This book is an excellent read. It was challenging and word centered in every way. I was especially touched because this book came to me in a timely manner. I am a patient who has been disappointed with health care for a very long time. I suffer continually with no cure in sight for my suffering. I baffle the doctors. They cannot figure out what is causing my problems so we are both exasperated over it.
However, this book helped me see that I am looking at medicine and its practice in the wrong way. I have been looking at it to save me while I am in this temporary body but with all the knowledge that we possess today, some things are not knowable or fixable with our complicated bodies. This should not astound us. God is an amazing Creator. He made us wonderfully complex. Some things just cannot be known.
By helping increase my understanding of doctors and their medical training has helped me understand where some of the flaws come in. Learning about the way they are taught to disconnect with the patient on a deeper level helps me to not be as angry. Any sick person just wants the doctor to listen, be kind, be honest, and try. The best thing that could be said to me is, "I know this is very difficult for you and your life and I see your pain is very real, however, we just do not know what the cause it yet." Doctors must learn to connect with both the body and soul of a patient to help the healing process.
Another thing I loved about this book was the discussion of technology. Technology brings wonderful resources and cures of many kinds but they are not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. They do not work on all people and this is where my thinking goes astray. I think if I go to the medical professional they can understand my body and do something to fix it. As our bodies decay little by little there are, at times, no real fixes.
After reading I can be thankful for medicines and technologies available but I never want them to take the place of God in my life. I have also learned that God is doing something in the sick persons life. It is an opportunity to let God enter into our suffering. It is a place of growth in grace as we sit and ponder His suffering and His love. And ultimately our final resurrection.
The author also wrote about learning our limits in our bodies, embracing the process of growing older, and the need for health care that extends evenly to all people. He wrote about the importance of our bodies and what the Bible says about that. Overall this book was informative and helpful. It is a good read to understand the balance of the medical field and right theology.
I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.
You can get a copy of this book on Amazon.com here.
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