I left full time ministry to go into medicine to help save people's lives and to ease their suffering in illness and injury. I knew I could share not only the life saving grace of Jesus but the life saving (at times) power of medicine. Last night I was out to dinner with friends when this man came over to my table. He said, "Aren't you Katie Cook?" Surprised he recognized me with my hair jet black but I bet he recognized my voice first :-) . He said, "My name is _____ ______ and we were RAs together in college. You saw my mom at the Free Medical Clinic a few years ago and she was really sick. You referred her to the Iowa Care Program (health insurance for uninsured Iowans) and that has been such a blessing. You saved her life and I told myself if I ever saw you again I would be sure to say thanks."
Modern medicine cannot do it all. Modern medicine sometimes makes mistakes. Sometimes we use modern medicine to prolong suffering. Sometimes we use modern medicine as power to think we are gods. But sometimes we get it right. Sometimes the right amount of compassion meets the right resources and someone's life is better because of it. Thinking of my grandma being ill and my mom looking toward losing her mother and then thinking of one day losing my mom which makes me want to stop breathing, I am so blessed to have been part of that family's life and giving them their mom for that much longer. That interaction made me smile and reminded me again of why I do it.
1 comment:
I'm so glad you do it, too. David and I spent some time reflecting on the way you and Bill have chosen to use your lives and we were both just in such awe of your focus and fruitfulness!
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