Some Good Medicine

A cheerful heart is a good medicine,

 but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22 (NRSV)

How do you know this is true? When have you been good medicine for someone who needs it? When have you dried up bones because of a downcast spirit? Can you give life?

The following is a story that came from LiveScience.com on May 26, 2006 and was written by Jim Fitzgerald.
Dr. Samuel Weinstein, chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery for Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, went to El Salvador in 2006 with Heart Care International to provide life-saving operations for poor children.
It would take more than expertise and advanced equipment to save the life of Francisco Calderon Anthony Fernandez, eight, however. After twelve hours of surgery, the boy began to bleed out of control. The hospital lacked both the medicines to stop the bleeding and the blood to give the boy transfusions. Francisco’s blood type was B-negative, which – according to the American Red Cross – is present in only 2 percent of the population.
Dr. Weinstein had the same blood type. So he set aside his scalpel, took off his gloves, and began washing his hands and forearm. Then he sat down and had his blood drawn.
When he had given his pint, Dr. Weinstein drank some bottled water and ate a Pop-Tart. Then – twenty minutes after stepping away from the table – he rejoined his colleagues, who watched as Weinstein’s blood began flowing into the boy’s small veins. Weinstein then completed the operation that saved Francisco’s life.

I am sure the good doctor could have given up hope after twelve hours of operation, but instead somewhere within he found the source of good medicine. Jesus said that whoever has faith in him will be able to do greater things than he did. I’ve heard that Christians built 90% of the schools and hospitals ever built. I’d say that is doing great things. We could look at the world and become downcast, or we could be cheerfully determined to be good medicine. Good medicine can save a life!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Obeying Jesus

“Everyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” – Matthew 6:27 (NCV)

Do you listen to Jesus’ words? If you do, how do you know that you do? When have you not listened to Jesus? How have you been kept you from obeying? What happened? What is it like when you obey?

Back in college I knew everything… I really did, I mean I thought I really did. So when my ear started to ache I knew it would go away. After two weeks or so it didn’t go away and it started to hurt even more. Finally I thought that perhaps I was wrong about it going away and decided that it was best to go to a doctor.
Off I went to see my doctor who took one look in my ear and said, “Are you stupid?”
“Excuse me?”
“You should have see me at least two weeks ago,” he replied. “If you had waited much longer you could have permanent hearing loss.”
I was given some antibiotic drops and pills and told that I had to make sure I finished both of them. After a couple of days the pain was gone, so I figured I didn’t have to worry about finishing the pills that upset my stomach, or finishing the drops that seemed to be a waste of time…
A couple of days after my decision to ignore my doctor’s orders the pain came back. A couple of days after that I went back to the doctor. A couple of minutes after he came into the room he looked in my ear and said, “Are you stupid?”

I believed in my doctor, I just didn’t listen to him, and it got me into trouble. Having a house built on the sand would get you into trouble when the rains came down, and that is what happens when we don’t listen to Jesus, it gets us into trouble when the storms of life come up, and they will come up. To listen to Jesus and obey his words is to have a true relationship with God, which is the only way to keep standing during the storms of life. Begin to obey and when life aches we will know it won’t be permanent.

With hope and joy,
Garrett