Monday, September
18, 2017
We are
wading through the idea of submitting to God’s power, voluntarily giving the
Lord control over who
we are, what we do and say, even inviting Him to change what and how we think.
In Part 1
we introduced Wilson, the mask-warden that kept me in place while the power of
radiation attacked the cancer in my throat.
Like the tree of knowledge of good and evil in Eden, that powerful
radiation is neither good nor evil until it is pointed at something. It is in the mind of the one who points the
force that either healing or destroying is born. This brings us to the next issue of collateral damage.
Now, nearly
a week after the radiation is done, my throat (inside and outside) is raw and
peeling off bits of burned flesh. My
oncologist explained that the target for his machine included not only the cancerous
tumor, but most of the voice box area.
While that powerful machine was healing me it was also destroying some
of the surrounding tissue to make sure they got everything. The innocent, healthy tissue was collateral
damage. This immediately reminds me of
Jesus’ warning about the collateral
thinking of surgery:
If your hand
causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one
hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. Mark 9:43-44(NLT)
I get it
about the priority of going to heaven over hell. I also draw the parallel between cutting out
a tumor that, if unchecked, could send me to one of those places a lot sooner
than necessary. But I also know that surgically
removing a hand will cause my entire body to ache, just as my body is now
sympathizing with my throat’s trauma.
So here’s
the point: that radiation beam will destroy whatever’s in its path. And if we’re comparing that raw power
of the divided atom to the power of God…and we’re suggesting we open ourselves
willingly to God applying that power to destroy or heal, there’s almost a 100%
certainty that sometimes there will be the pain of collateral damage; THAT takes a lot of trust!
Consider
the statement of Jesus when he was describing for his disciples the effect his presence
and power in our lives would have:
‘Father will
be divided against son and son against father;
mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and
mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’” Luke 12:53(NLT)
For the
past two months I’ve willingly driven to the cancer center in High Point, climbed
onto a cold slab, much like the morgue’s exam table (it’s even in the hospital
basement), allowed a team of techs to pin me to that table, and aim harnessed
lightning at my throat. The effect has
caused an incredible uproar of complaining in my whole body because of the
decision my brain and throat made. My joints
ache; my voice is kaput; I can hardly swallow, and the fatigue makes me drag myself
around like a snail crossing the Grand Canyon.
This is the collateral damage of radiation.
And yet, I chose to do it!
Why I
made that choice is profoundly simple. The
tumor that grew in my body over a period of years was a threat to the whole
body; it was a threat to life. My body
is a conglomeration which includes soul and spirit. An attack on the vocal cords is an attack on
all of Russell. So my whole body had to
participate in the effects of healing.
The joints said “yes” and the throat said “go for it” and all the
muscles that can barely drag this carcass from the bedroom to the couch
whined: “If it’s gotta be, get on with
it!”
For You Today
When it
comes to sin in our lives, and what to do about life and eternity, the effect
of what God will do when you submit your body, soul, and spirit to His power
will seem like an awful lot of collateral damage sometimes.
It’s a
small price for an eternity in glory!
You chew on
that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
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