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I am forty-five years old. When I was seventeen, a pea-sized lump surfaced on my left hip. Ten years later, the little mass was now the size of a large pecan. After lunch one day, I showed it to my friend, Dr. Chris Bazal, who offered to remove it immediately. A needle with some numbing meds, a half-inch laceration, a few stitches would do the trick. Did I mention I don't like pain, needles, or knives? So, I got scared, fabricated an excuse, and fled his office. That was not a smart move on my part!
Years later, Dr. Troy Kimsey offered to remove the then chestnut-size tumor at my home one night. Again, I dawdled. Fast-forward to February of 2021, the tumor is now 27 years old and the size of a one-pound elongated orange. Yes, it was annoying, but it was otherwise painless. Insurance considered it a preexisting condition, and this was just the excuse I wanted to do nothing. Additionally, I did not have twenty to thirty thousand dollars laying around to pay for its removal.
In March, I injured the tumor in martial arts class. It morphed into an awful array of purple and black colors. I went back to Dr. Kimsey, who demanded emergency surgery. The one-pound tumor had compartmentalized into three sections, and the blunt-force trauma from my MMA incident ruptured a section. I faced the risk of being poisoned internally by fluid from the mass. The added concern was that we still didn't know if it was benign or malignant.
I immediately underwent successful surgery. Twenty-seven years of procrastination and fear left me with a six-inch scar and twenty thousand dollars in medical bills. A benign pathology report paled next to bills that I could not pay. Walking out of Dr. Bazals office years ago was not a smart move on my part! Plus, the tumor could have spread or been dangerous. I never considered just how selfish my negligence was and the impact that it would have on others.
The Bible says, "But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it" (Deuteronomy 30:14). God ALWAYS provides a word and solution, but we must choose to obey it. When I decide to take the easy street, it will be much more complex and costlier tomorrow. James 1:22-25 instructs immediate obedience to God's direction and promises blessings to those who do what God says.
Seemingly minor sin is like a small lump in the heart of man, but left unchecked, it can carry an enormous cost. No adulterous affair begins at the office; it starts as a small unchecked sin in the heart of man. Grand theft also commences in the heart of a man who fails to deal with the little sin of envy or pride. Psalm 66:18 warns that sin can block prayers: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear." Turn to God for merciful forgiveness.
God is always merciful and gracious! On July 23rd, I was notified that my healthcare provider decided to pay all of my medical bills. The blunt force trauma from the martial arts incident deemed the surgery an emergency and not a preexisting condition. God is merciful and gracious to provide for my needs, even when I make mistakes and fail. God is Gracious even when I am foolish.
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