. Right?
Wrong. The reality is that certain risks are well worth taking and, in fact, can bring comfort and even more security to our lives. We stand to benefit greatly, for example, when we risk becoming more self-aware by exploring our feelings and reactions, by learning to identify and eliminate old ideas and character flaws, and by practicing meditation.
Risks can also bring rewards when we share our emotions and personal experiences with friends and loved ones—when, by risking intimacy, we allow others to know us at the truly important levels instead of merely the superficial ones.
For many of us, the most beneficial risk of all is the one we take by letting go and letting God.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Before I automatically say no, I’ll check the risk-reward