Ridgell's Originals

So I have a hole in my head now.  Well, it is sewed up with about 60 stitches.  Melanoma.  Found it in Abilene, took it out at UT Southwest in Dallas.  Mohs surgery which is not done by anyone in Abilene.  It has been a week now.  Sore.  Ugly.  Get the stitches out next week.  Here is the good news.  They got it all. This is the second go-round.  I had a Melanoma cut out of my chest about 10 years ago.

Even weirder. Two days before the surgery I got a horrible bacterial infection in my eyes.  Sorta like pink eye.  But worse and in both eyes.  So thanks Dr. Steven Ezzell for seeing me and helping out. Got it cleared up just in time for surgery.   

Great Doctors and care.  Lots of prayer.  From all over the world.  Grandkids prayed lots.  So I appreciate the great medical care.  But it was all God.  He gets the glory.  And would have if it hadn't gone well.

Full of Jesus.  Empty of cnacer.

And all of this made me think about Melanoma and sin.  Radical physical and spiritual surgery.  Recovery.

Sometimes we think sin is no big deal.  Like a little spot on your head.  That gets worse.  And worse.  If you do not get rid of it, it will kill you.

So listen when people warn you about things in your life that can be dangerous.  So I'm glad I minded Marsha and went to Dr. Ramalia.  Glad I listened to him.

Cut the sin out.  And be careful.  Because it may show up again.  Different place.  Looks different.  Still sin.  It was radical surgery.  But its gone.

Getting healthy hurts.  Lots of big needles.  Lots of weird sounds.  Deciding to get spiritually well requires making hard decisions.  Sometimes it is painful.  Consequences. 

Lots of blood.  And I look ugly right now.  Just like a life with sin.

It takes help.  Doctors, meds, family, community of faith.  Prayers, food, hugs, skillful surgery.  Elders, Scripture, community of faith, people that love you.

It'll leave a scar.  Wounds into scars.  That is what forgiveness and faith does to our sin.  Turns wounds into scars.

And I do not want it coming back.  I wear hats.  I look for suspicious signs.  So does my wife.  And with sin I am careful.  I take precautions.  I have trusted friends who watch out for me. 

Catch it quick and cut out what you need to. 

Turn wounds into scars.

It works with cancer.

And it works with sin.

So thanks God.  For a lot of things.