Shadmans thoughts

He Became One of Us>>> On February 15, 1921, there was a doctor who performed an appendectomy. > The doctor performing the surgery was Dr. Evan Kane who over his 37-year > medical career had performed nearly 4,000 appendectomies, so this surgery > was not at all unusual except for two things.>> First of all, this was the first time that local anesthesia had ever been > used in major surgery. Dr. Kane believed that local anesthesia was safer > than putting a patient completely to sleep. Most of his colleagues agreed > with him in principle, but they wanted to see first if it would actually > work.>> So Dr. Kane searched for a volunteer, a patient who would be willing to > undergo surgery while under local anesthesia. It wasn't easy to find one. > Most people are squeamish at the thought of being awake during their own > surgery. Others are fearful that the anesthesia might wear off too soon.>> Finally, though, Dr. Kane found a volunteer, and on Tuesday morning, > February 15th, the operation began. The patient was prepped and wheeled > into the operating room. A local anesthetic was applied. And as Dr. Kane > had done thousands of times before, he cut open the tissues and removed > the appendix. The patient had only minor discomfort and recovered quickly, > dismissed two days later.>> Dr. Kane had proven his theory. Thanks to the willingness of a brave > volunteer, Dr. Kane demonstrated that local anesthesia was an alternative, > even a preferred alternative.>> But I said there were two facts that made this surgery unusual. I've told > you the first: the use of local anesthesia. The second unusual thing was > the patient -- the patient was Dr. Kane. You s! ee, in order to prove his > point, Dr. Kane operated on himself. The doctor became a patient in order > to convince the patients to trust the doctor.>> As unbelievable as that may seem, it is insignificant compared with what > Jesus Christ did for us. The Great Physician voluntarily became one of us. > He placed himself in our shoes. He left the glories of heaven to live on > this earth as one of us -- to suffer our pains and feel our fears. Why? So > that when you hurt, you will know that you have someone who understands -- > your Great Physician -- and you will have confidence to go to him for > healing.>> "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He > Himself likewise shared in the same....For in that He Himself has > suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." > (Hebrews 2:14a,18)

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The Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a Nativity Scene in Washington, DC this Christmas season. This isn't for any religious reason, they simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's capitol. There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.

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