Friday, June 17, 2011

"F... ing" Up All The Statistics

In the words of my gastroenterologist, "You F... up all our statistics." I hate four letter words, but in this case I say, "Praise God!" God has a way of confounding the smartest men. I don't believe I had anything to do with F... ing up my doctors statistics. I actually had more to do with getting myself into the dilemma I was in.

In 2002, I was diagnosed with cancer. Later the diagnosis was changed to Crohn's Ileitis- severe inflammation of the ileum. After everything that my doctors tried failed, I ended up in ICU on life support. But God has a way of intervening in our lives when things look most bleak. That is exactly what He did in my case. Surely by now, after spending time on life support and surviving three major surgeries, including exploratory surgery, something would have gone wrong, but God continues to befuddle wise men everywhere.

Dr. P., my gastroenterologist, recently said to me, "Joe, I'm going to start sending all my patients to Kentucky," thinking that my move to Kentucky back in 2004 had something to do with keeping me out of the hospital. I looked him in the eyes and said, "Doctor P, it's not Kentucky, it's the peace that surpasses all understanding."

I know who rescued me from the depths of darkness and brought me into His marvelous light; while I lay in bed unconscious and the hospital staff asked my wife if she wanted to donate my organs.  It was God who reached out His hand to touch me and heal me. It was God who raised me up from my deathbed after the wisest of men failed to prevent me from becoming deathly ill.

None of us is guaranteed a long healthy life without any difficulties. In fact, life is filled with hardship, sickness and trouble. But the lesson that God has taught me is that no matter how bleak life appears to be, there is a God who is the Creator of life, who sustains all things and who desires to share eternity with human beings everywhere. He is the Savior of mankind. Trust him wherever and whoever you are.