By Dr. Grant Scarborough
Faithful? I wasn’t too sure, at least, when he walked into the clinic.
I know him really well and like him a lot. He is tall, black, and muscular with a huge smile. He has long dreadlocks. He looks like a wide receiver or a basketball player or both. I am sure he use to dunk. Have I mention the huge smile? He is mid-thirties and a looker for all the ladies – from the chest up. But if you look further down, you will notice him pushing a rolling walker, shuffling his feet.
Keep looking and you will notice both his feet wrapped with a small tube coming out of the wrapping draining the infection. If you dare unwrap his feet, you will find half his left foot missing and 3-4 toes on right foot gone. Trust me, don’t unwrap the dressing. When odor meets your nose and ulcer meets your eyes, the med students pass out. He has bad diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. If it wasn’t for a wonderful vascular surgeon performing a procedure, he would have lost both feet already. Are you still smiling – because he is!
“God is faithful, doctor.” I wanted to stop him right there and say, “stop it, you cannot be serious,” but I let him proceed. “Yes doctor, I had no idea what I would do without this clinic here. Before I found you, I was getting sicker and sicker and then I found this clinic. Man, God is faithful! The vascular doctor told me if I was a month or two later I would have lost both my legs. You know, God doesn’t always answer my prayers on my time, but He always delivers. I think God brought me through this all so that I can have a testimony for others.”
I don’t want a testimony like that! God give me an easy testimony. I know that sounds bad – but man I love my feet. I love playing with my girls, throwing the Frisbee, swimming, water skiing, and jogging with my wife. I walk the halls of the clinic and the hospital. Imagine if I could no longer walk. Would I smile? Would I feel God was faithful? Would I become depressed and feel forgotten?
I want to follow Christ when it is easy and He does not ask much of me. I want him to deliver on my timetable not His. So often I want a Savior – but then I want to be my own lord so everything goes perfect. My friend found a faithful God in the midst of losing his health. He found a testimony. He found joy. He found his smile. I want what he has, but I desire for it to come easy. Lord give me the courage to say, “may your will be done in my life.”
He pushed out of the office on his rolling walker, feet still wrapped, and with pockets bulging. He stuffed many “Daily Bread”, a small devotional book, into his pockets to assist in his testimony to others. He was going out to tell of his faithful God. He was going out – smiling – knowing God has provided for him.
Lord I pray for my friend, but Lord may he pray for me. May he remind me that life is more than physical health. It is a God in heaven that has set his affection upon us here on earth, a God that is faithful!