Adopted Memoir Available for Kindle
“I thought I’d be dead by 21”
Great pain produces character. It can just as easily produce fear, rejection, and self-loathing.
My early life produced in me a fear that I’d be dead by 21. This personal narrative is my memory of a lifelong search for love, belonging, and a sense of place. Walk with me on my journey through abandonment, panic attacks, fear, rejection, bullying, and unbelief, out into the blinding light of healing love.
Adopted touches on the issues nearly every child or adult adoptee must face on the way to maturity, wholeness, and redemption. Along the way it provides valuable insights to adoptive and foster parents who long to see their children whole; and, to adult adoptees who wonder why they do what they do and how healing can be the next chapter in their life story.
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When Will Doctors Really Heal?
More people die of the supposed cure than from the disease. Think of all the commercials you’ve seen that have some drug that claims to treat a symptom/sickness. It shows how wonderful life will be once you get your doctor to prescribe their product (drug/medicine). Then comes the aweful truth. _______ can also cause, stroke, heart attack, blindness, hallucinations in nursing mothers, hair loss, and chronic, choking cough.
My response has always been: “Honey, would you please write down the name of this drug so I can get my doctor to write me a prescription right away?”
Think about it:
The entire medical-industrial complex is set up to diagnose pathology . . . we spend nearly 20 percent of our gross national product on healthcare, yet we continually rank amongst the lowest of any Western country on all health indicators. We would do much better to focus on health and prevention rather than post-symptomatic diagnosis of diseases such as prostate problems.
–Dr. David Browstein
I get the sense that many doctors may want to heal their patients, but most doctors are simply pushers for the drug companies–either from honest ignorance, unquestioned compliance to their medical education, or from willful collaboration. And the drug companies can only stay in business if you and I remain chronically sick. Their bottom line is not helped if we don’t need our symptoms treated with their drugs because our doctors actually healed us of the need for them.
I wish I could be less cynical, but I’ve lived long enough, visited enough sick people in hospitals and officiated at enough gravesides that I can reliably conclude that the prescribed treatment of allopathic medicine (which is drug/medicine-based) is worse than the condition it seeks to mask.
What I’d like to call for is doctors who will be honest enough with themselves and others to care enough about their patients to not just mask symptoms, but to identify and treat causes in natural ways that do not further the fortunes of drug company executives and stockholders.
Just Reviewed: Sabbath Keeping
Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest by Lynne M. Baab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sabbath Keeping is a fresh look at an important antidote to our chronic busyness.
I love it that Lynne Baab does not approach the topic from the vantage-point of “law.” Rather, she comes at it through a seasonal metaphor. Life is full of seasons. Sabbath rest is an organic, season in our week. It is a rhythm of life. Those who participate in this special gift of God–one day out of seven–experience a harvest of peace and joy in the midst of their lives.
She also gives practical helps for those interested in going deeper or launching into a Sabbath. She gives multiple solutions for those who want to move out of the cultural torrent, to the still waters of a deeper spirituality.
Since I have been keeping a Sabbath with my wife for two years now, I find her suggestions and conclusions to be right on target. I highly recommend this book to veterans or those just thinking about the need for a quiet space in their week.
A Father Who Is Here
Late last night, I got a call from a frantic mom. Her young daughter had been at the local hospital for several days. The 19-year old was at the hospital, up watching TV and antsy to get released and go home. Then they found out that she had Tuberculosis in one of her lungs. School, job, friends all waiting for her return. Suddenly, her world turned upside down.
Then to compound the problem, the mom told me that her daughter had just had a major setback. A blood clot migrated to her other lung. Now her daughter was on life-support, unconscious, and had less that a 50/50 chance of making it. Would we please pray with her, that she might live through the night. I called a fellow elder. We decided to meet together at the ER to go to ICU. I dressed, kissed my wife good night, and drove to the hospital. When I arrived my friend was waiting outside for me. We went together to ICU, dawned face-masks and entered the room. After consoling the mom, we prayed for the unconscious young woman. I whispered in her ear that the Lord was with her.
I could sense our Father’s presence. I was reminded that He is Yahweh Shammah (God who is here). Emmanuel–God with us. Certainly, his love encircled the patient and her mom. We were an extension and witness to that abiding presence of Abba (Papa or Daddy) if you prefer. He has not and will not depart from his daughters and sons.
It’s too early to tell how this will turn out for this young daughter, but we have asked Father to make things here as they are in the heavens–healed and whole. We are displacing the enemy’s plans to make room for Abba’s. Because we’re a little flock, my wife had no problem communicating the situation to everyone. I counted 11 friends & several New Life family members in the waiting room (since only 2 at a time could go in her room) when I left at 1:15AM. Our Father would not leave our sister to go through this alone. We are witnesses of his watchcare and loving presence. As we prayed together, we knew that He was with us.
The mom? She said that she has been through many deep valleys (she is an African refugee). She lost family members to genocide. She was separated from her husband and children, with the exception of this daughter. Yet she was not complaining. She told us: “I know He (Father) is with me. Though I cannot tell how, I know He will carry us through and my daughter will be whole.”
We are in a faith walk. But we are not alone. If you are a praying person, would you please pray for this young girl. I can’t share her name because of confidentiality and because I don’t have permission yet from her mom. Just pray for the girl mentioned at “David’s Place.” Father knows her.
What about you? Is your faith being stretched in this season of your life? Can you testify to our Father’s presence with you? I invite you to leave a comment. I’d love to see a string of faith-filled comments or anecdotes to encourage us.
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