Going through my email this week, I saw that Denise H sent out an update about her daughter - that she didn't have cancer but she did have some tumors and they were going to operate in such a way as to rob the tumors of a blood supply. This will result, we're praying, in them shrinking and pretty much going away altogether.

Because my own nephew is having such awful health problems - his body has rejected a transplanted liver and it will likely cut his life short very soon - I reflected on these two people as I prayed this week.

My nephew's consequence comes from his living in such a way that he didn't take care of himself. Not the original liver loss, that was due to a mysterious and unexpected rare disease. But his current liver, the one he got as a transplant and should be grateful for, the one he got because someone died to give it to him and grant him another chance at life, he has trashed. I hear from family members that he doesn't want to live any more and has given up. It is so sad, because it didn't have to be this way. So sad.

Denise H's daughter, she is an encouragement to anyone that thinks about her situation. Yes, tumors are like bad habits in your life. They can lead to sin (like cancer, a perversion of that which is good into something that is deadly) if you leave them unchecked, but if you cut them off at the source they usually end up going away altogether. Drunks can't get drunk without, well, the drink! I suppose she could stew in pity and think to herself that something is wrong with her and give up, but it seems from what I hear she has a will to live. If only those who have sin in their lives would also have a strong will to live and embrace he who gives life.

Not surprisingly I find myself praying for the same outcome for both of them. I don't pray that Denise's daughter "gets better" - she will or she won't mostly according to how her treatments go. But I do pray for her to not despair. I of course pray for my nephew, who now finds himself very close to being beyond hope physically, to also turn and embrace the hope we have in Christ. He was a Christian once.

I think of many who Jesus healed, and most of them went on their way happy for the physical outcome and overlooking the real blessing that was there within their grasp. I recall 9 lepers, who as far as we know never came back, and the others he healed. How many were there standing "afar off' when he was on the cross? Some, but certainly not all. Where was their faith?

No, I don't always pray for the physical because it doesn't seem to often matter. I consider Paul who suffered from some ailment yet it wasn't a limitation of God that it continue. Many Christians suffered, many died, yet it didn't demonstrate a lack of God's power. It will go on until God says enough. Bad things happen in this world, be it brought on by chance, bad genes, bad people, or careless living. Something bad has happened to these two people. Bad things happen to everyone sooner or later. It's what you do about it that makes all the difference. One of them seems to have given up. One of them seems to be willing to press on. Both deserve a chance, and both are precious in the sight of God.

And so I bow my head and I pray they not despair. If this prayer could be answered, it would be more than enough to satisfy anyone. For what does a man profit if he should gain the whole world - and that includes excellent health - yet lose his own soul? The devil was sure Job would give his soul to save his skin. Isn't it better to go to the next life maimed, says Jesus? And who can forget, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from this burning furnace..." There is one thing worth more than our physical health - and its our spiritual health!

Randy