Losing an Arm... With a Smile
One of the lovely gifts I received as I left eMseni was a Cum Books voucher, and I used it to buy some new books that I could use during these devotions. One of the most interesting ones, which I've just finished, was called Rewired: An Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee and the Medical Miracle That Made History, by Doctor Ajay Seth.
Inspirational Faith Story
It's the story of Melissa Loomis, who was bitten on the arm by a raccoon. But instead of a simple recovery, which most bites like that would entail, she ended up with the worst infection any doctor had ever seen. Long story short, they had to remove her arm.
As an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Seth had seen many people receive bad news. When he went to tell Melissa how bad her arm was, he was actually quite shocked at how calm she was. He said “this woman is either unnaturally calm and powerful on the inside or outright crazy!” But she seemed to take this in her stride in an amazing way.
Later in the book, Dr. Seth describes her as a unique, positive, and hopeful patient and says this: “If only every patient who walked through our doors could be like this one.”
Melissa took charge of her fate—or tried to. After amputating her arm, Dr. Seth was so worried about having to meet with her and chat with her about it all. He said this: “I saw the last sight I expected—a fresh amputee with an expensive, good morning smile.” And she said, “Hey, how are you? Seems like the surgery went well. You want some eggs?”
Dr. Seth said, “I felt a significant portion of the burden slip off my shoulders, and I could breathe again. Where do patients like this come from?”
Finding Strength in God
Now, I'm sharing this with you, friends, because I think you and I could learn from this in times of trouble, in times of hurt, in times of loss, how do we deal with it? Do we pout? Do we moan and complain? Or can we, like this patient—even in the face of losing an arm—still smile?
As Christians, we should certainly be like Melissa, because we've got hope beyond this world. And even in our darkest days, we can still hold onto our faith.
You see, if an amputee who had just lost her arm could be so positive and full of life, friends, you and I can do the same. Whatever you're facing today, whatever difficulties are in your way, take heart. And face them with strength and dignity—and even a smile.
Because guess what? God is with you, and He’s going to help you through whatever you're going through, just like He helped Melissa Loomis as she lost her arm.
